truvy
Sunday, January 27, 2002
Why Truvy? Okay, so I promised you an explanation of why I chose the name of a blonde hairdresser in Louisiana. Well, as with most things in my life, the explanation is not simple, but fairly understandable... The play and movie "Steel Magnolias" is one of my favorites for many reasons: a) stellar cast in the movie - some of my favorite actresses doing an ensemble piece, each bringing a strength, vibrance and life to their characters that has been hard to match in the years since; b) clever clever writing - Harling captured the wit and charm of many of our lives growing up in the South - some of the lines are truly priceless, and have made their way into the vocabulary not only of gay men (a given in my opinion), but of a whole cross-section of the US; c) it was filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and one of my Mama's friends and co-workers lives there, and is an extra in a few different scenes in the movie. Yes, I know that half the town showed up in the movie, but it's still fun to pick out people you know; d) I saw the play years ago in Dallas with my Mama and her best friend, my Aunt Joyce, who killed herself, leaving what I can only describe as an aching void in the lives of those who knew and loved her. Aunt Joyce, more than anyone I've ever known, embodied the most endearing, charming and funny aspects of the characters in Steel Magnolias - a wise-cracking smart ass sometimes, a sage advice-giver other times, but always very loving and giving. I miss her a great deal, but more for me I miss her for my mother, who I doubt will ever find as wonderful a friend. So, whenever I see the movie and think about the characters, a little part of Joyce lives on for me; e) my sister and I have a few movies that we share - ones from which we quote, laugh over, remember together. Heathers is one of these ("Fuck me gently with a chainsaw, do I look like Mother Teresa?"), and Steel Magnolias is another - she gave me the nickname Truvy years ago, and it kind of stuck - mostly just between the 2 of us, but I've liked it better than any other nickname ever given to me. One of the silliest presents I've ever received, but one of my favorites, is a beach towel she gave me with "Truvy" embroidered on the bottom - the lady taking the order for the name thought it surely MUST be a mistake, but Amy just laughed and assured her that, no, the spelling was correct. So, there you have it - "Truvy" - what more could a gay boy from the South, transplanted and thriving in New York for the past 10 years, want?
<
