September 21, 1975: Sunday

Up to help Tiny Tim and the Zig-zag Show. We blew a circuit breaker. Listened to Bridge of Sighs by Robin Trower, the only new stuff we could find. Played some funny USARP commercials.

Went back to bed at 11:00 and slept ‘til 3:00. Went to the library to study up on the Kings of England.

We’re going tomorrow. Hopeful. I remember to get out my rubber gloves. See a movie in the Chalet about Palmer Station and the Glomar Challenger. Very boring.

Tom, the guy from Kearney, plays a good guitar. I write three scenes for Antigone and Mercedes. I am going to finish it down here while my ideas of Cathy remain constant. I have to search out Tragic Flaw, Third Act Climax, Comic Interlude, and Final Motives. Especially in a Sense of Time. The hardest thing is to get Antigone and Mercedes into the right relationship of close friends.

I meet two drunks on the way to my room. Regular Navy guys. They want to know my name.

“Raoul.”

“Oh, a Cuban. Come on, we don’t wanna talk to no Cuban. We’re you born in Cuba.”

“No, my first name’s Paul.”

“Paul what?”

“Paul R. Baer.”

They laugh and stagger away.

“Is that all you want?”

Then they really laugh. I think they were after my body.