When New Journalism Was New: Gay Tale on His Legendary Esquire Profile of Frank Satra ‹ Lerary Hub

Contents:

• WHEN NEW JOURNALISM WAS NEW: GAY TALE ON HIS LEGENDARY ESQUIRE PROFILE OF FRANK SATRA
• GAY TALE'S LEGACY WILL SURVIVE THE VOYR'S MOTEL SNDAL
• GAY TALE’S OTHER PROBLEM
• THE LIFE AND <STRIKE>LOV</STRIKE> LOVE OF GAY TALE
• GAY TALE
• GAY TALE’S ADVICE TO YOUNG WRERS: “GET OFF YOUR ASS”CELEBRATG THE PUBLITN OF A SPECIAL EDN OF HIS LEGENDARY PROFILE, “FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD,” THE JOURNALIST DISCSED THE STATE OF THE CELEBRY PROFILE AND THE POWER OF DRSG WELL TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.BY RACHEL TASHJIANDECEMBER 2, 2015© CORBIS. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVENEAR MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY GAY TALE WAS TUCKED TO A RNER BOOTH THE DOWNSTAIRS BAR AT THE 21 CLUB, SIPPG A BOMBAY MARTI WH A TWIST, WH A SPECIMEN OM HIS MUCH-ADMIRED HAT LLECTN STG POLELY BI HIM. IT WAS NEARLY TWO HOURS AFTER GUTS CLUDG FRANK STELLA, MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, HIS PARTNER DIANA TAYLOR—NOT TO MENTN THE HOST, TOM WOLFE—HAD HEAD HOME AFTER A LEISURELY, TIMATE DNER AT THE DG ROOM UPSTAIRS CELEBRATG AN EXQUISE TASCHEN EDN OF TALE’S GROUNDBREAKG CELEBRY PROFILE, “FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD.”“HERE I AM, YOU KNOW, ON THE OCSN OF ‘FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD,’” TALE SAID. “I REALLY HAVE A LD. WORSE THAN SATRA DID, I’LL BET.”BUT TALE WOULDN’T HAVE MISSED THE NIGHT FOR THE WORLD. “THAT’S ONE THG ABOUT JOURNALISM: YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP.”THE BOOK IS FELY WORTH SHOWG UP FOR—A TOME TAILOR-MA FOR JOURNALISM JUNKI. TALE’S PROFILE OF SATRA FOR THE APRIL 1966 ISSUE OF ESQUIRE—WRTEN AT A DISTANCE, TRAILG THE SGER AND TERVIEWG EVERYONE OM HIS -STARS TO HIS WIG GROOMERS AFTER REPEATED BSH-OFFS OM SATRA’S PUBLICIST—IS EQUENTLY CED AS ONE OF THE WORKS THAT STEERS IMPRSNABLE YOUNGSTERS TOWARD A REER JOURNALISM. AND WH S NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS OF SATRA, TALE-PENNED TRODUCTN, AND MARKED-UP MANCRIPTS OM THE ARCHIVE PRTED ON OLD-FASHNED LETTERPRS AND ACCENTED THE SWOONY BLUE OF SATRA’S EY, THE TASCHEN BOOK IS THE GLOSSIT JOURNALISM TEXTBOOK IMAGABLE, RELEASED A FEW MONTHS AHEAD OF THE PIECE’S 50TH BIRTHDAY AND WEEK OR TWO AWAY OM WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SATRA’S 100TH. IT MAK THE WORK OF REPORTG AND WRG AND EDG LOOK AS PRETTY AND IRREVERENT AND FUN AS A W ANRSON MOVIE.COURTY OF TASCHEN.IT MAY HAVE A PRETTY FACE, BUT FOR TALE, APPEARANCE N BE EVERYTHG. HE TRAC MUCH OF WHAT LED HIM TO JOURNALISM TO HIS PARENTS AND THEIR REERS THE GARMENT DTRY—HIS FATHER WAS A TAILOR AND HIS MOTHER OWNED A DRS STORE OCEAN CY, NEW JERSEY—WHICH NO DOUBT SPURRED AN OBSSN WH CLOTHG THAT SEEMS EXTRIBLE OM HIS WORK. “WHEN I WRE STORI, ’S LIKE MAKG A SU: THE PIEC HANG TOGETHER, AND YOU SKETCH,” HE SAID. “THE WHOLE PROCS: HANDWORK.”HE EVEN CREDS HIS FIRST JOB AT THE NEW YORK TIM—WHICH ME IMPROBABLY AFTER A “HUIATG” TERVIEW DURG WHICH HE DISVERED HIS LLEGE CLASSMATE HAD LIED ABOUT THE TIMACY OF HIS NNECTN TO THE MANAGG EDOR WH WHOM HE WAS MEETG, LEAVG TALE GRASPG TO EXPLA HIS DACY WALTZG FOR A MEETG WH THE