Oh what a day, all those years ago when I first discovered the Maysles brothers' documentary Grey Gardens. Drawn into the world of the Edies, Big and Little, like Alice through the Looking Glass, I have never left it, nor  would I ever want to.    

Meeting Walter Newkirk through an online discussion group was like rounding a bend in the Yellow Brick Road and meeting yet another wonderful character in the Grey Gardens  saga.  Not only had he interviewed Little Edie, but had formed a friendship with her that included her time in New York after Big Edie had passed on, as well as many years later, up to her retirement in Florida.

Listening to the tape for the first time over the phone  -- Walter and I live in different parts of the country  -- was like going back for another visit to  Grey Gardens.  This CD is specifically for fans of the film Grey Gardens.  You are there on April 22, 1976 when Walter enters  Grey Gardens  to interview  Edie for his college newspaper: a missing cat was the dramatic adventure for the day, and Little Edie whispers delightfully about conspiracies, lost dreams, and missed opportunities.

Put on the headphones for this one, to really feel like you're there, but also to better catch each  whispered phrase from Little Edie, to treasure each morsel of this iconic lady. The raccoons are eating cat chow in the attic, the sea captain's ghost  wanders the halls, and Walter Newkirk, "a very polite boy" so says Little Edie, arrives bearing gifts of a Rutgers T-shirt and pastries....Grey Gardens  welcomes you back.
                                                                                                                          

Brother Damien Simmons

Lexington, Kentucky