Comments on The Same Dame: Craig Froehlich: 1971-2008

What a beautiful and accurate piece on my old frie...

2010-07-25T11:20:21.038-06:00

What a beautiful and accurate piece on my old friend. I knew Craig when he lived in the basement apartment of an old house in Gibraltar, MI in 1994. The summer I spent in that dungeon of a dwelling was a memorable one, to say the least. There was the fire in the grow room, a hilarious accidental stabbing (which Craig sincerely felt bad about), and many intense conversations about the world and all that ails it at 4 in the morning. I was just 18, wide eyed and a little intimidated by the unpredictable, slightly crazy and clearly brilliant, skinny-blond-roommate my friend, Ryan, had acquired. Once, when a girl had broken his heart, he and I sat in the cramped little crawl space of that dank apartment listening to Mozart, talking and drinking sparkling wine trying to ease the pain of it. It was the most intimate moment I ever shared with him. Even then it seemed to me he felt things stronger than most and I loved that about him. I was sad and a little worried when Craig moved to Utah. I felt oddly protective of him, which makes me grin as I write this. We exchanged a few letters and I sent him my signed copy of Allen Ginsberg's last book, for which he expressed sincere appreciation. Time went by and we lost touch. I had a baby, got married, then went back to college. Even though I haven't seen him in 15 years there is an acute pain in my heart at hearing this news. I'll get out those letters tonight, have a good cry and think about that summer. But I won't cry too much and risk an eye roll from him where ever he is. I'm glad that he found good people in Utah who truly saw him and valued him for the amazing creature he was, but I am not at all surprised. I'm sure it was easy for him. That old house is a parking lot now. Craig would probably find that amusing.

Craig was my first boyfriend. I met him when I was...

2009-08-30T16:12:27.280-06:00

Craig was my first boyfriend. I met him when I was 19 and fell in love for the first time. I cannot begin to share every memory that I have. We would drive to Canada on Friday nights--finding dead end streets to kiss, hug, talk and fall asleep. We went to the hotel Yorba because we were curious and ran out of there at the sound of gunshots. My father taught him how to cook, we slept in his walk-in closet bedroom and he schooled me on punk rock, rockabilly music and The Velvet Underground. When we passed closed down businesses in Detroit he would say that it was sad because the closed down business was "someone's dream" that died.. After the Gwar show, a "blood" covered Craig scared the diners at a local restaurant--causing a clamor of voices yelling 'Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?!" I have every letter he has ever written to me and a good lot of poetry that I had the good mind to photocopy and put away because I knew it would get lost in one of his many moves. He visited me in NY and we kept in contact up until a few years ago. He would call and we would talk for hours and then a year would go by and the pattern repeated. When I didn't hear from him I sent an email and then tried to find a valid phone number. I kept thinking he would finally call and we would pick up where we let off--like we always did. In our younger years our relationship was tumultuous and chaotic, sweet and sad...I was happy that time allowed us to remain friends--still able to share everything regardless of the time lapse.
I would appreciate anyone who would email me to "talk" about Craig. I have questions and just finding out now..I am in shock and could use the exchange. Thank you for posting this tribute to him .

Jenny
jlshea@aol.com

I guess I am the last to find out about the passin...

2009-06-16T17:20:59.735-06:00

I guess I am the last to find out about the passing of Craig. Unfortunately, almost a year after his death. I was his neighbor at the Mcclelland Street Apts. in Sugarhouse for a year or so. During that time I got to know Craig very well. Like all his friends I tried to help him with his addiction and grew frustrated when he wouldn't stop drinking. I witnessed him going through a lot of pain, and it made me sad to see his wonderful personality suppressed by alcohol. I wish he would have realized how awesome and talented he was. I wish he could have seen what others saw in him, and that he was still young and could accomplish all of his dreams.
When Craig was sober he was so happy and outgoing. He would always make me laugh. He went out of his way to cook and serve me and my girlfriend dinner one night. It was amazing! I spent countless hours watching football with him and watching "the chick with the plunging neck line" cook on the food network channel. We talked about books and he showed me his writing. The first time I read some of his writing I was laughing so hard I was crying. He was such an awesome person. He wasn't afraid to speak what was on his mind. I recall going with him to Noodles and Company too eat once. He became frustrated with one of the employees working there because she was standing around talking instead of delivering his food. He walked up to the counter and shouted: "shut the f*** up and give me my food". The girl frantically delivered his food. I was embarrassed and asked him to apologize. He finally did apologize but only because I insisted.
When I moved out of the apartment at McClelland Street tt was hard to keep in contact with Craig because he wouldn't answer all the time or not pay his cell phone bill. My last attempt to reach him I got a message saying his cell phone service had been disconnected. I feared the worst. It wasn't until a week ago when Craig popped into my head and I googled his name (thinking i may find and obituary) I learned of his death. It's been almost a year since his passing but I still wanted to post some memories of him. I am very sad that the world has lost such a great person. But I feel he is in a better place now.
When I think of Craig I can't help but to look to the sky and see his face grinning in the skyline. I picture him looking at me and saying "don't worry I'm fine, go on with your f***ing life". So I will, but with him in my heart.

Craig was funny as hell, but a testy sort. My fon...

2009-01-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Craig was funny as hell, but a testy sort. My fondest memories of him were at his basement apartment in Gibraltar, Michigan. Yeah, there was drinking involved, but that's the way it happened. One time he got pissed and threw his tv at my head. Another time he had his cousin with Down Syndrome chase me around with a wooden fork. He had little patience for most people, because most people are idiots. He was a riot to hang out with and always made me laugh. Condolences to his family and Kevin if you're out there look me up.