BIGWIG UNANNOUNCED—TO THE THREE-PIECE SU HE WORE TO THE TERVIEW. “I WAS POLE, WELL DRSED,” HE SAID. “I JT KNOW, THOUGH I NEVER GOT ANY NFIRMATN, THAT I MA A GOOD IMPRSN.”BEE OF HIS NOTED OBSSN WH CLOTHG, TALE IS OFTEN HELD UP AS A DANDY (AS IS WHE-SUED WOLFE FOR THAT MATTER). THAT MIGHT DO A DISSERVICE TO HIM, BUT ALSO, EQUALLY, TO HIS SENSE OF ELEGANCE. THERE’S REALLY SOMETHG TO HIS PREOCCUPATN WH LIVG AND BEHAVG BETIFULLY. “I WAS VERY RICH 1980, AND 1981,” HE SAID, REFLECTG ON HIS BOOM YEARS, AFTER THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE OPTNED FOR $2.5 LN. SO WHAT’S THE WILST THG HE BOUGHT? HE TOOK A LONG SIP OF HIS MARTI.“NOTHG. I HAD EVERYTHG. I HAD A TOWN HOE. CLOSETS FILLED WH HANDMA SUS. TWO BETIFUL OLD SPORTS RS THAT I HAD OM THE 1950S,” HE SAID. “I HAVE TWO BETIFUL DGHTERS, I HAVE A WIFE, I HAVE, OF URSE, A JOB, I HAVE A WIFE WH A JOB.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHAS THE CLOCK TICKED TOWARD MIDNIGHT AND THE BAR’S PATRONS—MIDDLE-AGED UPL OF MURKY MARAL STAT, BANKERS TOO-SHY TI HAVG VODKA MARTIS—STARTED TO CLEAR, TALE MED ON WHY, AN AGE WHICH REPORTERS ARE NOTORLY RTRICTED OM CELEBRY SUBJECTS, ’S NOT EASIER THAN EVER TO WRE A PROFILE LIKE HIS, WHICH WAS BORN OF SATRA’S REFAL TO GRANT HIM ACCS. WHY IS SO HARD TO WRE A STORY LIKE THAT NOW?“IT SHOULDN’T BE. MAYBE THE PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,” HE SAID. “I’M JT GUSG. WHEN I—YOU KNOW, MY ARISTOCRATIC IEND OM RICHMOND, VIRGIA, TOM WOLFE, HE WAS PROBABLY THE EXCEPTN—BUT MOST OF WERE NOT OM VERY TED BACKGROUNDS. WE WERE THE UNRCLASS. THE JOURNALISTS OF THE 1950S WERE PEOPLE LIKE ME. . . . PEOPLE THAT WENT TO HARVARD, YALE, THEY ULDN’T BE JOURNALISTS, WAG FOR SOME LABOR LEAR TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE’S A SETTLEMENT AT THREE O’CLOCK THE MORNG OUT ON SOME WATERONT. . . . JOURNALISM WAS FOR THE LOW-LEVEL PEOPLE. ME.”“BUT WE HAD A KD OF PATIENCE ABOUT WAG,” TALE NTUED. “WE WERE GOG TO GET WHAT WE WANTED. I DON’T THK THIS NEW GENERATN HAS THE PATIENCE OR EVEN KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO GET THGS. . . . YOU HAVE TO GET OFF YOUR ASS. MAKE SOMETHG HAPPEN WH YOUR PERSONALY, WH YOUR GODDAMN STYLE, YOUR CHARM, YOUR BETIFUL CLOTH, YOUR REASSURANCE, YOUR SALMAN HUCKSTER-IST LIRICE. KNOW HOW TO GET SOMETHG AND NOT BREAK HEARTS OR BE OFFENSIVE.”AND THEN THE RTRANT TURNED OFF THE MIC—SATRA’S “THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT,” OF URSE—AND WAS TIME TO HEAD HOME. TALE HAD A LD TO SLEEP OFF, AFTER ALL.RELATED: HOW TOM WOLFE BEME … TOM WOLFEPHOTOS: HOW TOM WOLFE WOLFE1 / 16CHEVRONCHEVRONWOLFE HIS MANHATTAN APARTMENT. LEWIS’S DGHTER DIXIE, 13, LLED HIS SU AN “OUTGOG FASHN CHOICE.”RACHEL TASHJIAN
• LEGENDARY REPORTER GAY TALE EXPLAS WHY HE FDS TMP INSPIRG
• GAY TALE ON 'A WRER'S LIFE'
• PETER BART: GAY TALE’S FAMED “FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD” BE HOT MOVIE PROJECT
• GAY TALE ON A NEW ILLTRATED EDN OF FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD

WHEN NEW JOURNALISM WAS NEW: GAY TALE ON HIS LEGENDARY ESQUIRE PROFILE OF FRANK SATRA

Gay Tale's Memoir A Wrer’s Life - New York Magaze Book Review - Nymag. Gay Tale wh his wife, Nan (right), and dghter, Pamela, Marianne Barcellona/Time Life Pictur/Getty Imag.

