Yesterday just as Jack and I were getting ready to go onstage at the Crossroads here in Honolulu, I got an email from one of my old buddies… Charlie. Charlie was in Barcelona and he wrote to tell me that my old University Of Santa Clara room mate, Peter Byrne Manchester had just passed away yesterday morning. Peter was my room mate and friend, back when I was in Santa Clara… trying to keep my grades up while playing out as much as possible, Peter was a taper before the tapers knew what taping was. We’re talking 1962 and ’63 here. He had a machine that was hot rodded to record at 15 ips and he also had some fancy condenser mike. Many of the tapes that are floating around today from that period were made by him.
After college, he was in grad school and I was in Jefferson Airplane… another kind of grad school. He and his wife at the time Susan and I and my ex Margareta (may she rest in peace) were pals in those halcyon years. Time went on as time does and we lost track of each other. He wound up teaching philosophy at SUNY Stonybrook… and I… well I just continued to follow my path. He came to visit me in Ohio five or six years ago and stayed at the Fur Peace Ranch. It was great to see him. His health was failing, and his age was circling him like a morning mist. We broke bread, shared old times… caught up on the not so old times and promised each other we would get together again.
We never did…
Life is a funny old dog and replacing hope with regret is a poor choice…
There are those moments and they just never fade
The look in his eyes and the way the light played
God moved in that moment and the angels all cried
And they gave you a memory that you have till you die
And the lessons you learn and you don’t forget
What makes you grow old is replacing hope with regret
Patty Loveless… Too Many Memories
Yeah… death comes in its own time… unbidden and patient. The sadness of course is all for those of us left behind. What more could I have done? At this point it really doesn’t matter. The answer will not change… this book is closed. I guess it’s just another example of life on the backside of the mountain.
Peter was one of us… we were friends when our earth was new.
We were young together…
Fair winds and following seas brother
Dear Jorma,
In two weeks we’ll be having an event in honor of Peter, called “Peter Manchester: Remembering the Thinker and the Teacher,” here at Stony Brook University. Paula Manchester and Ed Casey, both found above in your blog, are putting this together. In addition to our guest speakers we’ll be showing the wonderful interviews with Peter that appear in a Kate Bush documentary, which is not easy to find. Peter once emailed a student and friend the link, so thanks to Christie Sacco I can share this beautiful interview with you:
http://www.uitzendinggemist.nl/afleveringen/1150234
Peter’s two-segment interview begins around the 15 minute mark, and gives us at once a remarkable autobiography, and a hermeneutic account of the demythologization of a rock star.
I hope you enjoy it! Peter himself wrote to Christie about the interview, saying the following: “I remember being surprised when I first saw the shots of me from outside on the deck that they used in the film, but I’m coming to see how it’s kinda iconic. I mainly remember that we went all outside from the living room in a rush, to get precisely that pre-sundown light. The wood fence behind me has long since been replaced by plastic, even though it was just fine. It’s nice to see this afterlife for it.”
Christie Sacco is trying to get out here to New York from Berlin for the event, but may instead make a short 7 or so minute video in order to give her account of Peter. In helping her plan for this it occurred to me that if you wanted to do something similar, or write a little text to be read, your intervention would be most welcomed. His brother David Manchester will be presenting images from Peter’s earlier years as well.
I have taken with me your comment that Peter was a taper before tapers. To follow up on that I’d like to convey that those who knew him in recent decades can attest to this continuity of a technical mind, manifesting it in relation to technologies (computers where his academic work was produced, TiVo where everyone I mentioned has watched hours of Taylor Swift with him, and the Skyped-in colleagues at dissertation defenses), but also finding a home at the heart of his philosophical work, in a cinematic interpretation of lived time according to the spanned interval of the aperture of consciousness, and the frame-rate of the disclosure space, to employ his technical terms. As Peter explains it, the fall of the soul and the mind of soul into time produces a spiral and counter-spiral of the flux of experience. You might recall that kind of far-out vision, which I’m taking from his book The Syntax of Time, from conversations with him.
In any case the event will itself be taped, by John Montani, one of Peter’s close friends, a philosophy student and close friend of mine who happens to also be a musician like yourself! After the event we’ll be sure to make a link to it available online, for all to see. In the mean time, enjoy the documentary!
