The Three Wise Men of Dope - This Ain't no Holiday Inn: Down and Out at the Chelsea Hotel 1980-1995 - page 66

Everyone would say, “Huncke takes, takes, takes.” But he was a real street guy.
He would size you up and take you in any way he could, almost as a test. But if
he thought you were smart, and you wouldn't let him get away with that much,
or you didn't want too much out of him, he never took without returning, one
way or another. Sometimes you'd help him out with some cash, and he wouldn't
necessarily give you something material in return, but if you listened, he had a
lot to give.
Huncke and I once went to Lowell, Massachusetts, where Huncke and Patti
Smith did this event at the annual Kerouac event they have there. 42 We stayed
at the same hotel as Patti Smith, and the two did their readings. Afterward, Patti
complimented Herbert on this sweater he was wearing.
So when we got back to New York, Herbert said, “Patti complimented me on
this sweater. I'm going to send her this sweater.” And he did! He took it out, he
put it in a box, and he sent it to Patti in Detroit. He was good at doing stuff like
that.
Later,whenIsawher,shesaid, “Yes,Herbert sent mehissweater.Iwasvery
touched!”
DIMITRI MUGIANIS
Someone on the street would ask him for some money, some old black dude
wouldgo,“Hey,Ihaven'tseenyousinceRiker'sIsland 43 in1955.”Andwewere
headed to a party with a bunch of rich kids, so Huncke knew there would be
moneyattheotherend.Hehadhustledthismoneyallday,andthenthelastthing
hedidwasgivetwobuckstothehomelessguyheknewstandingoutinfront.He
gave it all away.
Once, Huncke and I were trying to get hold of some money. We managed
to get twenty or thirty bucks somewhere on 23rd Street, and we were walking
down to Greenwich Avenue, probably sixteen blocks. Huncke had twenty or
thirtybucks.Onthewaydown,Hunckeproceededtogiveallofthemoneyaway.
There were times when I was dope-sick, lying in my bed, and that old man
got up and came back with money for me. He believed in family. He had a code,
and he never took money from people who he thought couldn't afford it. No,
he gavel It's a real middle-class perspective that Allen Ginsberg gave off about
Huncke, calling him “The Holy Creep.” No, Ginsberg was a creep! Huncke was
asaint!Asamatteroffact,therewasapaintingofhimasasaint,apaintingdone
by Richard Bernstein, 44 but the painting is lost now. It was absolutely gorgeous.
If someone needed something, Huncke would give it to him. He would make
agiftofhisshirt.Hewouldsteal your clothes,becauseyouweren'tinthefamily,