in loving memory of Ralph Maud
in loving memory of Ralph Maud
OH as I WAS
YOUNG AND EASY
OH as I WAS
YOUNG AND EASY
My first glimpse of Ralph Maud was of the top of his Donegal tweed cap as he was feeding a handwritten note through the slot in my door at GRACE Studios. I leaned down to grab it from the other side and stared into the smiling eyes of my new and instant friend. In the days and years that followed, Ralph would come by and confidently lounge over a glass of wine and a big fat topic that interested us both. We sat across from each other at a ten foot table, feet up, and talked about everything from the smell of old books to raising teenage girls. Our conversations were easy and his thoughts were as fresh and delicious as bread from the oven. He was relevant, cheeky and shard of glass sharp. Ralph never let me get away with handing him a line that I wasn’t connected to. I loved that about Ralph. I adored Ralph Maud.
When I asked if he would come pose with a giant ball that read ‘LOVE’, a yellow taxi pulled up instantly. He was smiling, but he never once asked why. Dressed in wide wale cords, a candy striped jacket and his signature cap, Ralph showed us how it’s done. My heart flirted shamelessly with his and we all smiled hard while he allowed us to snap photos of him with BIGLOVEBALL. He was happy. He was playful. He was young. To this day, it remains one of our most cherished BIGLOVEBALL playdates. Ralph Maud passed away on December 8th, 2014 just shy of his 86th birthday. We were friends, in real time and space, therefore I was not alerted with pings from any of my technological criers that he was gone. Among his many talents, Ralph is a world renowned expert on the writings of Dylan Thomas. In between moves like Jagger, he was reciting these words from ‘Fern Hill’…
My first glimpse of Ralph Maud was of the top of his Donegal tweed cap as he was feeding a handwritten note through the slot in my door at GRACE Studios. I leaned down to grab it from the other side and stared into the smiling eyes of my new and instant friend. In the days and years that followed, Ralph would come by and confidently lounge over a glass of wine and a big fat topic that interested us both. We sat across from each other at a ten foot table, feet up, and talked about everything from the smell of old books to raising teenage girls. Our conversations were easy and his thoughts were as fresh and delicious as bread from the oven. He was relevant, cheeky and shard of glass sharp. Ralph never let me get away with handing him a line that I wasn’t connected to. I loved that about Ralph. I adored Ralph Maud.
When I asked if he would come pose with a giant ball that read ‘LOVE’, a yellow taxi pulled up instantly. He was smiling, but he never once asked why. Dressed in wide wale cords, a candy striped jacket and his signature cap, Ralph showed us how it’s done. My heart flirted shamelessly with his and we all smiled hard while he allowed us to snap photos of him with BIGLOVEBALL. He was happy. He was playful. He was young. To this day, it remains one of our most cherished BIGLOVEBALL playdates. Ralph Maud passed away on December 8th, 2014 just shy of his 86th birthday. We were friends, in real time and space, therefore I was not alerted with pings from any of my technological criers that he was gone. Among his many talents, Ralph is a world renowned expert on the writings of Dylan Thomas. In between moves like Jagger, he was reciting these words from ‘Fern Hill’…
