Dec

12

Regarding Bo Keeley, world traveler, frequent emailer to all his friends, occasional contributor to this site. We last heard from him going to Baja in mid October. Has anyone heard from him? He's had 81 lives already? Let us hope. Vic

Art Shay forwards this letter he sent to journalists who have written about Bo Keeley:

Steve Keeley, whom I knew and photographed as a racquetball luminary (and was his photo guru) and you wrote of as a financial-ill-advisor in connection with your Vic Niederhoffer story, has disappeared. He was on a Guatemala-Mexico-US trip intent on further describing the ease of flouting borders while hoboing. I had helped him place a few articles in Swans.com. They haven't heard from him since Oct. 9.

Keeley had been held up a dozen times on his 100 + rail peregrinations on 3 continents. He had his portable computer with him. (At "home" in his 10 foot dugout near the Cocoa Mountain Gunnery range, there exists a shelf , or shelves 30 feet long of his notebooks, a young biographer's prize.) I am, alas, 89. He had (self- or nearly self) published two books recently. One on hoboing, one on his Kures. He, as you know, was a graduate veterinarian and healer. He corrected my vision by raising my computer screen to force me to look up.)

Niederhoffer has joined the search. I thought you might have an idea or two on this sad situation.

As an old Life staff reporter and fairly well-known fotog (I did the furtive nude noted in your magazine in 2008 of my pal Nelson Algren's erstwhile lady friend, Simone de Beauvoir), I much admire your work.

Art Shay,

Deerfield, Illinois

Laurel Kenner writes on Tuesday December 12th:

News flash: Hobo Keeley is alive and well. Details to follow.

Bo Keeley himself responds to our message "How are you?":

I have been sifting sand at the digs for two months till touching civilization yesterday. all well. i built a gorilla snot swimming pool in anticipation of warmer weather from the 300 gallon tank used on the adjacent chocolate mt. bombing range for dust control. it took elbow work to get the biodegradable snot out . ate oats, soup and crackers, walked four hours daily w/ ten-lb. ankle weights, handled a tarantula and baby western diamondback, so everything is fine. my concerned brother filed a missing person's report w/ the local police ignorant that the unnamed desert roads demand a concocted address not on maps.


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