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 | Paul Bowles
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I knocked on Paul Bowles' door one afternoon on my first trip to Morocco and he let me in. He had no idea who I was and all I knew about him was his cameo in the movie THE SHELTERING SKY, based on his novel, when he asks Kit [performed by Debra W#nger] "Are you lost?"
I loved that line and felt like I had to meet him.
Years later I found this interview with Bowles. It helped me understand why he opened up to me. I think he saw a side of himself in me. He was charming, gracious, funny. He told me his stories all afternoon long. I think he was relieved to have met a stranger in me.
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INTERVIEWER:
When you were a young man making the acquaintance not only of other young writers such as Isherwood and Auden but also getting to know more established writers, like Stein and Cocteau, were you consciously attempting to become part of an artistic community? Were you looking to be nurtured by contact with other artists?
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BOWLES:
I was never aware of wanting to become part of a community, no. I wanted to meet them. I suppose I simply felt that I was taking pot shots at clay pipes. Pop! Down goes Gertrude, down goes Jean Cocteau, down goes Andre Gide. I made a point of those things. Meeting Manuel de Falla, for example for no reason at all. I went to Granada, found his door, knocked, went in, and spent the afternoon. He had no idea who I was. Why I did that, I don't know.
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