Author Archives: Peter

Open City declared Peter Nolan Smith an underground punk legend of the 1970s East Village. The New England native spent many years as a nightclub doorman in New York, Paris, London, and Hamburg. The constant traveler has lived for long periods of time in Europe and the Far East. After a forced retirement from the Schmatta trade in Thailand, Peter Nolan Smith returned to New York to work in the international diamond trade. At summer’s end he resumed the life of a writer. The world’s leading leisureologist is currently based in Sri Racha, Thailand, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and Luxembourg City. He has no address.

Failed Artist

May 18, 2013 – 7:18 pm

My wife called from Thailand. Mam needed money for Fenway’s school. I told her that I’d sent some in the morning, which wasn’t quick enough and she started crying about having married an artist. “I’m not an artist. I”m a failed writer.” Artists are just as poor in Thailand as they are in the USA, [...]

Posted in Art, Thailand, family | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Guns And Kids

May 18, 2013 – 6:58 pm

Back in 2006 Bryan Le Bouef, a rodeo painter from Lousiana, emailed this letter. Mom sent me a photo depicting my brothers and me when we had yet to face the most troubling parts of life. I was much younger than the others. I believe that I had just been introduced to hard drugs the [...]

Posted in america | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Now?

May 17, 2013 – 8:13 pm

The other evening I was at a party for the painter Jonathan Gent. The UK native’s work covered the apartment walls of a Wall Street banker, who had been gracious enough to support a live artist. His patron was a basketball player. They always have cred with me. The mini-paintings sold fast and Jonathan was [...]

Posted in Art, fights | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Best Punch At CBGBs

May 17, 2013 – 6:15 pm

CBGBs was a rough bar. The Hell’s Angels used the Bowery bar for away play and no one questioned their right to act like they owned the place,since they scared off most other asshole bikers, although not every night. The night of the Cramps’ first show at the Bowery club was packed with affectionados on [...]

Posted in 70s, East Village, Legend, punk, semi-fiction | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Exhaustion

May 17, 2013 – 6:51 am

Working at the metal shop is exhausting. We construct objects from steel, zinc, tin, and bronze. Everything is heavy and the work is hard, but better than being broke, since my old spot on 47th Street is gone. No one is buying diamonds these days and even my old friend and boss Richie Boy is [...]

Posted in work | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)