Randy
Dear Jorma,
In two weeks we’ll be having an event in honor of Peter, called “Peter Manchester: Remembering the Thinker and the Teacher,” here at Stony Brook University. Paula Manchester and Ed Casey, both found above in your blog, are putting this together. In addition to our guest speakers we’ll be showing the wonderful interviews with Peter that appear in a Kate Bush documentary, which is not easy to find. Peter once emailed a student and friend the link, so thanks to Christie Sacco I can share this beautiful interview with you:
http://www.uitzendinggemist.nl/afleveringen/1150234
Peter’s two-segment interviews begin around the 15 minute mark, and give us the double significance of a remarkable autobiography, in addition to a hermeneutic account of the demythologization of the rock star and psychotherapeutic instance of transference.
I hope you enjoy it! Peter himself wrote to Christie about the interview, saying the following: “I remember being surprised when I first saw the shots of me from outside on the deck that they used in the film, but I’m coming to see how it’s kinda iconic. I mainly remember that we went all outside from the living room in a rush, to get precisely that pre-sundown light. The wood fence behind me has long since been replaced by plastic, even though it was just fine. It’s nice to see this afterlife for it.”
Christie Sacco is trying to get out here to New York from Berlin for the event, but may instead make a short 7 or so minute video in order to give her account of Peter. In helping her plan for this it occurred to me that if you wanted to do something similar, your intervention would be most welcomed. His brother David Manchester will be presenting images from Peter’s earlier years as well.
I have taken with me your comment that Peter was a taper before tapers. To follow up on that I’d like convey that not those who knew him recently can attest to this continuity of a technical mind, manifesting it in relation to technologies (computers where his work was produced, TiVo where everyone I mentioned has watched hours of Taylor Swift with him, and the Skyped-in colleagues at dissertation defenses), but also finding a home at the heart of his philosophical work, in a cinematic interpretation of lived time according to the spanned interval of the aperture of consciousness, and it’s frame-rate of the disclosure space, to employ his technical terms. In other words, the fall of the soul and the mind of soul into time produces a spiral and counter-spiral of the flux of experience. This phenomenology may not stick to the memories we have of Peter’s friends, but the sense of it or feeling it invokes might be smith interesting continuity to note.
In any case the even will itself be taped, by John Montani, one of Peter’s close friends, a philosophy student and close friend of mine who happens to also be a musician! After the event we’ll be sure to make a link to it available online, for all to see. Enjoy the documentary!
Randy
@Paula Manchester
A line from Peter B’s senior thesis at Santa Clara: “Heidegger does not seem to follow through on his discovery that Dasein’s Befindlicheit is the result of a Geworfenheit.” Honestly, swear to God, that’s literally what he said. He gave the thesis to me to read, which I did, understanding very little; but I marked that line as glorious, memorized it, and have it ’til this day. I have some memories of PBM which you might find interesting if you’d care to hear them!
Jorma, five years ago I called Peter and we set up a meet at his place (my wife is from Long Island), but it snowed the next morning and we couldn’t move. So I missed the chance to see him. He told me that he still had some live tapes of The Missionmen, and even reminded me of the role my 12-string played in “Embryonic Journey.” We’d been in contact over the years bcz I’d sent him a couple of students–whose excellence he’d always marvelled at!!, to which I’d responded that I’d always been a better philosophy prof than a musician, a notion which I’m sure you can heartily second. 🙂 Peter B was a wonder in his own time, and remains one unto this day. A gentle, gracious, curious man, who understood technology in a way that the rest of us were simply blind to. The 15-ips Sony used a cam that *he* had cut; the condensor mike belonged to the University, for no plausible reason. PBM had somehow discovered it, and liberated it for use in recording the rest of us.
I’ve driven past your place any number of times, never stopped. My fail. Next time, I’ll stop. Will you be there/
Hey George… if by my place, you mean Ohio… I am often there… but I also work a lot. I’m going to email you privately. be well brother…Jorma
Peter was a wonderful man with an astonishing mind. I was one of his students at Stony Brook. Everything I’ve written since has been under his influence…
Pete and his three brothers were horse back riding friends in the river bottom of the Kaweah…we all formed a bond that extended to hundreds ..it was RIATA. Jorma we will all miss Pete.
Lord wrap your loving around all of us as we greive.