Gay tale, among many other acplishments, wrote the most famo le magaz.

GAY TALE'S LEGACY WILL SURVIVE THE VOYR'S MOTEL SNDAL

Later on, he’d wre The Kgdom and the Power, the classic 1969 book about the Tim, and Thy Neighbor’s Wife, his study of the sexual revolutn, which he himself beme a character named “Gay Tale. By Gay Tale.

GAY TALE’S OTHER PROBLEM

Gay Tale Exam His Very-Public, 50-Year Marriage for Upg Book -- New York Magaze - Nymag.

It isn’t until our third terview that I notice Gay Tale has been stg unrneath a patg of a naked woman wh a rabow g out of her vaga.

It is here where they began their life together as a uple their mid-twenti, when the five-story brownstone was like a tenement and Gay lived 3F, a stud they both still refer to as his “bachelor pad”; this is where they raised their two dghters, Pamela and Cathere, and slowly took over every apartment the buildg before fally buyg 1973; this is where they have held numerable book parti for Nan’s celebrated thors; and this is where Gay has done much of the wrg—the historic Esquire piec, the bt sellers wh biblil tl—that brought him fame, fortune, and no small amount of personal agony. Gay wr his new afterword that the immediate aftermath of the book’s publitn, Nan acpanied him on talk shows “to expla that our maral love had remaed unthreatened while I nducted rearch New York massage parlors and a hedonistic nudist lony Los Angel”—which is only half te.

THE LIFE AND <STRIKE>LOV</STRIKE> LOVE OF GAY TALE

Nan and Gay elopg Rome, Courty of Gay Tale. It seems far removed om Gay’s realm, jt a floor above, where he keeps the artifacts of his storied reer (cludg a life-size rdboard cutout of himself) along wh his untls bpoke sus and dozens of hand-bbled sho. ” Gay asks his wife.

” As slowly dawns on me that Gay has not told her that he has agreed to participate an article about their marriage, I n feel the tensn beg to rise.

GAY TALE

“Jonathan is gog to ll you, ” says Gay. ” About Gay, I say, but you too.

