HUNGRY GERALD

MLK and HG were both born in 1929—MLK a few months older. They met in the 1950’s. The meeting was arranged by a lovely African-American journalist, HG’s girl friend/lover at the time. The point of the meeting was for HG to counsel MLK on how to approach affluent Jews in order to maximize contributions to MLK’s campaigns. HG suggested MLK make parallels between Black and Jewish experiences: slavery (Passover, the Jewish holiday, celebrates the release of Jews after centuries of Jewish enslavement by the Egyptians.). Lynchings—hundreds of Blacks were lynched in the United States and all attempts to pass anti-lynching laws were blocked. Leo Frank, a young Jewish executive, was lynched in Atlanta in 1915 on trumped up rape chages. His lynching lead to formation of  the ADL and more Jewish defense organizations.   MLK  said HG’s strategy was very useful.

When son Jeremy was a little fellow, he was a sound sleeper. His Dad, HG, would wake him for breakfast by standing before his bedroom door and, in a syrupy voice, say “Professional lover, professional lover.” Jeremy thrashed about angrily—and woke up. The name, which annoyed SJ so much, originated by teasing taunts he received due to a close relationship with a female classmate. HG thought about the phrase in connection with two successful lovers of women: actor Yul Brynner (1920-1985) and literary critic and essayist Anatole Broyard (1920-1990). HG interviewed Brynner for a Hearst feature service. Brynner was seated at his dressing  room table and made and received numerous phone calls. HG gleaned that Brynner had a happy sex life with his wife but was also conducting affairs with beautiful actresses.  Energetic man.  Broyard  was a daily (for 15 years) book reviewer for The New York Times and later columnist and editor–Times Sunday Book Review.  He was renowned as a startlingly effective seducer of attractive young women. Born in New Orleans of Black Creole parents, Broyard chose to pass as white. During the early days of their marriage, HG brought BSK to a Broyard hosted Greenwich Village party. HG steered BSK away from the mighty seducer.