INTERVIEW — TAPE #69, SIDE #2
Q: Mark Russell Bell
J: Jennifer Kutner, friend
C: Chuck Moshontz (portion of KSCA radio broadcast)
M: Mike Morrison (portion of KSCA radio broadcast)
A: Candice (Bodhi Tree bookstore used books annex cashier)
K: unidentified KSCA DJ
P: Pacific Bell Message Center Voice Mail
D: Karie Diethorn (voice mail message)
L: Larry Garrison (voice mail message)
T: Timothy Fielding, photographer
I: Independence National Historical Park Recorded Messages
Q: Exactly.
J: Okay, this is Jennifer again. Mark here wants to know where I get all this spiritualism from.
Q: Right.
J: And so what I said was when I knew that all this was true was when I was much younger in my teens and all this information started to come out in the research work of this Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross on near death experiences. It started hitting and everyone was saying that they went to see the light. And it was then that I understood that you get answers to all of the questions that you have no answers for here on Earth the moment you hit that light. And I knew that intuitively and I never questioned that that wasn’t reality.
Q: Do you think the light is God?
J: And the question — but you only got answers to those things that you questioned. In other words, if you spent your entire earthly existence doing nothing but fluffing your hair in front of the mirror, you would maybe get some answers. But if you had other questions, you’d get answers to those questions. Do you see what I mean? All your questions are answered, whatever they are.
Q: Right. But that’s very —
J: And that’s it.
Q: But do you think —
J: And I knew back then — and then when I read Embraced By The Light —
Q: What is this light? Do you think this light is God?
J: — she confirmed (“BEAU” or “BOW”) everything and I go, “Ohh well phh, I already knew that.” No, I — that confirmed it.
Q: Do you think the light is God?
J: Of course. What else would it be?
Q: Me and you have a lot in common because (“WE’RE SS”) we’re spiritually advanced in one way or the other. We don’t really feel like we need to be —
J: A lot of good it does around here.
Q: — have a wife or a husband and kids to make us feel like we’re a success or like we’re a complete person.
J: Correct.
Q: We feel like we’re a complete person without a family.
J: But — right, exactly. Although I don’t see that (“YOU”) needing a family would make you feel complete. Why would you even think that? We become complete in the ways in which you become complete. Some do through family and others don’t. It’s all part of the journey and all the lessons that we need to take. I guess what you’re saying is that we don’t need necessarily the lessons that an offspring would teach us.
Q: A lot of people —
J: We’re learning our lessons from everybody around us.
Q: — a lot of young girls — when they graduate from high school, they think, “Oh now I’m supposed to get married and have kids.” (“RIGHT”) So they basically ruin their lives —
J: Right.
Q: — by doing that.
J: Unless they don’t. Not unless that’s what they really want and they’re happy to retire and have that.
Q: Yeah but that’s so young. (“I KNOW”)
J: Yeah but they — it’s not —
Q: Someone’s not fully matured yet.
J: That’s true but that’s part of the journey that (“YEAH”) they have to take. And for some of them it’s okay. And for others it’s not okay. But it’s all part of the journey that some people take.
Q: That’s why it’s so good for me to do interviews because I only have my experience to draw upon. And you have a much more — you have a lot more experience in terms of women issues. Like why young girls get married (“A[T]” “YET”) so young an age. It’s something I’ve never been able to understand — why somebody wouldn’t wait a few years until after college, after really seeing what opportunities they are — (“THERE”) there are in life.
J: Well it’s not so much a female perspective. It’s just — recall back your high school days with all the difference in people in high school. There were those people without ambition to have jobs and to go to college. And those people, when they were female, essentially married because having a child was their career and was their ambition in life. And they thought that that was what they wanted. Remember it’s high school — you don’t really know anything in high school. You just only know what you think that you know. And only if you’re very, very lucky do you really know. I mean those people who are math geniuses or — they knew what their career path would be. The — you know what I —
Q: Yes. Oh yeah.
J: Those people whose (“GIVE THEIR MONEY”) paths were already pretty much laid out knew. (“KID”) The rest of us were all struggling. (“GOD SAYS NO”) And part of the struggle for some was to marry and have (“BOY”) children. And (“LOVE”) then there were those (“B”) for whom that was right. (“FORGIVE YOU” “FOR LYING”)
Q: By the way, you have interesting —
J: Oh. (“ON” “IS THAT” “B”) For eyeglasses.
Q: Y(e)ah?
J: They’re (“YAH”) — they used to . . . they’re antique. Older.
Q: They’re beautiful. . . . it’s like a vision symbol.
J: Yeah. (“ANSWER”) Isn’t it?
Q: It’s like you have these vision symbols. (“RI” “YEAH” “THE”)
J: Eyeglasses. I never knew until someone told me. A friend of mine was clearing our an estate and he offered me the jewelry on the estate. And I said, “I can’t take this.” And he said, “Take it because I’ll have to give it to the daughter and I hate the daughter.” So I went through and I chose pieces that I liked and it was okay. (“AND I THO[UGHT]”) But — and these were some of them. I thought they were very unusual and very pretty until somebody (“MY”) explained to me that they are (eyeglasses).
Q: And so where do you see your career evolving from, from this point?
J: (laughs)
Q: You know, when you’re a career woman here at Rogers and Cowan, working late — what’s next in your life?
J: You know, the truth is I love being a publicist so much. I love working with the press; (“NO”) that I don’t — I’ll take my — I don’t look into the future. I take my life as it’s given to me — in the time frame that it’s given to me. I do know that I do not want to evolve into a managerial position because A, it would mean losing (“GIVE”) contact — the day-to-day contact with the press, which I love; and B, I have no desire to manage. (“RI”) So I am where I’m supposed to be at this point in my life.
Q: Yeah, it’s very hard — like as I was telling Chris — it’s very hard to manage because you find most of your day-to-day job is like worrying about parking costs and things like that and not creative.
J: Right, exactly. You lose a lot of the creativeness and I don’t want to do that. (“YEAH”) And there’s all those problems that come with —
Q: What’s your astrological sign?
J: Capricorn.
Q: And have you ever been to a psychic?
J: Yeah.
Q: Besides Chris La Monte? (“I NEVER”)
J: Chris has never been psychic with me.
Q: Talk about that.
J: But I have been to psychics.
Q: Did we talk about that in our (previous) interview?
J: Yeah, I have been to psychics. But not the ones that tell you about reincarnation or anything like that. Just the psychics that tell you what your future holds. But they all say the same thing. They all say that I’m special. What does that mean?
Q: That’s what Chris said.
J: That I’m special?
Q: She said (“BARBRA STRIESAND”) — because usually it’s like it’s something easy for her to get a read on you for some reason.
J: Because I’m special.
Q: Exactly.
J: But what does that mean to be — what does that mean?
Q: That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
J: Special?
Q: Exactly.
J: No one’s been able to explain that to me.
