1 - What do you do for
a living?
I am a writer.
Actually, until recently, that wasn't really what I did for a living,
as I received no profits for my work. However, my agent has now
secured a commitment for a book deal for a modest (and I do mean
modest) sum. Therefore, I am now a writer.
2 - How did you know Raychel?
l was married to
Raychel for two and a half years.
3 - When did you first meet Raychel?
I first met Raychel in
August of 1997 at a bar called Safehaven. I was part of an
artistic group there called The Bleeders. She stumbled in one
night while I was doing a public reading of one of my stories, and I
noticed her right away. She had that about her. When she
entered a room you just knew that something was different, not only
about her, but the room itself. Raychel left before I had a
chance to get offstage. I knew then that I had met someone who
would be significant to my life.
4 - What one word best describes Raychel for you and why?
Passionate. Raychel
never did anything half-hearted. I admired that about her the
most. If she wanted something, that became the focus of her
life. Perhaps at times it seemed single-minded or flighty, but
she knew what she wanted when she wanted it. She was never
afraid of the consequences. For better or worse.
5 - What one thing would you have changed about Raychel and why?
Raychel had a number of
inner demons pulling at her. Many of them were exposed in her
poetry. That being said, she never really confronted them.
Actually, she didn't have a habit of confronting her enemies.
But she would often strike out at those who knew her best. I
guess I would have changed that facet about her first. So many
other things would have fallen into place after that.
6 - How did Raychel affect your life?
During our time
together, Raychel brought me something I
hadn't really known before, peace. Real inner peace. Even
though she didn't have much of it herself. Had I never met her,
I doubt I ever would have experienced that, certainly nothing close to
that level.
7 - How did you affect Raychel's life?
I encouraged her
writing, which in turn became the driving force of her life. She
had no formal training, so I gave her the benefit of mine. I
showed her different styles and methods of writing. But her
poetry was something that I didn't have to help her with.
Raychel's best work is openly autobiographical. She never
bothered with conventions about hiding behind masks. But I like to
think that the breadth of my writing experiences enriched her work as well.
8 - What is your best memory of Raychel?
Waking up on a summer
Sunday morning to a kiss from deep inside a rain of long, soft, blonde
hair tickling my face. That is my best memory of Raychel.
I miss her most in the morning. When I wake up now, I wish I
could pick and choose what was just a dream and what is real. So
many great memories, which I used to take for granted, are strewn
across the hundreds of mornings in which I was lucky enough to live
with this beautiful and talented woman.
9 - What would you do or say if you could bring Raychel back?
I would have taken her
out of town. My greatest regret of her passing is the timing. Now that I have my book deal, I
could have taken her away from all of the people who brought her
misery.
10 - Who do you feel is most responsible for Raychel's passing?
Kyle McAllister and the
people who were trying to make her into a music star. McAllister
is a musician who wants to become a success at any cost. Raychel
wrote some lyrics for him because she felt sorry for him. That
was a mistake. McAllister is a skilled manipulator, and he
twisted her around until, before she knew it, she was onstage --
singing. She wasn't a singer, she had a Titanic-sized case of
stage fright, and that bastard threw her onstage without a thought
about her! Now that she's gone, I'm sure he will find someone
else to abuse, but I can guarantee you that he'll never be a success.
Most people smell a person that desperate from a mile away, and run.
Had Raychel not been in the music business, she never would have died.
So I blame Kyle McAllister in all of his violent glory!
