| The following piece was to appear in a Miami | | | | up early for the commute into Miami will see. An hour |
| magazine (which shall remain nameless) that never | | | | later I'm beginning to think our Dame has either |
| got beyond its first issue which was to include a | | | | cancelled without telling me, or is lost. You can only |
| story on a Miami chopper builder, a downtown | | | | pose a guy so many different ways on a chopper |
| jeweler, and a local bikini designer. The parentheticals | | | | before it becomes impossible to avoid posing him for |
| are my comments after-the-fact.Let me tell you a | | | | some kind of gay publication-- not that there is |
| true story about a young woman who got up early | | | | anything wrong with that as Seinfeld and Castanza |
| one morning looking for a fish market and ended up | | | | have reminded us over countless reruns.Home is only |
| on the cover of a magazine.It's six o'clock on a | | | | a short drive away. I decide to go back and see if I |
| Sunday morning. The sun still isn't up and I'm waiting | | | | can get hold of our female model via an email. While |
| below the Watson Island bridge between Miami and | | | | I'm on the net, I call her cell phone. Still nothing. I |
| Miami Beach feeling a little foolish holding a bejeweled | | | | haven't a clue where she is. I drive back thinking we |
| bra in my hand and a little uncomfortable watching | | | | can't just have a guy posing in the magazine. We're |
| the homeless emerging from the shadows with the | | | | already skating on politically incorrect thin ice as it is |
| stray cats. I'm there to shoot the cover and pin-up | | | | what with pin-ups for crisesakes, but having just a |
| pages (okay, so it wasn't very politically correct-- at | | | | guy and not a girl really would paint a different kind |
| least we offered both sexes), alone in the dark with | | | | of picture of what the magazine is all about. So, it's |
| the rats, the cats, homeless zombies looking for a | | | | with great relief when I turn onto the dirt road |
| smoke, and an over-the-top bra in my hand that | | | | beneath the bridge that I see Dennie talking to a |
| would make a jaded Las Vegas showgirl blush with | | | | woman. I can't believe it, but our model finally |
| envy.The bra is made of red acrylic and covered with | | | | showed up! I park, jump out and rush over to shake |
| Swarovski crystals. It's on loan from a downtown | | | | her hand but the young lady stops me short with |
| jeweler for the photo shoot which, God willing, will | | | | "I'm not her." I look at Dennie. He's smiling broadly. |
| happen in a few minutes. I'm looking for cops | | | | Seems this woman was looking for the fish market |
| patrolling the island but there aren't any because it's | | | | on Watson Island. She had gotten up early to score |
| too damn early!I know my faith in mankind is being | | | | some fresh fish for dinner that night. She grew up in |
| tested. The photographer who had agreed to do the | | | | Miami but hadn't been back in ten years. Since she |
| shoot, bailed at the eleventh hour. In desperation I | | | | was away, the city moved the fish market and the |
| turned to Dennie and DK Cody of Cody Photo who | | | | commercial fishing boats. In the short time I was |
| shot our first cover. They agree to help me and | | | | away, Dennie convinced her to pose for our |
| suggest we schedule the shoot for 6am under the | | | | magazine.She's only wearing flip-flops, shorts, and a |
| bridge to catch the early morning light on the | | | | t-shirt-- and no makeup. But we don't care. She's |
| downtown skyline. This probably had something to | | | | adorable, smart, and has a great self-deprecating |
| do with Dennie's pioneer spirit bloodline (he's a | | | | sense of humor.And she's brave, the kind of |
| descendent of Buffalo Bill) where no one ever gave a | | | | personality that says "yes" to new adventures; the |
| thought about getting up before sunrise.I know the | | | | kind of person that has helped this magazine get |
| Cody's will show, but I'm not so sure about the | | | | published (Little did I know that this courage was not |
| others. I've never met them. I've only spoken to | | | | shared by the publisher). She's perfect. Her name? |
| them over the phone. Knowing that they are trading | | | | Alecia Walker. She's on vacation, visiting her brother |
| their time only for publicity and copies of the | | | | in Miami. Her home is in Maryland where she works as |
| magazine makes me wonder if they will really show. | | | | a Surgical Technologist.Within moments we have her |
| The longer I stand there alone in the dark, the less | | | | ditching her t-shirt and wearing the "bejeweled bra." |
| I'm sure they will.Dennie and DK are the first faces to | | | | When I see the light bouncing off those Swarovsky |
| appear out of the darkness that don't ask me for a | | | | crystals, I know it was meant to be. If we had shot |
| cigarette or money. I hear myself paraphrasing the | | | | the pictures with Alecia any earlier, we wouldn't have |
| Cowardly Lion, "I do believe in people, I do believe in | | | | gotten that startling effect. Call it serendipity-- I can't |
| people." Now, if only the rest will show so I can | | | | let go of my Cowardly Lion tail long enough to say it |
| shake loose of my Cowardly Lion tail: the owner of | | | | was meant to be. That might be assuming too much. |
| Miami Choppers who agreed to bring one of his | | | | Only time will tell. (I made the mistake of letting go |
| custom bikes down to the shoot, and the | | | | of the tail at the launch party for the magazine that |
| models.Patrick Jones is the first model to arrive. All | | | | followed this shoot a week later).I also can't promise |
| the way from Ft. Lauderdale. He turns out to be a | | | | if you say "yes" to the magazine your life will change |
| great guy with lots of enthusiasim for so early in the | | | | for the better. I don't know how being on the cover |
| morning. I suspect he's from pioneer stock too. | | | | of our magazine and becoming the second ever |
| Before long, Miguel Suarez and his lovely wife Yami | | | | Downtown Dame will make your life better, but |
| of Miami Choppers drive up with the first light of the | | | | hopefully for this young spirited Ms. Walker, the |
| day and I feel my faith in humanity rising with the | | | | Cody's, Patrick Jones, and the Suarezes, something |
| new day's sun.Since the pin-up pages are single, | | | | good will come out of saying "yes" to us (or at least |
| full-pages devoted to a "Downtown Dude" and | | | | to me).D.C. Copeland is a writer and award-winning |
| "Dame," we start shooting Patrick on the bike | | | | artist. When visiting Copeland's personal website and |
| immediately to catch the kind of light only insomniacs, | | | | blog you will discover that Wayne Cochran is the |
| milkmen, intrepid fishermen, farmers, buffalo hunters, | | | | Patron Saint and that many people consider it to be |
| and people living in Ft. Lauderdale who have to get | | | | "The Rodney Dangerfield of Blogs. |