Q: Well I have (“LIKE”) my photographer, (“YEAH THAT’S”) who I’m seeing tomorrow — (“IS — IS”) like he was born on such a day that he has no astrological sign. Now that’s special.
J: Wow.
Q: I have an Angel named Mighael in my life. (“WAS HE”) That’s special.
J: True.
Q: So you’re special in your own way and I don’t know what that is.
J: I don’t know what it is either.
Q: So that’s another tantalizing mystery for my book.
J: Fine.
Q: If you ever figure it out, let me know.
J: Okay. And if you ever figure it out, you let me know.
Q: I wish I could channel. I don’t know. (“I”) Patty is the reincarnation of an angel so I think you must be (“EAR”) — do you ever have dreams? (“OF LIKE”)
J: Maybe this is just my first time around? (“BLIN[D]”)
Q: No, (or “NO”) I know that isn’t the case. I know that . . . Do you ever have strange dreams or, like, dreams on another planet or anything like that at all?
J: No, I never have those kinds of dreams.
Q: What do you dream about?
J: I have nightmares about my childhood. (laughs)
Q: Why? What happened in your childhood?
J: Actually, I don’t anymore because, thank God, I have nothing to do with my family so all those nightmares are gone.
Q: Well I was sexually abused as a child.
J: But (“I”) I — really?
Q: Yes. Apparently. I have no memory — well I have some memory.
J: By a parent?
Q: I’m not sure but I do have some memories — I do have — I’m beginning to have memories. (“OF”) So in every poltergeist case sometimes there is a sexually abused channel. (“SO”) Were you sexually abused?
J: Oh — I can’t discuss it.
Q: You don’t — okay.
J: I mean I don’t want to discuss it.
Q: No but were you — well everyone’s abused.
J: But — everyone’s abused — but some are worse than others and it comes with a lot of different levels of abuse. And there’s different — there’s — not levels. There’s different types of abuse and I got everything. Does that explain your answer?
Q: That explains it, yeah.
J: Okay, fine. So (“SS” “WHEN”) the dreams I have — I might have nightmares but now I don’t have them, thank God, because I have nothing to do with my family. But if I have nightmares, they’re mostly about animal abuse because I do a lot of work in the animal rights movement.
Q: Good for you.
J: And once you open up that door and you see what goes on — and you see the video tapes and you read the things and you conceptualize it — and you have this compassion for the animal, it comes out as nightmares.
Q: You know, that’s something I — it’s so horrifying to me I don’t want to deal with it at all so it doesn’t really contribute to the problem. I just ignore it. (“IT” “LOOK”)
J: You can ignore — I understand because for a long time I was like that because it hurt so much that — okay, fine. So you know what you can do? You just (“O” “WH”) give money. If you just give money then you don’t have to deal with it at all. You don’t have to look at the pictures. You don’t have to do anything. You just open the envelope, write a check, put it back in and that’s it. You don’t have to contribute a lot.
Q: The next time I get an envelope —
J: If you just do like $15, it’s plenty.
Q: The next time I get one in the mail I’m going to contribute. I promise. (“O”)
J: Thank you.
Q: So that —
J: Do you get them in the mail?
Q: I get everything in the mail.
J: Do you get like PETA and In Defense Of Animals?
Q: No, I don’t but —
J: Oh. Well you know —
Q: — I get enough that — if I see something in the newspaper. (“SIGN”) Like, you know, at certain markets you can give money to people in need and hunger — every time I go to the supermarket I always give $5. (“FOR ALL”)
J: Oh — you know you reminded me of a dream I did have. I do have a recurring dream that isn’t a nightmare.
Q: What? Tell me.
J: And I — it’s two recurring dreams that are not nightmares. Wow. Oh I love it. And I love this dream. I love these two. One is about the sky and one is about the ocean. But I actually love the ocean and I dream about it when I haven’t been for a while, which is one of the reasons that I moved to L.A. Because when I was in New York I used to — during winter I would have dreams about the ocean all the time. But this — these are water dreams. They’re enormous waves dreams. Huge waves breaking against everything but nice waves encompassing, loving waves and I dive as you know (“SO”) —
Q: It’s all coming together now.
J: I scuba dive, as you know, so there’s always that need to be part of the ocean.
Q: I didn’t know but now I know.
J: I’m telling you now. And it’s a need to be part of the ocean, to be in the ocean and to — okay, fine. And then I have another recurring dream. This is so cool. I love this one. I’m someplace and suddenly the sky begins to open up — (“WELL IN”) not open up. The sky becomes like a huge dome. It becomes a dome like a plastic or glass — not glass but a plastic dome that you can actually — and there are all these things floating through it. Everything from (“CON” “DAY”) constellations and stars and moons and UFOs. And all over there. And they’re — but it’s a — like you can touch them. But you can’t really touch them because they’re far away. But the sky is a dome. It’s not an infinite thing.
Q: This isn’t Earth. Another planet?
J: No, this is Earth.
Q: It is? Okay.
J: This is Earth. And I’m somewhere in there and then suddenly —
Q: Is this a city inside the ocean? I don’t understand. (“NO”)
J: No no no, this is a different dream. This is not an ocean.
Q: I know — no, I know. But you said a dome. What is the dome?
J: The sky is the dome. That’s it. And it’s a night sky. It’s always a night sky because you can see more in the night. It’s always the night sky. But I’m standing someplace on Earth. (“I”) And I’m standing someplace on Earth and the sky just suddenly becomes a dome, a physical dome. (“WITH”) And you can see everything: stars and planets and constellations and airplanes and UFOs. And it’s all around you and it’s so cool. And it feels so good is part of it. And I had that dream. And then I have another dream that you reminded me of. And it’s just landscapes. I love landscape photographs. Anyway, and I love the Earth and all that stuff. It’s just landscapes. Constant landscapes floating out in front of me. Everything from mountains and rivers and ice and snowcaps. And it’s as if I’m in a spaceship and I’m just floating over land. Different scenarios of land. (“SO”) I guess I have dreams. Well that’s (“PRETTY”) — if I don’t have a nightmare, then I’ll have a dream.
Q: I wonder if these are like memory dreams?
J: I — and then those two dreams — I have dreams of (“SCARY”) — I — no, I don’t know. I think I’m just part of the Earth and the sky and the water and everything around me. And I feel it all and, therefore, I think that’s why I have dreams (of these) events. And I do — I go out to nature as much as possible. When I go on vacations, I don’t go to Europe and cluster into a city.
Q: Well guess what?
J: I go to the Amazon.
Q: My basic impression of you was right. You’re the reincarnation of an elemental Earth spirit.
J: This could very well be.
Q: I said that right off.
J: I love that concept. Which one? Which elemental Earth concept?
Q: No, an elemental spirit is all elements. It encompasses all elements.
J: All elements?
Q: You’re an elemental spirit.
J: Hhhhh, I love this.