RIP Pete
i met Peter and Paula when they contracted me wire their home around 96,or 97.I continue to work with\for Paula. I may be A master of electric, but Peter lit my light with his wisdom and wit. Paula loved and cared for Peter until his last lullaby.God has embraced Peter, and he is at peace.
Jorma,
I was Peter’s best friend in philosophy and his close colleague at SUNY Stony Brook. In addition to the sweetness and wise counsel that you and Paula underline, he was just about the most brilliant mind I ever met. He was both learned in the ancient languages and utterly original in his thinking and writing. If you want a sample of the latter, look at his new book that just appeared: Temporality and Trinity; or his earlier text The Syntax of Time. His students adored him, and his colleagues loved him. He was someone to reckon with, and we won’t see his like ever again.
Ed Casey
so sorry Jorma. may Peter rest in piece. although my memory is fading a bit i am pretty sure i remember meeting him back in our SF days. i remember about the philosophy connection. your affection for him was quite evident. a good soul no doubt. sadness and loss are for the living.
@Paula Manchester
There was never a sweeter soul. I was his second wife, married for 27 years, divorced for 15, friends all the way through. He was not afraid of dying, always cheerful, peace came quickly.
Dear Paula…
Indeed… there never was a sweeter soul! His loyalty as a friend and always wise counsel meant so much to me when I was young.
Jorma
The previous blog I mentioned how Genesis and Quah was the hook that made me a fan atic, so I’ve been giving Quah a good listen to, again. I love that song Blue Prelude. Great blues, great guitar….is that you? I assume it is. What’s the fill on that story? Were you and Tom Hobson buds? Happy ending? No pun intended.
Hey Bob… I met Tom in 1962 when I moved to the West Coast. He was a little older than me… married with kids. When I would come up to San Francisco from Santa Clara to hang out on the scene and play out there was always coffee and a kitchen to play music and share friendship in. If Tom were alive today, the music world would consider him Alt Country… back then, he was quirky. He was a great guy… brilliant musician and human being. He also was a voracious reader and owned more books than any human being I have ever known, before or since. Click this link an check out this site. Tom was great guy and a great friend. He passed in 1991. I still miss him.
Happy 3rd of July Jorma!
Thank you for sharing your memories. He was my Uncle.
And he will be missed Vanessa…
Jorma
Jorma solo at the Woodstock Playhouse in October.@johno
Jorma,
It takes a minute to find a special friend, an hour to appreciate them, and a day to love them, but it takes a lifetime to forget them….
Author Unknown
Very sorry to hear about your friend
Hogan
Any chance you can come back to Woodstock again this summer?
I wish I had words to make some of that hole fill. I hear your words though and they make me dig into right now just a little bit harder. Sorry for your loss. Good to hear the love was strong.
Time Time Time see what’s become of me. . .
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it
Sorry for your loss Brother
Trust God
Keep Marching
Love and Peace Fur All
mutt
“Another kind of grad school” indeed. College roommates, like childhood friendships, can create bonds that transcend a lot of things, including long periods of silence. sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t. this one obviously did. thanks for the posting Jorma. very sad.
So sorry to hear about your buddy passing on…May he rest in peace.
RIP Mr. Manchester
I’m happy you completed your grad and post grad work. I became one of your students when I TRADED, Grateful Dead albums; Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxia for Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow and QUAH. I WORE THAT VINYL OUT! I admit that Genesis was my hook. That’s when I dedicated study time to Electric and Acoustic Hot Tuna and JA. Looking forward to a few Electric shows in a few weeks. Say Hello to Professor Cassidy for me.
It’s interesting how reflective I and apparently others were as a result of your offering about a good friend during good times. Invincible times. I’m fortunate to have quite a few friends that I can pick up right where we left off. I really should make the effort to validate that last statement. Peace.
“What more could I have done?”
Nothing more, Jorma.
Now you write about your friend here for others to read of your friendship.
You now do more to carry his memory in your heart and remember him to share your memories.
Each passing of a loved one is the chance they live on in your heart.
This is not a selfish thing it is not being self involved.
It is what life is.
Pictures of books 50 years ago and now this post. kismet
Sorry for your loss. Used your musing to connect with my old roommates.
Peace
Love All Ways
Good Grief
I’m so sorry for the passing of your old friend Jorma. This sounds like a tough one. I had tears reading your post.
Good bless your friend Peter.
Peace