Self-Portrait with Passenger Allen Ginsberg, 1990
I drove a cab in New York for three decades. Riding around, I would meet poets, drag queens and other people who were inspiring. It made me feel good. I started taking their portraits, sometimes with me in the picture. I had several cameras and would often have my strobe hooked on to my visor with a rubber band.
This particular evening, in 1990, I had been informed by a friend that there was a book event going on so I went to take a look. It was jam-packed inside. I spotted Allen Ginsberg, so I went over and talked to him a little. He was pretty intense, kind of stressed, so I had to lay back a little but I asked him if he could write an introduction to my book In My Taxi. But he had too much going on.
I went out, got in my cab and started driving off, but then I thought: “Hey, I think I’ll cruise back.” People were coming out of the building and I spotted Allen. I guess he recognised me. I was a pain in the ass to him, probably. Anyway he came over and got into my cab – a great, real, joyful moment.