Q: Exactly.
J: This fits. You’re right.
Q: So you can be all that.
J: And that’s why Chris can’t put a finger on me because it’s not specific —
Q: Well just tell her —
J: — and she’s too stupid —
Q: Tell her Mark could — the next time you see her, say, “Mark and I figured out today who I’m the reincarnation of. An elemental Earth spirit.” And she’ll say, “That’s right.” I’m sure she will. She’s read. (“R C”)
J: That means that it’s all elements: the sky, the ocean, water —
Q: Elemental. Have you read about elemental spirits?
J: Yes — no, I know what an element is, obviously.
Q: Well you might read the original Bell Witch case — a book about the original Bell Witch case. Because (“WELL”) ‘poltergeists’ and God —
J: So does this mean that I connect better to the Earth than I do to people? No, that doesn’t mean that at all.
Q: No, it just means —
J: No, it doesn’t mean that. It means — element —
Q: It means you’ve (“GONE”) — that you’ve gone from (“WHAT”) a disincarnate reality to an incarnate reality. Much like we all do. (“BUT”) Your previous — spirits can be — spirits are different from human beings. I don’t understand it either. (“BUT”) If you read all my book, you’ll understand it better than you do now.
J: Okay. (or “OKAY”) I’ll understand an elemental spirit? So an elemental spirit simply means that I was an element that had everything in it?
Q: Well you’re a — when you’re a disincarnate entity, you can be everywhere at the same time. See, I’ve had religious ecstasies —
J: Ohh, I see.
Q: I’ve experienced that in my own way.
J: So I was just an element (“WERE I[N]”) that could be anything.
Q: You were just — (“I SS” or “EYES”) it’s very confus(ing) — it’s very complicated. But it’s a very Godlike state.
J: I’ll bet it is. Yeah, this I can see.
Q: And when we leave our physical body, we all become elemental spirits (“O”) so maybe this is your first incarnation (“A[S]”) in a physical body on Earth.
J: That’s what I said before. (“YEAH SEE”) I bet it’s my first time. (“RI”)
Q: So but now I think it’s because you were an elemental spirit. (“YEAH”)
J: This could very well be. (or “THIS COULD VERY WELL BE”)
Q: Not that — not so much that you were on another planet or whatever. (“BUT”) You were here as an elemental spirit.
J: This could very well be.
Q: If I’m wrong, Mighael will say so on my tapes.
J: Oh. How do you know?
Q: Okay. (“YOU’LL READ IT”) You’ll read it in my book. In between —
J: Well but you’ll give me your transcript before, won’t you?
Q: I have thirty more cassettes to transcribe first.
J: Oh, okay.
Q: I don’t know when I’ll get to this.
J: Okay, then whenever you’re ready.
Q: Yeah, eventually. Unless Mighael decides to transcribe it for me.
J: (small laugh) Because I’m ready. When you’re ready.
Q: Okay. Thank you for this interview.
J: You’re very welcome.
Q: It was meant to be.
J: Yeah, it does seem like it, doesn’t it? Because I came out just at the time that you were in need to go to lunch.
Q: Exactly.
J: And I needed to get away.
Q: See? (“NU[N]” “YEAH”) And now you know.
J: Now I know.
Q: Okay. That you were an elemental.
J: I was an elemental. Yes. Thank you.
Q: Okay.
( . . . )
C: . . . Moshantz with “The KSCA Earth Journal” and a look at the first detailed study of the costs of paving over California’s lush central valley farmlands. University of California researchers and the American Farmlands Trust in a report last year said the loss of one million acres of farmland in the central valley in recent years to housing tracts and commercial strips has resulted in more air pollution, traffic congestion and urban sprawl; and that we are threatened with the post-World War II disaster of Los Angeles, once the nation’s top agricultural producer, now an urban mess unable to meet its debt. The report says that if Fresno, Sacramento, Bakersfield and Modesto do not change their pattern of L.A.-style growth over the next forty-five years, California will lose more than 12% of its best farmland and that Central Valley cities and counties will be operating in the red by the year 2040. The California Building Industry Association dismissed the report as hype and said construction brings jobs and taxes. I’m Chuck Moshontz with “The Earth Journal” on KSCA-FM 101.9.
M: So we’ve been playing a lot of John Hiatt’s new Walk On album here on the station. This one goes back a few years. John Hiatt from his Slow Turning record. It’s “Paper Thin.” It’s a rocker. KSCA F.M. 101-9.
Q: Did I tell you? I turned on the radio and I heard the disc jockey say his name was Mike Morrison. So that’s why I was taping.
( . . . )
Q: I’m in the Bodhi Tree and I note there are some books by “God” called You Are God or No One Will Listen to God. That’s volume three and volume two. Somebody named Buffie channeled them. They look pretty scary. He’s obviously had a lot (of) attempts before me.
( . . . )
Q: Hi. I got this in the channeled section — this Michael’s People. I notice that you also had some books channeled by God. Do you ever get any requests for those? (“OR”) Do you know anything about those? No. Isn’t it strange — the things you see at these stores?
A: All kind —
Q: It’s like what if that really was channeled by God?
A: $10.28.
Q: I think I have twenty-eight cents.
A: Okay.
Q: What about these Michael books? Do you get a lot of these? Are they very popular?
A: Very. We can’t keep them in the store. We just put this out today.
Q: Really?
A: Yeah. And —
Q: I haven’t seen Michael’s People before. I’ve seen — I have two of the other ones.
A: Yeah. I mean we can’t keep them in the store. They’re gone as soon as we put them out.
Q: I’m doing a book about Mighael too.
A: Oh are you?
Q: Yeah. But my book reveals that He’s an Archangel.
A: Oh yeah.
Q: You know. (“YEAH”) So my books are different from the other ones. Nice meeting you. What’s your name?
A: Candice.
Q: Nice meeting you.
( . . . )
You say you’ve lost your faith But that’s not where it’s at You have no faith to lose And you know it . . .
Q: (speaking into tape recorder while driving) I just turned on the radio after leaving the Bodhi Tree. I also purchased Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and it was only $1 so I saved some money. And Michael’s People — ouch. I almost had an accident. It’s the third book in the Michael series. A real scary cover as always. And a beautiful hardbound version of a James Kavanaugh book, There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves which is a very rare find because these early hardbound books are very hard to find. So I’m very lucky and this song, I must say — it’s like the story of my relationship with Mighael. But at least I’m honest enough to admit it.
. . . You’d rather see me paralyzed Why don’t you just come out once And scream it No, I do not feel that good When I see the heartbreaks . . .
( . . . )
Q: Well I definitely know something about what it’s like to stand in His shoes and for no one to believe in you.
( . . . )
K: . . . KSCA and Joan Osborne doing “Ladder” from her great album Relish. Did a classic from Bob Dylan before that: “Positively 4th Street.” And getting us started on that set of music: Dar Williams and a tune from her new album Mortal City. It’s her second album — first one had that song “When I Was a Boy” on it. Her new one is equally fine and includes the song we heard, “As Cool As I Am.”
