The Apartments Where They Lived
Edmund White, Writer
I lived in the Colonnades — they’re those 1830s buildings on Lafayette Street across the street from the Public Theater. I had a studio apartment with all the period details, like little wooden doors over the windows. There was also a white marble fireplace, where I kept a brazier. In those days I was an ambitious cook — I’d shop at Balducci’s on Sixth Avenue, where you could get exotic things like white eggplant and dazzle your guests. My most famous guest was Michel Foucault, who once told me he was going to come over with 10 boys he’d picked up, but who didn’t know each other. I was afraid they’d have nothing to say to each other and that it would be a disaster. I called my mother and said, “Eek, what do I do?” and she said, “Cook for three days and make 22 Indian dishes and then they’ll just talk about food all night.” So I did.
Foucault News 