1 - What do you do for
a living?
I own Safehaven, the
bar where I created The Bleeders. As Lance said before, I was
the person who started the artistic community. Lance helped
bring in members, but the bar was mine and so was the idea.
2 - How did you know Raychel?
Raychel and I became
close through The Bleeders. We had a mutual respect for each
other's talent. I think we both knew from the start that we had
a lot in common.
3 - When did you first meet Raychel?
I met Raychel in late
summer in 1997 during a meeting of The Bleeders. I had seen her
in the bar and around the neighborhood a few times, but I didn't speak
to her before that night. A few nights later, Raychel came in
and said she lost her apartment so I took her in. She lived with
me off and on until she died. She'd come over to talk and wind
up staying with me for a week or two. That was just the way we
were together. My door was always open for her.
4 - What one word best describes Raychel for you and why?
Magnetic. Not
magnetic like attractive, though, which she was. I mean magnetic
like a person who draws people to her without ever really
trying. People naturally flocked to her, especially men.
5 - What one thing would you have changed about Raychel and why?
I wished she was more
independent. She allowed herself to be led along by too many
people for too many wrong reasons. That got her into trouble a
lot of times and I believe it eventually got her killed.
6 - How did Raychel affect your life?
Raychel is the most
talented person I have ever met. Her work was courageous,
tragic, honest and brutal.
"Passion's
Flashes" is still one of my favorite poems of hers.
When I asked her how she got the idea, she told me that she really was
struck by lightning when she was five. It fascinated me.
Few people could pack that much meaning into that brief a poem, but
she did. Living with someone that talented changes you.
It challenges you to look deeper into everything, even yourself.
7 - How did you affect Raychel's life?
I gave her
security when she needed it. And she needed it a lot. See
my answer to question five.
8 - What is your best memory of Raychel?
From my experience with
writers I've learned that most of the ones who write really dark work
rarely are able to put those thoughts aside and be openly happy.
Raychel was one of those. But one time, about a month before she
died, I got to be a part of one of those light-hearted moments with
her (the only one I ever saw from her). It was a night of just
her, me, and Sharon Wolfe (her bodyguard). We were talking about
Kyle and the problems she had been having with him and the effect it
was having on the recording of the album. All of a sudden, she
just started laughing. Sharon and I didn't know what to make of
it at first. I thought she might be cracking up. But she
started talking about how stupid all her whining suddenly sounded to
her. Then she just began a hilarious tirade about "poor
little Ray." She joked about everything, her career, her
poetry, and especially the men in her life. That night, nothing
was safe and nothing was wrong. So even though I didn't see her
that way that often, that's my best memory of her: laughing at life
like it was all a bad joke.
9 - What would you do or say if you could bring Raychel back?
I would take Raychel in
for as long as she needed to get off her dependence of men. I guess
I would put her in a testosterone detox. For all of her
self-examination, I don't think she was ever really happy with
herself. I would have done everything in my power to help her
realize how special she was and build up her self esteem.
10 - Who do you feel is most responsible for Raychel's passing?
Kyle McAllister.
He was the absolute worst person for her to have around her. He
used her, abused her, and now she's dead. See my article
"Kyle
vs. The World" to see how he did it.