( . . . )
Q: I just saw a billboard that says “The Virgin Mary Will Speak To You If You Call (gives number) Her Message” This I’ve got to hear. And I never would have seen that billboard if that truck hadn’t cut me off and if I hadn’t gone down that sidestreet and if I hadn’t gone down — oh never mind. Can you believe it, though? (“I”) This was definitely meant to be.
( . . . )
P: Today at . . . 04.
D: Hi, Mr. Russell. This is Karie Diethorn at Independence National Historical Park and I got your slides. And I took a look at them and I still feel from what I can see in the slides that the Declaration copy that you have is a modern facsimile meaning probably from the 20th Century. I — you know, I really don’t think it’s any older than that. I just don’t see how it’s possible. I’m looking at the arrangement, the margin size, how the text is slightly off center, the quality of the paper does show up in some of the slides. I’m pretty sure about it. You know, I’ll be happy to discuss it with you, if you like. I plan to return your slides. As for the portrait of Washington, it’s a copy after Gilbert Stuart’s famous Atheneum portrait — or not Atheneum portrait — it’s the same portrait that’s on the dollar bill of George Washington. And I really — you know, there’s no way I can tell from the slide the age of this painting but I mean it certainly seems artistically competent. I guess it just depends on how you feel about the image in terms of its value. I don’t know. I can’t really comment on that any further. I’ll return the slides to you, as you requested. Thanks very much for sending them to me. Bye-bye.
P: End of message. To repeat this message, press one. To save it, press two. (tone) Message saved. Sent today at 3:13 p.m.
L: Hi, Mark, it’s Larry. I am so sorry about missing you at lunch today. I had to run out to the set. I wasn’t expecting to go but we had a crew that was there and I had to run out and be on the set. And I just rushed out and I totally spaced and I forgot to call you and tell you. Really sorry about that. But let’s try to — let’s do it next week. I’ll make it up to you and we’ll try to get together next week. Again, I’m sorry but (it was an) emergency thing and I just totally forgot. But I hope you’re well and let’s try to hook up next week with Michael. I’ll talk to you later. Bye. (tone)
P: Message erased. Sent today at 4:02 p.m.
T: How are you doing, Mark? It’s Timothy Fielding calling you. I’m just confirming for tomorrow at ten o’clock. Let me know if you’re ready to do it; if you’ve got all your things together and you got your haircut, by the way. And I also need your address too to get there. I don’t have your address in front of me here so I’ll need that. So when you call, if you talk to Heidi can you give her the address and directions there? My number again (gives number with three sixes yet not in a row). I’ll talk to you later, Mark. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I’ll talk to you later. Bye-bye.
( . . . )
Q: So I’m not depressed about Karie’s response. I knew it would be that. In a way. I mean the best possibility would’ve been that she was on a plane immediately and got her ass down here to see — to take a look because, as far as I’m concerned, you can see the erasures on the photo. It’s just that people have a major denial problem. But the way I feel right now — fuck mankind. Like in the Bob Dylan song: I’m on the “winning side.”
( . . . )
I: Hello. You have reached the Cultural Resources Management division of Independence National Historical Park. If you would like to leave a message for the chief of the division, the Historical Architect Branch, the History Branch, the Museum Branch or the Secretary, please do so after the beep. If there is a physical emergency, you may call the dispatch at (gives number). Thank you.
I: Please leave a message at the tone or enter another extension number or press zero for assistance. After recording your message, you may hang up or press star for more options. (BEEP)
Q: Hello, Karie Diethorn. This is Mark Russell calling. I got your message. Thank you very much. I’m . . . (momentary listening device malfunction) in an awkward position because I’m sure this is the original. I mean you can tell by looking at it. Couldn’t you see the erasings on the slide? Anyway, I’m a bit surprised by all you — your curator’s response. (“WHAT”) What about maybe looking at it personally? I’m so sure it’s the original, I wouldn’t mind maybe flying out for the weekend or something and showing it to you because it’s so obviously the original. I mean Forrest Gump could tell. I mean — and, you know, I don’t really care for myself, it’s just that I sort of would like to maybe auction it for charity or do something (“YOU KNOW” “WITH IT”) with it to help people. So I don’t know. I just — I’m surprised people are so quick to say no without seeing it in person. So let me know what you think I should do. I just — I’m very depressed that no one’s willing — I mean it is possible because I have it. I mean I wouldn’t have written to you if I wasn’t sure. And you can tell by looking at it and all that. So, anyway, I don’t know. Do you think I should come out and show it to you? I don’t mind. I’ll just fly out and fly back the same day. It just — I just — you — help you’re ready to do tests when I bring it out, though, because I don’t want to waste my money. I don’t want you to just look at it and say, “Oh this can’t be it.” You know? I mean it is sealed. It is, (“SSR”) you know, sealed so somebody will have to take it out of the frame and it is very valuable so I want it to be done very carefully and very professionally. So (“THA”) those arrangements will have to be made for it to be tested. And I’ll be glad to pay my own expenses because it’s obviously the original. I mean it’s obvious. I mean anyone can tell. So, anyway, call me back. (gives number) I actually want to donate the money to Bosnia. And I even have their phone number in New York. That’s how confident I am. So, anyway, thank you for listening to this message. I know it’s long but I just feel a little intimidated about talking (“U”) directly until you had time to consider what I’m telling you. This. Is. The. Original. T — H — I — S — I — S — T — H — E — O — R — I — G — I — N — A — L. This is the original. My number is (gives number). Thank you very much.
( . . . )
Q: I tried calling the Virgin Mary. (“BUT”) I guess the Virgin Mary is speaking on the other line. (“HER PHO”) Her phone is busy. (“YEAH”)
( . . . )
Q: So here I am. It’s Friday afternoon. I guess morning still. It’s around (“ELEVEN”) eleven-thirty and Timothy is here shooting me. We’ve only had a little bit of phenomena today. Apparently — we were taking photos in my bedroom and Timothy heard something. You heard something. Oh — it’s almost over. This tape side is almost over. But what happened?
T: Somebody was walking downstairs and so I looked down the stairway and all of a sudden the strobes flashed. (“WHO U”)
Q: Who took the photo?
T: I really don’t know.
Q: Mighael.
T: Michael?! (“SO UM”)
Q: And what else was I going to ask you? (“SO”) What else — this tape is going — do you think the photos are good?
T: Oh (of ) course. Of course. There’s some incredible stuff you’ve got. I’ve seen incredible stuff.
Q: And now we’re going to go outside.
T: And do some candid stuff.
Q: This whole thing is very candid. It’s very — my book is a documentary so these shots are sort of ‘day in the life’-type shots to go with it. I just wonder what my photo is going to look like (“THAT HE”) that Mighael took? (“IT’S”) Probably not going to be very good because I was moving at the time.
