In his epic New York Times profile of Courtney Love this weekend, hazard-pay-accruing writer Eric Wilson noted that Love has become “a walking quotation machine who is practically considered a beat by New York magazine.” Since we’d hate to let Wilson down and shirk our Love-appraising duties, we’ve selected the best bits of his profile for further appreciation (and since his subject was prone to stripping naked in front of him and discussing her reliance on “wakeup cupcakes,” rest assured that there were many, many good bits to choose from).
Without further ado, then, here are the ten best passages from Wilson’s first-person profile:
• She wore a strapless white Marchesa gown, which appeared to be slipping off, and she knocked over a martini when I walked over and greeted her.
• While waiting in her room, I noticed the following things: There were two full-size rolling racks packed with designer clothes, a pile of jewelry from Hollister, a shopping bag from Lululemon, a pack of Marlboro Gold cigarettes, fashion magazines, a guitar, faxes from Grazia, three wilting bouquets of peonies and roses, a nondisclosure contract, chocolates from Vosges, and a neatly stacked pile of books with titles like Talking the Winner’s Way, 100 Words Every Word Lover Should Know, Getting Even, How to Instantly Connect With Anyone, and What to Say to Get Your Way.
• Shortly after 8 p.m., Ms. Love burst into the room with the Marchesa dress slung on one arm and the noted German Neo-Expressionist artist Anselm Kiefer on the other. She was entirely naked and leaning on Mr. Kiefer for support.
• Then she applied a slash of red lipstick in the vicinity of her mouth.
• She grabbed a trench coat, walked through the hotel lobby with her breasts exposed to an assortment of prominent fashion figures, including Stefano Pilati, the Yves Saint Laurent designer, and then exited the hotel.
• “Courtney doesn’t wear Jill Stuart.”
• “These are my wakeup cupcakes, some antidepressants, and a cell-phone book,” she said without embarrassment.
• “I called him and said, ‘You know, Russell, you are a little older than me and you should know by now, with all your crazy money and your good credit and your RushCards, to not mouth off.’ ”
• “What is the word for the one pill that you took in your life that made you far more conservative and stop cursing so much? I don’t know what that pill was, but somehow someone slipped that in my drink.”
• She blamed a combination of Zoloft and a cocktail. And she blamed herself.
