Whose art is this?

Have you ever considered who it is that gets to determine what is art and what is not?

Tonight, I am thinking about an old friend of mine named Ken Kelley. He, along with Alison and me and Craig Pyes created SunDance magazine in San Francisco at 1913 Fillmore Street late in 1971.

My friend Ken was a wild, brilliant, tortured soul. He was a homosexual, a drunk, an artist, and a big baseball fan. Thanks to Ken, I got to meet Ernie Harwell, the legendary broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers, who said "hi" over the air to my parents back in Michigan from the broadcast booth in Oakland one night.

Alas, Ken had other proclivities, and federal agents nailed him on child pornography charges a few years back. He was stripped of all dignity; his apartment was searched in the presence of a reporter who found nothing smacking of child pornography, but lots of baseball cards (signed) and other mementos from the career of a truly brilliant interviewer.

Thus was he disgraced and rendered despicable.

Despite his obvious weaknesses, Ken was a true artist, who cared about those he loved from his heart. I could never defend his actions, but I can say that I was honored to be his friend.

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