things to do in denver when you're dead

I was thinking of this before I read Kathleen’s entry, the strangeness and separateness of New York and New Orleans. I think that’s why both cities tend to attract the creative masses. New York’s palpably alive. As I have (and I know this is unbelievable) NEVER BEEN THERE, my lingering perception of the city comes from Woody Allen.* The bookstore Michael Caine and Barbara Hershey visit in “Hannah and Her Sisters,” with its narrow passages and stacks of books to the ceiling, occupies a special place in my mind. I don’t know if Kathleen ever visited the music library in Hill Hall at UNC,** but it was similar, and I spent most of my study time there in its comfort.
And New Orleans, of course, has an energy and vibrance all its own. I speak in the present tense because it will again. I found that confluence of cultures so stimulating. I can’t wait now to go back. How many songs and books can you think of that are about, or mention, New York or New Orleans? I can think of a single line in a single book (albeit a classic, “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac) that mentions Denver: “Down in Denver,/Down in Denver,/All I did was die.”***

It’s not that it’s not stimulating. If you’re into the outdoors, or sports, or outdoor sports, you’ll never leave. But creativity … I don’t know why – you would think the mountain spires would inspire the greatest books, the sweetest songs, the wittiest films. But it’s so earnest and earthy, which makes it fine for living but makes artists feel maybe a little guilty if their work doesn’t include something about hemp or tolerance. Maybe it could be the subject of a Christopher Guest film parody, a la “A Mighty Wind.”

*One of my favorite old Woody Allen movies, “Sleeper,” was at least partly shot just outside Denver. The famous round house, where The Leader (and his nose) lived, is for sale. If you’ve got $5 mil, have a look at it.
** There is a UNC here – a University of Northern Colorado. It’s very frustrating to me to hear reports about UNC and not be able to figure out what they’re talking about.
*** Although that line did inspire a song by Warren Zevon and the name of the aforementioned movie. Kathleen knows I've been dying to use that. And there’s always “Rocky Mountain High.”