T: It might be a blur.
Q: Well that sort of would like (“MI”) — maybe Mighael will be in the photo too.
T: We’ll find that out soon.
Q: Yes. Mighael, you can add something here now if you want.
J: Okay, this is Jennifer again. Mark here wants to know where I get all this spiritualism from.
Q: Right.
J: And so what I said was when I knew that all this was true was when I was much younger in my teens and all this information started to come out in the research work of this Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross on near death experiences. It started hitting and everyone was saying that they went to see the light. And it was then that I understood that you get answers to all of the questions that you have no answers for here on Earth the moment you hit that light. And I knew that intuitively and I never questioned that that wasn’t reality.
Q: Do you think the light is God?
J: And the question — but you only got answers to those things that you questioned. In other words, if you spent your entire earthly existence doing nothing but fluffing your hair in front of the mirror, you would maybe get some answers. But if you had other questions, you’d get answers to those questions. Do you see what I mean? All your questions are answered, whatever they are.
Q: Right. But that’s very —
J: And that’s it.
Q: But do you think —
J: And I knew back then — and then when I read Embraced By The Light —
Q: What is this light? Do you think this light is God?
J: — she confirmed (“BEAU” or “BOW”) everything and I go, “Ohh well phh, I already knew that.” No, I — that confirmed it.
Q: Do you think the light is God?
J: Of course. What else would it be?
Q: Me and you have a lot in common because (“WE’RE SS”) we’re spiritually advanced in one way or the other. We don’t really feel like we need to be —
J: A lot of good it does around here.
Q: — have a wife or a husband and kids to make us feel like we’re a success or like we’re a complete person.
J: Correct.
Q: We feel like we’re a complete person without a family.
J: But — right, exactly. Although I don’t see that (“YOU”) needing a family would make you feel complete. Why would you even think that? We become complete in the ways in which you become complete. Some do through family and others don’t. It’s all part of the journey and all the lessons that we need to take. I guess what you’re saying is that we don’t need necessarily the lessons that an offspring would teach us.
Q: A lot of people —
J: We’re learning our lessons from everybody around us.
Q: — a lot of young girls — when they graduate from high school, they think, “Oh now I’m supposed to get married and have kids.” (“RIGHT”) So they basically ruin their lives —
J: Right.
Q: — by doing that.
J: Unless they don’t. Not unless that’s what they really want and they’re happy to retire and have that.
Q: Yeah but that’s so young. (“I KNOW”)
J: Yeah but they — it’s not —
Q: Someone’s not fully matured yet.
J: That’s true but that’s part of the journey that (“YEAH”) they have to take. And for some of them it’s okay. And for others it’s not okay. But it’s all part of the journey that some people take.
Q: That’s why it’s so good for me to do interviews because I only have my experience to draw upon. And you have a much more — you have a lot more experience in terms of women issues. Like why young girls get married (“A[T]” “YET”) so young an age. It’s something I’ve never been able to understand — why somebody wouldn’t wait a few years until after college, after really seeing what opportunities they are — (“THERE”) there are in life.
J: Well it’s not so much a female perspective. It’s just — recall back your high school days with all the difference in people in high school. There were those people without ambition to have jobs and to go to college. And those people, when they were female, essentially married because having a child was their career and was their ambition in life. And they thought that that was what they wanted. Remember it’s high school — you don’t really know anything in high school. You just only know what you think that you know. And only if you’re very, very lucky do you really know. I mean those people who are math geniuses or — they knew what their career path would be. The — you know what I —
Q: Yes. Oh yeah.
J: Those people whose (“GIVE THEIR MONEY”) paths were already pretty much laid out knew. (“KID”) The rest of us were all struggling. (“GOD SAYS NO”) And part of the struggle for some was to marry and have (“BOY”) children. And (“LOVE”) then there were those (“B”) for whom that was right. (“FORGIVE YOU” “FOR LYING”)
Q: By the way, you have interesting —
J: Oh. (“ON” “IS THAT” “B”) For eyeglasses.
Q: Y(e)ah?
J: They’re (“YAH”) — they used to . . . they’re antique. Older.
Q: They’re beautiful. . . . it’s like a vision symbol.
J: Yeah. (“ANSWER”) Isn’t it?
Q: It’s like you have these vision symbols. (“RI” “YEAH” “THE”)
J: Eyeglasses. I never knew until someone told me. A friend of mine was clearing our an estate and he offered me the jewelry on the estate. And I said, “I can’t take this.” And he said, “Take it because I’ll have to give it to the daughter and I hate the daughter.” So I went through and I chose pieces that I liked and it was okay. (“AND I THO[UGHT]”) But — and these were some of them. I thought they were very unusual and very pretty until somebody (“MY”) explained to me that they are (eyeglasses).
Q: And so where do you see your career evolving from, from this point?
J: (laughs)
Q: You know, when you’re a career woman here at Rogers and Cowan, working late — what’s next in your life?
J: You know, the truth is I love being a publicist so much. I love working with the press; (“NO”) that I don’t — I’ll take my — I don’t look into the future. I take my life as it’s given to me — in the time frame that it’s given to me. I do know that I do not want to evolve into a managerial position because A, it would mean losing (“GIVE”) contact — the day-to-day contact with the press, which I love; and B, I have no desire to manage. (“RI”) So I am where I’m supposed to be at this point in my life.
Q: Yeah, it’s very hard — like as I was telling Chris — it’s very hard to manage because you find most of your day-to-day job is like worrying about parking costs and things like that and not creative.
J: Right, exactly. You lose a lot of the creativeness and I don’t want to do that. (“YEAH”) And there’s all those problems that come with —
Q: What’s your astrological sign?
J: Capricorn.
Q: And have you ever been to a psychic?
J: Yeah.
Q: Besides Chris La Monte? (“I NEVER”)
J: Chris has never been psychic with me.
Q: Talk about that.
J: But I have been to psychics.
Q: Did we talk about that in our (previous) interview?
J: Yeah, I have been to psychics. But not the ones that tell you about reincarnation or anything like that. Just the psychics that tell you what your future holds. But they all say the same thing. They all say that I’m special. What does that mean?
Q: That’s what Chris said.
J: That I’m special?
Q: She said (“BARBRA STRIESAND”) — because usually it’s like it’s something easy for her to get a read on you for some reason.
J: Because I’m special.
Q: Exactly.
J: But what does that mean to be — what does that mean?
Q: That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
J: Special?
Q: Exactly.
J: No one’s been able to explain that to me.
Q: Well I have (“LIKE”) my photographer, (“YEAH THAT’S”) who I’m seeing tomorrow — (“IS — IS”) like he was born on such a day that he has no astrological sign. Now that’s special.
J: Wow.
Q: I have an Angel named Mighael in my life. (“WAS HE”) That’s special.
