Yikes, somebody stop the clock! It's been 13 years since Jay Libardi died. Hard to believe that he never went online nor owned a cell phone. Jay would be amazed to see this website, which evolved from a publication he helped found before there were websites. That it now has readers from all over the world would have delighted him. Unfortunately today he is missing all of that. Instead he is the only person in Saint Michael's Cemetery with a Pink Floyd lyric on his grave.
1994 feels like a long time ago. Yet sometimes it seems like yesterday, as if Jay isn't really gone - he's just off on a trip somewhere, and his pick-up truck is going to be pulling up right outside any minute now.
More likely we will one day be joining him on that trip.
Doyle the Twig Painter tells me that the current generation of Pine Point stoners know of Jay's grave. Of course they never knew Jay himself but they recognize the Pink Floyd phrase and think it's cool. They hold little pot parties in the woods near the grave, a location they call "Crazy Diamond" as in "Let's go smoke a joint in the woods by Crazy Diamond."
In other words, Jay's grave has become a Pine Point party place. That's just what he would have wanted.
2 comments:
Very nice tribute, Tommy, very nice indeed.
In July 2001 Donna had an academic gig in Paris. So we visited Jim Morrison’s grave at the famous Père-Lachaise on the 30’th anniversary of his death.
The French had stationed a cop (I think they’re called National Police) at his gravesite and there were at least a half-dozen folks there and you could tell it had received many, many visitors (a couple a joints and some Jack Daniels sat near the headstone).
You could also tell the French were not pleased that he got more attention than all the other famous French folks buried there. Damn Americans.
non, sorry, non...it's not jealousy, it's about peace and respect.
The French have just such a very different attitude towards "privacy" and it's nice once you get used to it.
Like perhaps if your grandma was buried next to Mr. Morrison, you too would want to be able to visit her in peace, keep a respectful distance from the fans, and not be annoyed by a bunch of teenagers just off the tourist bus.
You can still go to this grave, whenever you want, but you must be peaceful (so you do your deals and smoke your dope elsewhere). That is the whole point and I do think that if he chose to die and be buried here then that is what he, in the end, desired.
Peace and love from Paris,
Emily
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