August 27, 2001
To: THOSE  INTERESTED IN PASAQUAN

In this binder are reproductions of newspaper articles which I have kept, other photographs which I took or had given to me by my other sources.  Eddie posed for the photograph with Boo in the yellow cape and the portrait of himself in the Indian headdress. Let me say, that while I had the camera, Eddie was definitely composing the scene and directing the shot. Both of these were taken in 1976.

There are a few photos of my wedding which took place January 31, 1976 at Pasaquan. Eddie did some Indian type dance after the ceremony. He had his bells on his pants and his loud commanding voice chanting—it definitely was an unexpected addition.

Eddie Martin was Al's best man and the Rev. A. Donald Evans officiated. Don was in the Sociology Department at Mercer who had a special interest in Indian culture and the deaf population. Other people who came were a loosely formed group of friends.

The painting that Eddie gave me about his growing up in Tazewell, was given after the opening of the show, MISSING PIECES GEORGIA FOLK ART, at the High Museum of Art December 5, 1976. Al Bond reserved a large station wagon from Mercer University, drove to Buena Vista picked up an extremely colorfully decked out Eddie Martin and came to our rental house 1040 Elm Street, the Behr Cottage, in Macon, GA and then onto Atlanta. We ate at the BENIHANA Japanese restaurant; with Eddie picking up the tab. At the main event, ST.EOM was in his glory. The enormous photographs of walls of PASAQUAN, were absolutely the most amazing pieces in the huge exhibit. Afterwards, when Eddie took me back to the rear of the house and gave me the painting, I wanted or expected him to give me something very odd and strange-like a past ancient face. For years and years I just didn't connect with the painting. Furthermore, I really disliked the frame-a Mexican hand carved brown wooden one with a burlap liner. Guess we've grown to appreciate the content, and composition, but it has a new frame! One year we sent Eddie a Christmas Card and he sent us one back postmarked in TAZEWELL, Georgia. There was definitely a connection to Tazewell, Georgia. I still have the card.

  Well, there could be a lot said about ST EOM and has been, but one thing really stands out in my mind. Who on earth would cook for his dogs the way Eddie would? Whenever we went down there, on the stove would be the chicken and rice aroma. Eddie was a vegetarian. Collards and cornbread and blackeye peas for Eddie, but that chicken and rice for Boo and Nina. Honestly, if Eddie's dogs had been a lot less tremendous and much less ominous. I could have gone there more often after Alice was born in 1977. I just was too nervous a young mom for us to be around those dogs. Al kept going down occasionally, and later had his students under the leadership of Pat Powell or Michael Pierce, spend the night and help Eddie refurbish or work on a new project. Eddie enjoyed the young people Al brought down with him on his day visits and it opened up his world to outsiders. Eddie cooked up pots of food for his overnight and day visitors; they slept in a teepee erected on the property and had quite an experience outside the mainstream.

How did my husband first meet Eddie Martin? The house was apparently on the Buena Vista Tour of Homes one year. Al's first wife was from Montezuma, Ga and his mother and brother had moved to Ideal, Ga. Al found out about the house on tour and went alone to see the house and grounds. So anyhow, they met. Al, always fascinated and carried away by extremes, was quite overwhelmed and their mutual craziness kept them going throughout the years. For Ed Martin, here was an extremely educated guy who would listen, and listening is Al's stronger point. Coming from his taciturn, drab, well mannered New England background, Al was drawn to the bizarre, colorful world Eddie had created. Eddie trusted Al. I don't think too many folks had Eddie's phone number or could go past the sign warning of his bad dogs and just walk around to the side, back to the entrance where all the cats hung out. Remember, this was the 1970's. Eddie talked about politics, philosophy, his art, his customers. Al was his listening post and thoroughly enthralled.

 The 1980's brought a more rigorous academic atmosphere to Mercer. Funding decreases brought an end to my husband's rabbit lab where rabbit social behavior was observed and recorded by his students. Field trips to visit the Mennonites and to Koinonia were curtailed; as were visits to Eddie Martin, because Wonderful Wednesday was eliminated. Things just tapered off. It was definitely fun and I'm sure everyone will always remember their visit with St. EOM.
 
Susan Bond