J: True.
Q: So you’re special in your own way and I don’t know what that is.
J: I don’t know what it is either.
Q: So that’s another tantalizing mystery for my book.
J: Fine.
Q: If you ever figure it out, let me know.
J: Okay. And if you ever figure it out, you let me know.
Q: I wish I could channel. I don’t know. (“I”) Patty is the reincarnation of an angel so I think you must be (“EAR”) — do you ever have dreams? (“OF LIKE”)
J: Maybe this is just my first time around? (“BLIN[D]”)
Q: No, (or “NO”) I know that isn’t the case. I know that . . . Do you ever have strange dreams or, like, dreams on another planet or anything like that at all?
J: No, I never have those kinds of dreams.
Q: What do you dream about?
J: I have nightmares about my childhood. (laughs)
Q: Why? What happened in your childhood?
J: Actually, I don’t anymore because, thank God, I have nothing to do with my family so all those nightmares are gone.
Q: Well I was sexually abused as a child.
J: But (“I”) I — really?
Q: Yes. Apparently. I have no memory — well I have some memory.
J: By a parent?
Q: I’m not sure but I do have some memories — I do have — I’m beginning to have memories. (“OF”) So in every poltergeist case sometimes there is a sexually abused channel. (“SO”) Were you sexually abused?
J: Oh — I can’t discuss it.
Q: You don’t — okay.
J: I mean I don’t want to discuss it.
Q: No but were you — well everyone’s abused.
J: But — everyone’s abused — but some are worse than others and it comes with a lot of different levels of abuse. And there’s different — there’s — not levels. There’s different types of abuse and I got everything. Does that explain your answer?
Q: That explains it, yeah.
J: Okay, fine. So (“SS” “WHEN”) the dreams I have — I might have nightmares but now I don’t have them, thank God, because I have nothing to do with my family. But if I have nightmares, they’re mostly about animal abuse because I do a lot of work in the animal rights movement.
Q: Good for you.
J: And once you open up that door and you see what goes on — and you see the video tapes and you read the things and you conceptualize it — and you have this compassion for the animal, it comes out as nightmares.
Q: You know, that’s something I — it’s so horrifying to me I don’t want to deal with it at all so it doesn’t really contribute to the problem. I just ignore it. (“IT” “LOOK”)
J: You can ignore — I understand because for a long time I was like that because it hurt so much that — okay, fine. So you know what you can do? You just (“O” “WH”) give money. If you just give money then you don’t have to deal with it at all. You don’t have to look at the pictures. You don’t have to do anything. You just open the envelope, write a check, put it back in and that’s it. You don’t have to contribute a lot.
Q: The next time I get an envelope —
J: If you just do like $15, it’s plenty.
Q: The next time I get one in the mail I’m going to contribute. I promise. (“O”)
J: Thank you.
Q: So that —
J: Do you get them in the mail?
Q: I get everything in the mail.
J: Do you get like PETA and In Defense Of Animals?
Q: No, I don’t but —
J: Oh. Well you know —
Q: — I get enough that — if I see something in the newspaper. (“SIGN”) Like, you know, at certain markets you can give money to people in need and hunger — every time I go to the supermarket I always give $5. (“FOR ALL”)
J: Oh — you know you reminded me of a dream I did have. I do have a recurring dream that isn’t a nightmare.
Q: What? Tell me.
J: And I — it’s two recurring dreams that are not nightmares. Wow. Oh I love it. And I love this dream. I love these two. One is about the sky and one is about the ocean. But I actually love the ocean and I dream about it when I haven’t been for a while, which is one of the reasons that I moved to L.A. Because when I was in New York I used to — during winter I would have dreams about the ocean all the time. But this — these are water dreams. They’re enormous waves dreams. Huge waves breaking against everything but nice waves encompassing, loving waves and I dive as you know (“SO”) —
Q: It’s all coming together now.
J: I scuba dive, as you know, so there’s always that need to be part of the ocean.
Q: I didn’t know but now I know.
J: I’m telling you now. And it’s a need to be part of the ocean, to be in the ocean and to — okay, fine. And then I have another recurring dream. This is so cool. I love this one. I’m someplace and suddenly the sky begins to open up — (“WELL IN”) not open up. The sky becomes like a huge dome. It becomes a dome like a plastic or glass — not glass but a plastic dome that you can actually — and there are all these things floating through it. Everything from (“CON” “DAY”) constellations and stars and moons and UFOs. And all over there. And they’re — but it’s a — like you can touch them. But you can’t really touch them because they’re far away. But the sky is a dome. It’s not an infinite thing.
Q: This isn’t Earth. Another planet?
J: No, this is Earth.
Q: It is? Okay.
J: This is Earth. And I’m somewhere in there and then suddenly —
Q: Is this a city inside the ocean? I don’t understand. (“NO”)
J: No no no, this is a different dream. This is not an ocean.
Q: I know — no, I know. But you said a dome. What is the dome?
J: The sky is the dome. That’s it. And it’s a night sky. It’s always a night sky because you can see more in the night. It’s always the night sky. But I’m standing someplace on Earth. (“I”) And I’m standing someplace on Earth and the sky just suddenly becomes a dome, a physical dome. (“WITH”) And you can see everything: stars and planets and constellations and airplanes and UFOs. And it’s all around you and it’s so cool. And it feels so good is part of it. And I had that dream. And then I have another dream that you reminded me of. And it’s just landscapes. I love landscape photographs. Anyway, and I love the Earth and all that stuff. It’s just landscapes. Constant landscapes floating out in front of me. Everything from mountains and rivers and ice and snowcaps. And it’s as if I’m in a spaceship and I’m just floating over land. Different scenarios of land. (“SO”) I guess I have dreams. Well that’s (“PRETTY”) — if I don’t have a nightmare, then I’ll have a dream.
Q: I wonder if these are like memory dreams?
J: I — and then those two dreams — I have dreams of (“SCARY”) — I — no, I don’t know. I think I’m just part of the Earth and the sky and the water and everything around me. And I feel it all and, therefore, I think that’s why I have dreams (of these) events. And I do — I go out to nature as much as possible. When I go on vacations, I don’t go to Europe and cluster into a city.
Q: Well guess what?
J: I go to the Amazon.
Q: My basic impression of you was right. You’re the reincarnation of an elemental Earth spirit.
J: This could very well be.
Q: I said that right off.
J: I love that concept. Which one? Which elemental Earth concept?
Q: No, an elemental spirit is all elements. It encompasses all elements.
J: All elements?
Q: You’re an elemental spirit.
J: Hhhhh, I love this.
Q: Exactly.
J: This fits. You’re right.
Q: So you can be all that.