GAY TALE’S ADVICE TO YOUNG WRERS: “GET OFF YOUR ASS”CELEBRATG THE PUBLITN OF A SPECIAL EDN OF HIS LEGENDARY PROFILE, “FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD,” THE JOURNALIST DISCSED THE STATE OF THE CELEBRY PROFILE AND THE POWER OF DRSG WELL TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.BY RACHEL TASHJIANDECEMBER 2, 2015© CORBIS. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVENEAR MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY GAY TALE WAS TUCKED TO A RNER BOOTH THE DOWNSTAIRS BAR AT THE 21 CLUB, SIPPG A BOMBAY MARTI WH A TWIST, WH A SPECIMEN OM HIS MUCH-ADMIRED HAT LLECTN STG POLELY BI HIM. IT WAS NEARLY TWO HOURS AFTER GUTS CLUDG FRANK STELLA, MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, HIS PARTNER DIANA TAYLOR—NOT TO MENTN THE HOST, TOM WOLFE—HAD HEAD HOME AFTER A LEISURELY, TIMATE DNER AT THE DG ROOM UPSTAIRS CELEBRATG AN EXQUISE TASCHEN EDN OF TALE’S GROUNDBREAKG CELEBRY PROFILE, “FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD.”“HERE I AM, YOU KNOW, ON THE OCSN OF ‘FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD,’” TALE SAID. “I REALLY HAVE A LD. WORSE THAN SATRA DID, I’LL BET.”BUT TALE WOULDN’T HAVE MISSED THE NIGHT FOR THE WORLD. “THAT’S ONE THG ABOUT JOURNALISM: YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP.”THE BOOK IS FELY WORTH SHOWG UP FOR—A TOME TAILOR-MA FOR JOURNALISM JUNKI. TALE’S PROFILE OF SATRA FOR THE APRIL 1966 ISSUE OF ESQUIRE—WRTEN AT A DISTANCE, TRAILG THE SGER AND TERVIEWG EVERYONE OM HIS -STARS TO HIS WIG GROOMERS AFTER REPEATED BSH-OFFS OM SATRA’S PUBLICIST—IS EQUENTLY CED AS ONE OF THE WORKS THAT STEERS IMPRSNABLE YOUNGSTERS TOWARD A REER JOURNALISM. AND WH S NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS OF SATRA, TALE-PENNED TRODUCTN, AND MARKED-UP MANCRIPTS OM THE ARCHIVE PRTED ON OLD-FASHNED LETTERPRS AND ACCENTED THE SWOONY BLUE OF SATRA’S EY, THE TASCHEN BOOK IS THE GLOSSIT JOURNALISM TEXTBOOK IMAGABLE, RELEASED A FEW MONTHS AHEAD OF THE PIECE’S 50TH BIRTHDAY AND WEEK OR TWO AWAY OM WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SATRA’S 100TH. IT MAK THE WORK OF REPORTG AND WRG AND EDG LOOK AS PRETTY AND IRREVERENT AND FUN AS A W ANRSON MOVIE.COURTY OF TASCHEN.IT MAY HAVE A PRETTY FACE, BUT FOR TALE, APPEARANCE N BE EVERYTHG. HE TRAC MUCH OF WHAT LED HIM TO JOURNALISM TO HIS PARENTS AND THEIR REERS THE GARMENT DTRY—HIS FATHER WAS A TAILOR AND HIS MOTHER OWNED A DRS STORE OCEAN CY, NEW JERSEY—WHICH NO DOUBT SPURRED AN OBSSN WH CLOTHG THAT SEEMS EXTRIBLE OM HIS WORK. “WHEN I WRE STORI, ’S LIKE MAKG A SU: THE PIEC HANG TOGETHER, AND YOU SKETCH,” HE SAID. “THE WHOLE PROCS: HANDWORK.”HE EVEN CREDS HIS FIRST JOB AT THE NEW YORK TIM—WHICH ME IMPROBABLY AFTER A “HUIATG” TERVIEW DURG WHICH HE DISVERED HIS LLEGE CLASSMATE HAD LIED ABOUT THE TIMACY OF HIS NNECTN TO THE MANAGG EDOR WH WHOM HE WAS MEETG, LEAVG TALE GRASPG TO EXPLA HIS DACY WALTZG FOR A MEETG WH THE BIGWIG UNANNOUNCED—TO THE THREE-PIECE SU HE WORE TO THE TERVIEW. “I WAS POLE, WELL DRSED,” HE SAID. “I JT KNOW, THOUGH I NEVER GOT ANY NFIRMATN, THAT I MA A GOOD IMPRSN.”BEE OF HIS NOTED OBSSN WH CLOTHG, TALE IS OFTEN HELD UP AS A DANDY (AS IS WHE-SUED WOLFE FOR THAT MATTER). THAT MIGHT DO A DISSERVICE TO HIM, BUT ALSO, EQUALLY, TO HIS SENSE OF ELEGANCE. THERE’S REALLY SOMETHG TO HIS PREOCCUPATN WH LIVG AND BEHAVG BETIFULLY. “I WAS VERY RICH 1980, AND 1981,” HE SAID, REFLECTG ON HIS BOOM YEARS, AFTER THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE OPTNED FOR $2.5 LN. SO WHAT’S THE WILST THG HE BOUGHT? HE TOOK A LONG SIP OF HIS MARTI.“NOTHG. I HAD EVERYTHG. I HAD A TOWN HOE. CLOSETS FILLED WH HANDMA SUS. TWO BETIFUL OLD SPORTS RS THAT I HAD OM THE 1950S,” HE SAID. “I HAVE TWO BETIFUL DGHTERS, I HAVE A WIFE, I HAVE, OF URSE, A JOB, I HAVE A WIFE WH A JOB.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHREMEMBERG SéAD O’CONNOR’S SUBLIME MIC AND RIGHTEO RAGEBY MIKE HOGANRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHAS THE CLOCK TICKED TOWARD MIDNIGHT AND THE BAR’S PATRONS—MIDDLE-AGED UPL OF MURKY MARAL STAT, BANKERS TOO-SHY TI HAVG VODKA MARTIS—STARTED TO CLEAR, TALE MED ON WHY, AN AGE WHICH REPORTERS ARE NOTORLY RTRICTED OM CELEBRY SUBJECTS, ’S NOT EASIER THAN EVER TO WRE A PROFILE LIKE HIS, WHICH WAS BORN OF SATRA’S REFAL TO GRANT HIM ACCS. WHY IS SO HARD TO WRE A STORY LIKE THAT NOW?“IT SHOULDN’T BE. MAYBE THE PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,” HE SAID. “I’M JT GUSG. WHEN I—YOU KNOW, MY ARISTOCRATIC IEND OM RICHMOND, VIRGIA, TOM WOLFE, HE WAS PROBABLY THE EXCEPTN—BUT MOST OF WERE NOT OM VERY TED BACKGROUNDS. WE WERE THE UNRCLASS. THE JOURNALISTS OF THE 1950S WERE PEOPLE LIKE ME. . . . PEOPLE THAT WENT TO HARVARD, YALE, THEY ULDN’T BE JOURNALISTS, WAG FOR SOME LABOR LEAR TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE’S A SETTLEMENT AT THREE O’CLOCK THE MORNG OUT ON SOME WATERONT. . . . JOURNALISM WAS FOR THE LOW-LEVEL PEOPLE. ME.”“BUT WE HAD A KD OF PATIENCE ABOUT WAG,” TALE NTUED. “WE WERE GOG TO GET WHAT WE WANTED. I DON’T THK THIS NEW GENERATN HAS THE PATIENCE OR EVEN KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO GET THGS. . . . YOU HAVE TO GET OFF YOUR ASS. MAKE SOMETHG HAPPEN WH YOUR PERSONALY, WH YOUR GODDAMN STYLE, YOUR CHARM, YOUR BETIFUL CLOTH, YOUR REASSURANCE, YOUR SALMAN HUCKSTER-IST LIRICE. KNOW HOW TO GET SOMETHG AND NOT BREAK HEARTS OR BE OFFENSIVE.”AND THEN THE RTRANT TURNED OFF THE MIC—SATRA’S “THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT,” OF URSE—AND WAS TIME TO HEAD HOME. TALE HAD A LD TO SLEEP OFF, AFTER ALL.RELATED: HOW TOM WOLFE BEME … TOM WOLFEPHOTOS: HOW TOM WOLFE WOLFE1 / 16CHEVRONCHEVRONWOLFE HIS MANHATTAN APARTMENT. LEWIS’S DGHTER DIXIE, 13, LLED HIS SU AN “OUTGOG FASHN CHOICE.”RACHEL TASHJIAN

