RANSVESTIA

From Boston to Newark and then to New York. Had a frightening 45 minutes after I arrived at the West Side bus terminal. I finally got up to the taxi lane with two big bags, a purse and my fur coat. I gave the driver the address of the motel I thought I had a reservation in. When we got to the address it turned out that the place had been closed for six months. So we drove around the corner to another one. But it was full. The clerk gave me about five numbers to call which I did with my bags out in the taxi and the driver waiting nervously. He could have taken off and I'd never have seen him or the bags again. Four out of five of the calls were full and I was getting panicky when a little third class hotel told me that if I could get there in half an hour they'd have a single for me for just that night. You can bet I took it. It ended up costing me about $8 to end up about 10 blocks from the bus depot. Welcome to New York!?-the overcrowded big apple.

Well, I spent the next three days walking Madison Avenue about the book again and with the same result-nice collection of rejection slips accompanied by some of the stupidest reasons for rejecting it. But that's the way it is for striving authors. It pains me to think what the world will miss, but I guess they'll survive-but will I?

I did have the pleasure of visiting with Dr. Benjamin in his home for an hour or so. He is in his 80's and while his sight wasn't so good he was going to have a cataract operation in a couple of weeks-his mental perceptions were as sharp as ever We enjoyed reminiscing over past meetings and people. We have been friends for many years and he always used to take me to dinner whenever he and I were in the same town whether New York, San Francisco or L.A. He visited my parents years ago and tried to help them to deal with Virginia and it was he who gave me my first hormones, the results of which are still with me even though I haven't had any more hormones for about eight years. I love him dearly and treasure his friendship.

I had a great afternoon which turned into a late evening dinner with Lee Brewster who runs a TV boutique in New York. He has about everything that a cross dresser needs in his shop-- wigs, lingene. cosmetics, clothing, shoes, books, magazines, etc.--the works and all nicely displayed. If you are in New York, drop in on him. The address is in the ad that runs in TVia.