J: And that’s why Chris can’t put a finger on me because it’s not specific —
Q: Well just tell her —
J: — and she’s too stupid —
Q: Tell her Mark could — the next time you see her, say, “Mark and I figured out today who I’m the reincarnation of. An elemental Earth spirit.” And she’ll say, “That’s right.” I’m sure she will. She’s read. (“R C”)
J: That means that it’s all elements: the sky, the ocean, water —
Q: Elemental. Have you read about elemental spirits?
J: Yes — no, I know what an element is, obviously.
Q: Well you might read the original Bell Witch case — a book about the original Bell Witch case. Because (“WELL”) ‘poltergeists’ and God —
J: So does this mean that I connect better to the Earth than I do to people? No, that doesn’t mean that at all.
Q: No, it just means —
J: No, it doesn’t mean that. It means — element —
Q: It means you’ve (“GONE”) — that you’ve gone from (“WHAT”) a disincarnate reality to an incarnate reality. Much like we all do. (“BUT”) Your previous — spirits can be — spirits are different from human beings. I don’t understand it either. (“BUT”) If you read all my book, you’ll understand it better than you do now.
J: Okay. (or “OKAY”) I’ll understand an elemental spirit? So an elemental spirit simply means that I was an element that had everything in it?
Q: Well you’re a — when you’re a disincarnate entity, you can be everywhere at the same time. See, I’ve had religious ecstasies —
J: Ohh, I see.
Q: I’ve experienced that in my own way.
J: So I was just an element (“WERE I[N]”) that could be anything.
Q: You were just — (“I SS” or “EYES”) it’s very confus(ing) — it’s very complicated. But it’s a very Godlike state.
J: I’ll bet it is. Yeah, this I can see.
Q: And when we leave our physical body, we all become elemental spirits (“O”) so maybe this is your first incarnation (“A[S]”) in a physical body on Earth.
J: That’s what I said before. (“YEAH SEE”) I bet it’s my first time. (“RI”)
Q: So but now I think it’s because you were an elemental spirit. (“YEAH”)
J: This could very well be. (or “THIS COULD VERY WELL BE”)
Q: Not that — not so much that you were on another planet or whatever. (“BUT”) You were here as an elemental spirit.
J: This could very well be.
Q: If I’m wrong, Mighael will say so on my tapes.
J: Oh. How do you know?
Q: Okay. (“YOU’LL READ IT”) You’ll read it in my book. In between —
J: Well but you’ll give me your transcript before, won’t you?
Q: I have thirty more cassettes to transcribe first.
J: Oh, okay.
Q: I don’t know when I’ll get to this.
J: Okay, then whenever you’re ready.
Q: Yeah, eventually. Unless Mighael decides to transcribe it for me.
J: (small laugh) Because I’m ready. When you’re ready.
Q: Okay. Thank you for this interview.
J: You’re very welcome.
Q: It was meant to be.
J: Yeah, it does seem like it, doesn’t it? Because I came out just at the time that you were in need to go to lunch.
Q: Exactly.
J: And I needed to get away.
Q: See? (“NU[N]” “YEAH”) And now you know.
J: Now I know.
Q: Okay. That you were an elemental.
J: I was an elemental. Yes. Thank you.
Q: Okay.
( . . . )
C: . . . Moshantz with “The KSCA Earth Journal” and a look at the first detailed study of the costs of paving over California’s lush central valley farmlands. University of California researchers and the American Farmlands Trust in a report last year said the loss of one million acres of farmland in the central valley in recent years to housing tracts and commercial strips has resulted in more air pollution, traffic congestion and urban sprawl; and that we are threatened with the post-World War II disaster of Los Angeles, once the nation’s top agricultural producer, now an urban mess unable to meet its debt. The report says that if Fresno, Sacramento, Bakersfield and Modesto do not change their pattern of L.A.-style growth over the next forty-five years, California will lose more than 12% of its best farmland and that Central Valley cities and counties will be operating in the red by the year 2040. The California Building Industry Association dismissed the report as hype and said construction brings jobs and taxes. I’m Chuck Moshontz with “The Earth Journal” on KSCA-FM 101.9.
M: So we’ve been playing a lot of John Hiatt’s new Walk On album here on the station. This one goes back a few years. John Hiatt from his Slow Turning record. It’s “Paper Thin.” It’s a rocker. KSCA F.M. 101-9.
Q: Did I tell you? I turned on the radio and I heard the disc jockey say his name was Mike Morrison. So that’s why I was taping.
( . . . )
Q: I’m in the Bodhi Tree and I note there are some books by “God” called You Are God or No One Will Listen to God. That’s volume three and volume two. Somebody named Buffie channeled them. They look pretty scary. He’s obviously had a lot (of) attempts before me.
( . . . )
Q: Hi. I got this in the channeled section — this Michael’s People. I notice that you also had some books channeled by God. Do you ever get any requests for those? (“OR”) Do you know anything about those? No. Isn’t it strange — the things you see at these stores?
A: All kind —
Q: It’s like what if that really was channeled by God?
A: $10.28.
Q: I think I have twenty-eight cents.
A: Okay.
Q: What about these Michael books? Do you get a lot of these? Are they very popular?
A: Very. We can’t keep them in the store. We just put this out today.
Q: Really?
A: Yeah. And —
Q: I haven’t seen Michael’s People before. I’ve seen — I have two of the other ones.
A: Yeah. I mean we can’t keep them in the store. They’re gone as soon as we put them out.
Q: I’m doing a book about Mighael too.
A: Oh are you?
Q: Yeah. But my book reveals that He’s an Archangel.
A: Oh yeah.
Q: You know. (“YEAH”) So my books are different from the other ones. Nice meeting you. What’s your name?
A: Candice.
Q: Nice meeting you.
( . . . )
You say you’ve lost your faith But that’s not where it’s at You have no faith to lose And you know it . . .
Q: (speaking into tape recorder while driving) I just turned on the radio after leaving the Bodhi Tree. I also purchased Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and it was only $1 so I saved some money. And Michael’s People — ouch. I almost had an accident. It’s the third book in the Michael series. A real scary cover as always. And a beautiful hardbound version of a James Kavanaugh book, There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves which is a very rare find because these early hardbound books are very hard to find. So I’m very lucky and this song, I must say — it’s like the story of my relationship with Mighael. But at least I’m honest enough to admit it.
. . . You’d rather see me paralyzed Why don’t you just come out once And scream it No, I do not feel that good When I see the heartbreaks . . .
( . . . )
Q: Well I definitely know something about what it’s like to stand in His shoes and for no one to believe in you.
( . . . )
K: . . . KSCA and Joan Osborne doing “Ladder” from her great album Relish. Did a classic from Bob Dylan before that: “Positively 4th Street.” And getting us started on that set of music: Dar Williams and a tune from her new album Mortal City. It’s her second album — first one had that song “When I Was a Boy” on it. Her new one is equally fine and includes the song we heard, “As Cool As I Am.”
