Skip to main content

l i t t l e b r e t t , BIG CITY



When I left college in 1989, I was a virgin with corn-fed drive and a terrifying secret. It could disappoint or disgust my family and friends. It could even kill me. But I couldn’t hide from it anymore. 

With "The World's Heaviest Briefcase," I escaped on a midnight train from Lima, Ohio to the YMCA on West 34th Street in Manhattan. Being gay had to be easier in New York, even though I was arriving with no home or job.  

Right away, a hooker chased me in Times Square, and perverts watched me shower at the Y. I filled payphones with quarters each day, desperately seeking work. Ultimately, I was confronted by my biggest fear when dating my first man – a member of AIDS activist group ACT UP. 

Could I really survive in one of the hardest cities in the world? Or would I fail and return to Ohio, back in the closet to find a wife and a lawn to mow.  

l i t t l e  b r e t t , BIG CITY celebrates finding your own place in the world. Here I recall and salute all that 1989 represents to me.  I hope it makes you smile at your own memories from the 80s too.

Thanks for coming along on the ride...
Labels:
Location: New York, NY, USA

Comments

  1. Christine KieslingJuly 16, 2020 at 10:50 AM

    Been waiting a long time for these stories!! I hope your blog gets into the hands and hearts of those still struggling to find their identity. I know your stories will inspire and bring much humor! Xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brett HenneJuly 16, 2020 at 12:11 PM

    Thank you, Dear Christine. Finally have a lot of these stories stockpiled now. And the book is in its third draft. The time is now. Appreciate your support all these years! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. CrowitchJuly 16, 2020 at 8:47 PM

    No one told in those days, sweet and certainly not once the virus began. Not that it matters now, but you could have told me. I would have loved you just as much. Thanks for sharing the beginning with us! I'm ever so proud of you! ~RHONDA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brett HenneJuly 17, 2020 at 9:04 AM

      Thank you for your kind words and your support, Rhonda!

      Delete
  4. jeffrey newmanJuly 16, 2020 at 10:14 PM

    I just discovered this. May be my newest guilty pleasure. Can not wait to come back and read more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brett HenneJuly 17, 2020 at 9:05 AM

      Ha! Thank you Jeffrey Newman. I hope you find it worthy to return to!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Van Halen vs. Tone-Loc

This week in 1989, Tone-Loc was blocked from the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 by Paula Abdul and her first hit song "Straight Up."  Sharp-eyed readers will note that this is the third mention of Abdul on this blog, something I never would have guessed when I launched this.  Anyway, Tone-Loc's "Wild Thing" rocketed into the hearts of music lovers around the world thanks to a classic hip hop move: Borrowing an element from something that was tired at the moment and re-inventing it for new audiences.   In this case, the song's guitar riff and drum roll were instantly identifiable from Van Halen's "Jamie's Cryin'" off their first album in 1978 (!) According to Wikipedia (the primary research resource here at "Little Brett, Big City"), the Van Halen management team allowed the sample to be included in "Wild Thing" for a flat fee of $5,000.  But apparently the band members hadn't heard anything about it. Drummer...
Post a Comment
Read more

You Went To School At A Subway Stop?!

In 1989, I graduated from Bowling Green State University. Which is a mouthful. So when people in New York asked me where I went to school. I would just say "Bowling Green."  The first time, I got a quizzical look and a "Huh?" The second person finally asked, "You went to school at a subway station?" My turn to go "Huh?" I then learned that "Bowling Green" is indeed a station on the #4 and #5 lines on the NYC Subway system, way downtown in the Financial District. I'm including a pic of the Bowling Green "head house," which is the rare, above-ground part of a station that contains escalators, elevators, and ticket agents. (Thanks again, Wikipedia.) (Wikimedia Commons/DSchwen) This little beauty is a New York City-designated landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. And I still haven't been there yet. 
Post a Comment
Read more