October 15th 1996: The Minstral Though Eugene is a good city to work in, I've often found it lacking the same kind of soul that a larger town, or small city can offer. Just walking down the streets of Portland, I'm able to find enough life to keep me occupied for a very long time. When I was in Portland during the spring, I had an opportunity to walk around the city. I heard in the newspaper about a gathering of the "Church of Kurt Cobain." Thinking it a joke, I decided to investigate. The paper had said that they would meet in the south park blocks around 3:00 pm, but when I looked, they were nowhere to be found. Undaunted, I wandered around the city until I found a an area abtout 2 x 2 blocks square. This was one of the pictures I got off. Without being intentionally cruel, I dubbed the subject of this picture "Flute Dude." Flute dude seemed to know something that we all don't. Flute Dude is a glimpse into that territory between dreams and wakefullness where the truth lies. Flute Dude is someone special. I envy Flute Dude because though persecuted, I feel that he has a special sense of himself. He knows exactly who he is, though maybe not where he's going. Maybe I'm completely wrong about Flute Dude, but the idea of him is more important to me. What my image of him is also.