Tuesday, November 26, 2013

An Early Thanksgiving



 A magical afternoon happened today as I was finally able to meet with Ms. Betty Jean Butler.  I met her at her place of residence in an assisted living apartment building in the Poncey Highlands area of Atlanta.


Because she is such a private and guarded person, I was unable to video or photograph our meeting but was able to record it. 


My deepest gratitude for her taking time to meet with me and for shedding so much light on my quest to find the truths associated with this listening device constructed by Louise Taylor.



Our conversation. 


T. – Hello and thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me Ms .Butler.


BJ – PLEASE call me BJ


T. – As I mentioned on the phone, over the years I had been walking past this odd contraption located near Ponce de Leon by the railroad tracks and by several coincidences decided to collect it after it was pushed down during the ongoing construction of the Atlanta Beltline.

Your name was given to me by Alice Linn after meeting her at the Inman Park Festival - another coincidence -  and learning from her that a lady by the name of Louise Taylor had built it in memory of her friend Mel Mann. I have also learned that Louise moved to Atlanta from Alabama in 1967 and that is pretty much where it ends.


So I have some questions for you and may I start with, “Are you familiar with the structure”?


BJ – Of course. Such an angry thing and so sad all at the same time. Everyday her hammering and sitting and hammering and sitting.


T. – So Louise built this thing. I was told it was in memory of her friend Mel Mann.


BJ – She did build it. It is actually a device….let me back up…Louise built this after Mel was struck by a car while crossing Ponce de Leon. You see Mel and Louise were an item. Louise had come over here after meeting Mel at a teacher’s conference in Atlanta in …probably 1965. This was a turbulent and exciting time for Atlanta with the civil rights movement happening, the race riots, the war protests and Atlanta getting a pro football team…and Mel loved that. 

I think she visited again in 1966. Mel had scored tickets to the Barbra Streisand Show at the Atlanta Stadium and Lou was a big fan. As bohemian as Mel was….there was also a softer side.

So she moved here in the summer of 1967 I believe and moved in with Mel. Mel and I had been friends for years. Mel was a sort of “character” around town in the bohemian circles. Was a fixture at civil rights protests….and also a fixture from Ponce de Leon all the way to Pershing Point…back then these areas were where a lot of beatniks and hippies hung out. Oh and the poetry circles…..Mel was always there. Mel’s poems were often way too honest and political….that few others were brave enough to present such writing.

Both Mel and I were born in Atlanta. At the time Atlanta was filled with more local people. It wasn’t until the 80s that so many outsiders started moving here. She and I met at the Atlanta Girl's School in Grant Park.


T – So what did Mel ever say about Louise?


BJ – Well, Mel was in love and I can say Mel had been around the block more than a few times….just had such a magnetic personality that drew everyone near….so I was shocked when I learned of them actually living together. I never thought I would see the day. Louise was also madly in love with Mel and Atlanta and all that was happening at that time. Louise was very sweet ….and played the piano so well…..several times she would play the background music while Mel recited poems.

Louise was a real person. Some of us had not seen a real person for many years…(a big laugh).

I think it was her innocent, honest, country girl simplicity that caught Mel’s eye. They were always out and about together. Mel paraded Louise around like a trophy wife though they were the same age.

-long pause-

OK, then about 6 months after Louise moved here, Mel was struck by that car. December 16, 1967. Ironically Mel’s birthday. It was horrible, just horrible. The closest loss most of us had ever suffered.

Oh and there was a huge memorial service….attended by artists and outcast shoulder to shoulder with the movers and shakers of the civil rights movement and even some local politicians.  Blacks and whites together which at the time was very taboo.

Mel was cremated which was also not well accepted at the time. The ashes were scattered  at Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park.  Mel spent a lot of time there contemplating projects, writing poetry and trying to come up with the next big thing….and of course the picnics with Louise and an occasional dip in the lake.

Such a sad day for the Atlanta arts community. People came from all over. After the memorial service, Louise returned to their apartment on Ponce de Leon Place and was surrounded by mostly Mel’s friends as she was still new to Atlanta. As always over the next few weeks the support became less……well a lot less. I think that is when she started isolating herself. I would see her occasionally at the Majestic drinking coffee alone. I am embarrassed to say I didn’t visit her as much as I should have. Just such sadness for all of us but mostly her….bless her heart.

