Cooler than “All About Eve”, Eve Babitz – (1943-2021)
Eve Babitz (1943-2021) was the author of several books of fiction, including Sex and Rage: Advice to Young Ladies Eager for a Good Time, L.A. Woman.
( Eve Babitz, pictured in Ed Ruscha’s “Five 1965 Girlfriends,” from 1970.)
(Photograph by Julian Wasser / Courtesy of Ed Ruscha)
Ed and Paul Ruscha on Eve Babitz Death
HDP: Do you think that she had any influence on you in terms of the evolution of your own art?
Ed Ruscha: Oh, I guess I’m influenced by everything. There’s nothing that crosses my path that doesn’t influence me in some way or other. Even if I reject it, I’m influenced by it. And, so, sure. I mean, she was a strong figure and I think everybody respected her. All the artists respected her, and and we were curious about her because she was a hot number. She did well with it, you know. (laughs)
Eve Babitz on the time She played Chess Nude with Marcel Duchamp
The only trouble was, I had been taking birth control pills for the first and only time in my life, and not only had I puffed up like a blimp but my breasts had swollen to look like two pink footballs. Plus they hurt. On the other hand, it would be a great contrast—this large, too-LA surfer girl with an extremely tiny old man in a French suit. Playing chess.
(After I saw the contact sheets, I never took the Pill again.)
Rare Interview Eve Babits long sober cool author
Eve Babits introduced Salvador Dalí to Frank Zappa.