( . . . )
Q: I just saw a billboard that says “The Virgin Mary Will Speak To You If You Call (gives number) Her Message” This I’ve got to hear. And I never would have seen that billboard if that truck hadn’t cut me off and if I hadn’t gone down that sidestreet and if I hadn’t gone down — oh never mind. Can you believe it, though? (“I”) This was definitely meant to be.
( . . . )
P: Today at . . . 04.
D: Hi, Mr. Russell. This is Karie Diethorn at Independence National Historical Park and I got your slides. And I took a look at them and I still feel from what I can see in the slides that the Declaration copy that you have is a modern facsimile meaning probably from the 20th Century. I — you know, I really don’t think it’s any older than that. I just don’t see how it’s possible. I’m looking at the arrangement, the margin size, how the text is slightly off center, the quality of the paper does show up in some of the slides. I’m pretty sure about it. You know, I’ll be happy to discuss it with you, if you like. I plan to return your slides. As for the portrait of Washington, it’s a copy after Gilbert Stuart’s famous Atheneum portrait — or not Atheneum portrait — it’s the same portrait that’s on the dollar bill of George Washington. And I really — you know, there’s no way I can tell from the slide the age of this painting but I mean it certainly seems artistically competent. I guess it just depends on how you feel about the image in terms of its value. I don’t know. I can’t really comment on that any further. I’ll return the slides to you, as you requested. Thanks very much for sending them to me. Bye-bye.
P: End of message. To repeat this message, press one. To save it, press two. (tone) Message saved. Sent today at 3:13 p.m.
L: Hi, Mark, it’s Larry. I am so sorry about missing you at lunch today. I had to run out to the set. I wasn’t expecting to go but we had a crew that was there and I had to run out and be on the set. And I just rushed out and I totally spaced and I forgot to call you and tell you. Really sorry about that. But let’s try to — let’s do it next week. I’ll make it up to you and we’ll try to get together next week. Again, I’m sorry but (it was an) emergency thing and I just totally forgot. But I hope you’re well and let’s try to hook up next week with Michael. I’ll talk to you later. Bye. (tone)
P: Message erased. Sent today at 4:02 p.m.
T: How are you doing, Mark? It’s Timothy Fielding calling you. I’m just confirming for tomorrow at ten o’clock. Let me know if you’re ready to do it; if you’ve got all your things together and you got your haircut, by the way. And I also need your address too to get there. I don’t have your address in front of me here so I’ll need that. So when you call, if you talk to Heidi can you give her the address and directions there? My number again (gives number with three sixes yet not in a row). I’ll talk to you later, Mark. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I’ll talk to you later. Bye-bye.
( . . . )
Q: So I’m not depressed about Karie’s response. I knew it would be that. In a way. I mean the best possibility would’ve been that she was on a plane immediately and got her ass down here to see — to take a look because, as far as I’m concerned, you can see the erasures on the photo. It’s just that people have a major denial problem. But the way I feel right now — fuck mankind. Like in the Bob Dylan song: I’m on the “winning side.”
( . . . )
I: Hello. You have reached the Cultural Resources Management division of Independence National Historical Park. If you would like to leave a message for the chief of the division, the Historical Architect Branch, the History Branch, the Museum Branch or the Secretary, please do so after the beep. If there is a physical emergency, you may call the dispatch at (gives number). Thank you.
I: Please leave a message at the tone or enter another extension number or press zero for assistance. After recording your message, you may hang up or press star for more options. (BEEP)
Q: Hello, Karie Diethorn. This is Mark Russell calling. I got your message. Thank you very much. I’m . . . (momentary listening device malfunction) in an awkward position because I’m sure this is the original. I mean you can tell by looking at it. Couldn’t you see the erasings on the slide? Anyway, I’m a bit surprised by all you — your curator’s response. (“WHAT”) What about maybe looking at it personally? I’m so sure it’s the original, I wouldn’t mind maybe flying out for the weekend or something and showing it to you because it’s so obviously the original. I mean Forrest Gump could tell. I mean — and, you know, I don’t really care for myself, it’s just that I sort of would like to maybe auction it for charity or do something (“YOU KNOW” “WITH IT”) with it to help people. So I don’t know. I just — I’m surprised people are so quick to say no without seeing it in person. So let me know what you think I should do. I just — I’m very depressed that no one’s willing — I mean it is possible because I have it. I mean I wouldn’t have written to you if I wasn’t sure. And you can tell by looking at it and all that. So, anyway, I don’t know. Do you think I should come out and show it to you? I don’t mind. I’ll just fly out and fly back the same day. It just — I just — you — help you’re ready to do tests when I bring it out, though, because I don’t want to waste my money. I don’t want you to just look at it and say, “Oh this can’t be it.” You know? I mean it is sealed. It is, (“SSR”) you know, sealed so somebody will have to take it out of the frame and it is very valuable so I want it to be done very carefully and very professionally. So (“THA”) those arrangements will have to be made for it to be tested. And I’ll be glad to pay my own expenses because it’s obviously the original. I mean it’s obvious. I mean anyone can tell. So, anyway, call me back. (gives number) I actually want to donate the money to Bosnia. And I even have their phone number in New York. That’s how confident I am. So, anyway, thank you for listening to this message. I know it’s long but I just feel a little intimidated about talking (“U”) directly until you had time to consider what I’m telling you. This. Is. The. Original. T — H — I — S — I — S — T — H — E — O — R — I — G — I — N — A — L. This is the original. My number is (gives number). Thank you very much.
( . . . )
Q: I tried calling the Virgin Mary. (“BUT”) I guess the Virgin Mary is speaking on the other line. (“HER PHO”) Her phone is busy. (“YEAH”)
( . . . )
Q: So here I am. It’s Friday afternoon. I guess morning still. It’s around (“ELEVEN”) eleven-thirty and Timothy is here shooting me. We’ve only had a little bit of phenomena today. Apparently — we were taking photos in my bedroom and Timothy heard something. You heard something. Oh — it’s almost over. This tape side is almost over. But what happened?
T: Somebody was walking downstairs and so I looked down the stairway and all of a sudden the strobes flashed. (“WHO U”)
Q: Who took the photo?
T: I really don’t know.
Q: Mighael.
T: Michael?! (“SO UM”)
Q: And what else was I going to ask you? (“SO”) What else — this tape is going — do you think the photos are good?
T: Oh (of ) course. Of course. There’s some incredible stuff you’ve got. I’ve seen incredible stuff.
Q: And now we’re going to go outside.
T: And do some candid stuff.
Q: This whole thing is very candid. It’s very — my book is a documentary so these shots are sort of ‘day in the life’-type shots to go with it. I just wonder what my photo is going to look like (“THAT HE”) that Mighael took? (“IT’S”) Probably not going to be very good because I was moving at the time.
T: It might be a blur.
Q: Well that sort of would like (“MI”) — maybe Mighael will be in the photo too.
T: We’ll find that out soon.
Q: Yes. Mighael, you can add something here now if you want.
.gif)