Then a few months later I got word that she was out and building something near the tracks over by Sears. I had heard her play the piano so beautifully several times but did not know her to be into construction…I thought “what on earth”.  It was so primitive but tall. I mean Lou was a little ol’ thing but that girl was on a mission. I remember the day she got a couple of guys from the neighborhood to help her stand that thing up. We applauded her efforts but really had no idea what it was. We were just happy to see her so excited and happy…..then things  got dark…..quiet….when  the chair came out there. At first I thought it was some sort of telescope as she had expressed an interest in the stars and such many times….then we saw her sitting there with her ear up to it. Listening.

By this time she had become reclusive. We would bring her hot tea, coffee, cigarettes while she sat there. We invited her to anything that was happening. She never came. She was…..had changed. She got more and more frail and thinner than before. She came out everyday around dusk, crossing Ponce and going to her chair. Just listening.

That was the year Martin Luther King died and we all went down to Auburn Avenue. As important as the civil rights movement was to Lou….she didn’t go.

Her closet friend and one of our gang, Clara McClendon, had talked with her and Lou said it was a listening device she had read about that might give her a chance to hear from Mel. When I heard this I just broke down and cried.

She was looking for any answers. Why had she waited her whole life to find someone to love and it was all taken away. It was so unfair. It ended so quickly.

- a long pause -

So we finally knew the purpose of this thing that she built. I cannot begin to tell you how sad it all was. None of us knew what to do.

On the anniversary of Mel’s passing, Louise was taken to Georgia Baptist Hospital on Boulevard. We hadn’t seen her for a week or so and so Clara had a key and went over to her apartment and found her.

Well the doctors did all kinds of tests on her and couldn’t find any problems. It became obvious to us that she was grieving herself to death and there was nothing that could be done….and she did. She died 3 weeks later.

No one really knew about her family as she was new to town.

Clara had been back home with her one time to Alabama. So she got in touch with Lou’s elderly parents. I guess they had heard about Louise and Mel’s living situation and didn’t approve and gave Clara permission to handle Louise’s affairs as she saw fit.

So she immediately called a meeting to decide what to do. We all agreed that she should be cremated and sprinkled where Mel had been sprinkled the year before. That would have been January 6, 1969. I will never forget that day because they ran Lou’s obit in the Atlanta Journal and right beside it was the piece about Jimmy Carter seeing a flying saucer. We joked that it was Louise and Mel flying around together.

Despite her being so alone at the end, lots of people turned out for her memorial service. Not much was said….it was just so horribly sad.

We talked about what to do with her listening device and all decided to let it be. And that is where the story ended back in 1969…….until now. I can suggest that maybe you could locate Clara McClendon – she is from the McClendon clan. I had heard that she moved out of town. She knew Lou the best and could shed some light about her should you choose to continue with this.

I can say that I have seen many things in my life…but I have never seen a love like theirs. Just amazing.

I know I must still have some pictures of the gang in storage but now I can not get around like before and it might be hard for me to help much.


T – Well you have helped tremendously and I really am so thankful to you for shedding so much light on this and helping me to absolutely know that saving this structure was something that had to be done. Their story needs to be told.  Thank you so much and I will keep you posted as to where this goes in the future.


BJ – Better hurry and tell me something….me buying green bananas is pretty optimistic these days.



A heartfelt Thank You to Betty Jean Butler and to Alice Linn for arranging our meeting.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Such Great News

Hard to believe it is Thanksgiving week and just how the year has flown by. Seems the years go faster and faster.

So many wonderful projects came my way this year leaving little time to further pursue the history of Louise Taylor's listening device.

Then yesterday I received a call from Alice Linn after all these months. She said that she had given my number to Betty Jean Butler and that I could be expecting a call any day. Betty Jean was the best friend of Mel Mann and I am very excited about that news.

Betty had been sick over the last months and good to hear she is feeling much better now though not feeling up to a meeting just a chat on the phone.

Such Great News