Sudnly, Gay pip up, a stern edge to his voice, givg an orr. ” Nan giv me the digs and then Gay says, “Good! That was when she put the A (her main name is Ahearn) to her name, as if to say wh a sgle letter: I am not jt Gay’s wife.

The fay 1980, the year Thy Neighbor's Wife was Thomas Victor/Courty of Gay Tale. When I first lled Nan to schle an terview, the small talk was brief and mostly about Gay.

LEGENDARY REPORTER GAY TALE EXPLAS WHY HE FDS TMP INSPIRG

Stuff of legend: One eveng 1972, when Nan and Gay were walkg home om dner at P. Clarke’s, Gay spied a neon sign above a buildg on Lexgton Avenue near 59th Street that read LIVE NUDE MODELS.

Gay said to Nan, “Let’s go check that out. ” Nan said to Gay, “No, no, no.

GAY TALE ON 'A WRER'S LIFE'

The rultg piece, “An Eveng the Nu Wh Gay Tale, ” scrib Tale nng around the cy wh a bunch of louche swgers and livg up at sex clubs. To be fair, seemed that Gay had already been tryg Nan’s patience wh his rearch.

Nan told Gay: “It’s your book, ’s your style of rearch. “I told Gay, ‘Don’t do . I prs a ltle further: There are a lot of people who still believe that Gay huiated you, I tell her.

PETER BART: GAY TALE’S FAMED “FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD” BE HOT MOVIE PROJECT

In the Hamptons, Courty of Gay Tale.

“Her fn of marriage up agast me—they’re not what would be the dictnary, ” retorts Gay. Nan has said the past that she has not, though Gay, through y hts the prs, would perhaps like to believe otherwise. This is not a woman livg a nunnery, ” Gay said an em the Daily News last year.

Is Gay a philanrg bastard or a pneerg anthropologist?

GAY TALE ON A NEW ILLTRATED EDN OF FRANK SATRA HAS A COLD

When I ask Gay if he is at all worried about draggg Nan and their relatnship and even their sex life back to the spotlight, he says he’s not.

“You know, I jt tst Gay, ” she says. Nan and Gay were troduced through a iend 1957 and “urted for two and a half years, ” as Nan puts . Her mother, a woman who had social ambns for her dghter, was never crazy about Gay, but she sisted they get engaged if they were gog to see each other exclively.