LI F E S T Y L E
WA L T Z O F T H E
AS P A R A G U S PE O P L E
From New York City to Bergisch Gladbach, the vegetable of Kings, Asparagus, is apparently used for
more than just gourmet dishes, explains author and musician Robin Meloy Goldsby.
ew York City, 1986: One evening, on a break
N
from my cocktail piano job at the Grand
Hyatt in Manhattan — a hotel that hosts
major league baseball teams, B-list celebrities, and an
annual transvestite event called Night of a Thousand
Queens — I notice an odd display in a glass showcase in
the lobby. Inside the large window, built into a marble
wall, is a handmade village of asparagus people. Over
200 of them inhabit the village, each skinny green stalk
hand-painted, shellacked, and dressed in a little outfi t.
“Good grief,” I say to myself. “Are those things real
vegetables?”
“Yep,” says José, a muscular housekeeping guy who
overhears me while sweeping the granite fl oor. “I helped
OM
.C
paint the little suckers. I never wanna see another
asparagus as long as I live.”
“What’s his problem?” I ask, as Mr. Prang spins on
his heels and clip clops away from us. His cleated shoes
make a lot of noise on the sparkling granite fl oor. No
APHICSINC@DREAMSTIME
Large: Asparagus bundle.
SUMNERSGR
Inset : Robin Meloy Goldsby.
EX P A T R I A T E 13
Goldsby.indd 13 6/15/2009 5:17:20 PM
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