helenhill.org

On Thursday afternoon I found out about the murder in New Orleans. Paul got shot several times and he’s in the hospital. Helen was shot in the neck and killed.

Paul just inside the doorway, clutching their two-year-old kid. I can’t imagine what he must be going through right now. The whole thing just makes me feel sick to think about it.

When I was living in Allison’s house on Falkland Street in Halifax, Paul and Helen were just a couple doors down in their crazy cluttered North End house of art and film. I’m glad lots of people have been writing about them, I have so many good memories but everything is just a mess in my head right now. It just doesn’t make sense. How could somebody murder Helen? She was the sweetest person in the world.

When Paul and Helen moved from Halifax to New Orleans, Al Tuck recorded a goodbye song for them. I’m sure Al meant it as an upbeat and optimistic song, I’m sure he would never have foreseen such tragic circumstances. But I had to put this song on and walk around the house getting all choked up.

All I can think of to do right now is to sit at home alone on a rainy night and work my way through the last of a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Kahlua. You can bet I poured one out for Helen Hill.

Please, take a few moments:
HalifaxLocalsMarkGerryBeckaApopheniab.roxHFX Daily NewsNew Orleans Times-PicayuneBoingBoingNew York TimesGlobe And MailSuper8Porterhelenhill.org

listen to Al Tuck – Love Letter to Paul and Helen mp3

2 thoughts on “helenhill.org

  1. Hey, ya’ll! We’re gonna do Helen up right with a big old jazz funeral in New Orleans. Can you believe it?

    The procession starts at Paul and Helen’s old place at 3438 Cleveland St. on Saturday, February 24. The procession forms at 12:30 p.m. and rolls at 1:00 p.m. sharp.

    We’re planning on two brass bands, a vegan cupcake wagon parade, and, of course, Ernie K-Doe’s hearse. We’ll head up Angela (a.k.a. Jefferson) Davis Parkway, then toward the river on Orleans Ave., then up N. Claiborne Ave. We’ll disband at the Mother-in-Law Lounge, 1500 N. Claiborne Ave., where we’ll unwrap the cupcakes for an official tea party as well as shang-a-lang-a to some really cool tunes. So come on out — we’ll remember Helen and help try to put ourselves and our crazy city back together again.

    For more info about the jazz funeral or to volunteer, e-mail me at qtdclown@yahoo.com, or call me at (504) 866-4740. For more info about making vegan cupcakes, email kittee at kittee68 [at] yahoo [dot] com. Helen, we love and miss you, baby.

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