Robert Rosen

The last time I saw Marcia Resnick was December 12, 2024, at The-Hoax Studio, on Greene Street in Soho. A group show there included a handful of her photos. Marcia, friendly, happy, and dressed in a super-cool way was, as always, amazingly down-to-earth for a photographer of her stature, which is nothing short of legendary. Her subjects included John Belushi, Debbie Harry, David Byrne, Iggy Pop, John Lydon, Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, Johnny Thunders, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg—and me. She shot me for the author photo of my book Beaver Street. That day we spent hours wandering around Greenwich Village, near where we both lived, shooting in different locations until we were satisfied with the results.

Marcia Resnick's photo of me, taken on Commerce Street in Greenwich Village, in 2010, for the Beaver Street author photo. 

Marcia was a friend and neighbor. I'd often run into her on the street and we'd always stop and talk. If she wasn't busy we might go back to her place, and she'd show me what she was working on, like the photos she planned to use for Punks, Poets, and Provocateurs: New York City Bad Boys, 1977-1982, or more recently, a roomful of dolls she was shooting. That was the day she gave me a signed copy of her book As It Is or Could Be, just because she wanted me to have it. It was also the day she told me she was battling lung cancer but the treatments were going well. 

We talked about the possibility of me interviewing her for the Village Voice, but I got sidetracked and didn't follow up on it. Then, last week, I heard that Marcia, 74, had died. Of course it was shocking, and I was angry at myself for not having made more of an effort to stay in touch and to get together with her for coffee, as we'd discussed.

As if I needed one, it was another reminder of the fragility of life, that people aren't going to be around forever, and if you want to spend more time with someone, today is the day to do it.

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Click here to read Marcia's New York Times obituary.

It took a year and a half, but my interview that ran in the print edition of the December 2012 issue of StorErotica, a glossy trade mag for sex-shop owners, has finally found its way online. The print edition was unusual; it was two issues in one, featuring two “front” covers--one on the front and the other on the back. In the online version, which is now available as a downloadable PDF, the second issue begins with the front cover on page 27; my interview begins on page 46.

I was in good form the day I spoke to StorErotica, and the interview is one of my better efforts. I hit all the right notes, I think, especially if you happen to own a store that sells adult novelties. The article also features some photos of me and a couple of porn stars, including Traci Topps, and a great half-page shot taken by Marcia Resnick. So, if you haven’t already seen this interview—and if you’re not in the sex-shop business you probably haven’t—I invite you to check it out. StorErotica and I were on the same wavelength, and they were indeed able to fully appreciate the myriad charms of Beaver Street: A History of Modern Pornography.

The idea that a writer's image is as important, if not more important, than his words is as old as the writing biz itself. One of the most famous examples of this is the picture that Harold Halma took of Truman Capote for the dust jacket of his first novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms. People talked about this sultry shot of the 24-year-old Capote reclining on a sofa more than they talked about his prose. It's the image that made the author a star.

I’ve always tried to portray myself as somewhat less scruffy than I am in real life. In general, if I’m posing for publicity shots, I wear a nice sport jacket, a good pair of jeans, and shoes rather than sneakers. And I’ve gotten some good results with this costume, notably the shot taken by Marcia Resnick that’s on the back cover of Beaver Street.

This week, Michael Paul, a photographer I’d recently met, offered to shoot me in Tompkins Square Park and around the East Village. So, I decided to try something different—a more natural semi-grunge look. I wore a jean jacket, a faded pair of blue jeans, an old pair of sneakers, and T-shirt. You can see one result above. I don’t know if it’s going to help me sell more books, but it is an accurate representation of how I’d look if you ran into me on the street. I’ll post another shot tomorrow.

Two months ago, the photographer Marcia Resnick shot the picture you see here and on my home page. This will be the official Beaver Street author's photo. (If the author's photo is here can the cover be far behind?) I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to work with a photographer as talented as Marcia, and I'm delighted with this artful shot. If you're not familiar with Marcia's work, please check out her website. It's a treat to look at. And please stay tuned for more news as the publication of Beaver Street draws ever closer.