I met Craig in a different setting than most of th...

2008-11-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

I met Craig in a different setting than most of the folks making comments here. We both battled addiction in our early lives, and meeting him at 18, having lost a scholarship, an amazing internship, and a Pulitzer Prize, I was almost dead. My ego was gone, for sure, but Craig said that was a good thing. So I'm not going to try to make this into some show of my incredible literary capability, I'm just going to follow Craig's drum and say it like it is.

Craig made me laugh in what has been, thus far, the hardest time in my life. At 23, I am sober almost 2 years because of his help. I only agonize over why Craig could not just pick up, understand his genius, stop drinking and get back to writing. But, alas, I have not done those things. I did promise him though, that I would try. And I will. But, I'm not a genius. At least that was my argument 6 days before Craig died, when I drug him to the U's emergency department due to his ever yellowing skin and protruding liver. I think I knew the seriousness of it all. If I didn't, then I tricked myself well, because as we sat waiting to see a doctor, Craig was just cracking my shit up. I worked for the U in the same department as he had about a year earlier, and he told me of the misbehavior and idiocy of the supervisor who was making my life hell. He was trying to raise my spirits, as his spirit was struggling to stay strong inside his weakening body. Craig joked with the doctor, and, when asked why he was there, he pointed at me and said, "this girl picked me up and said I appeared to be drinking too much. I was gonna take my own life with an extension cord, but she walked up and..." Then he said something hilarious about my showing him my boobs and him realizing he wanted to live... I can't match his wit, or remember it. I do remember I was almost peeing myself laughing. Until I looked down at his half-zipped duffel bag and saw a yellow extension cord. I grabbed his sleeve and tugged him toward me, I was so angry, and he just laughed it off, making a gagging noise and saying, "I couldn't do it and have you wake up tomorrow thinking it was your fault. It's okay now, Ter." It wasn't. He made it through the detox, called me to give me the code to speak to him, which he told the nurse was to be 6969, and said he'd call tomorrow. I never heard his voice again. Not until I read this compilation of his work anyway. His literary voice makes me laugh through my tears, and assures me that his life was not a waste. Not with all of the people he and his mind touched. Including me, just a sad and dying girl who learned so much from him, who he could get to crack a smile any day, who, despite my addiction, and because of his help, believes she will be okay. Sandra, I know nothing of you except that you were the love of his life, and that what he told you may have been true: "Only the good die young."

I love you Craig.

I knew Craig as a social acquaintance more than I ...

2008-08-29T21:15:00.000-06:00

I knew Craig as a social acquaintance more than I knew him as a writer. He always had a unique personality and an admirably free spirit. It is a great loss for all of us to not have him around; amusing and enlightening us - to say things we dared not say, but laughed with him when he said them. Nevertheless, a life of such freedom can come with great pain. I am happy he escaped that pain although I know I will miss his company.

Wow. I just heard about this. He was always one of...

2008-08-19T23:32:00.000-06:00

Wow. I just heard about this. He was always one of my favorite characters at the Chrony, and God knows everyone there was a character.

Thanks for writing this.

I was out of town until today and just found out t...

2008-08-19T12:32:00.000-06:00

I was out of town until today and just found out this terrible news. Thanks for writing such a poignant and spot-on rememberance of Craig. I had the pleasure of working with the always hilarious, often cantakerous writer at RED and always respected his work. After I graduated, I expected to find Craig raising eyebrows and eliciting guffaws in national publications. He was that good. And even though I hadn't seen in years, I'm sad that I won't have the opportunity to see him again. He won't be forgotten.

I have not seen craig in years. We worked security...

2008-08-18T12:16:00.000-06:00

I have not seen craig in years. We worked security together until I left to be a cop, which he teased me about to no end. He was an amazing person with a serious disease and it hurt me to discover his obituary the other day. It would not be out of line to call his humor genius.

A lot of people, including myself, didn't understand him completely and that was part of his beauty.

You will be missed

It's been over two years since I last saw Craig, a...

2008-08-17T20:53:00.000-06:00

It's been over two years since I last saw Craig, and it was clear even then that he was really struggling. But for the year that I worked full-time at the Chrony with Craig, he was one of the best things about coming in to work each morning. No matter what crazy shit was going down, be it office politics or world events, Craig would call it like it was and make me laugh at the same time. He could be relentless, but that's what I admired. He didn't back down if he wanted to prove a point. I don't have anything profound to say about Craig...just that I'm very glad to have known him.

I hadn't seen Craig in years, since the Chrony...

2008-08-17T18:38:00.000-06:00

I hadn't seen Craig in years, since the Chrony/RED days. I have heard updates and stories from those close to him since then, but I must admit that I am very glad that those are the only memories I have of him: a brilliant writer whose sense of humor and booming voice filled the newsroom.

Fitting that you mentioned the B&D Burgers episode because that is the memory of him that sticks out most in my mind. That was the only time that Craig and I ever clashed. I remember that I yelled at him to berate the fast-food worker more quietly because he was scaring the new writers in the office. For most of them it was their first encounter with Craig, and I remember several of them turning to me and asking, "Who is that guy?" I told them, and every one of their faces lit up with recognition and said some variation of, "He's so funny!"

Thanks for the beautiful memorial and forum.

It's great to read all of these posts about Craig....

2008-08-16T01:53:00.000-06:00

It's great to read all of these posts about Craig. He would have loved it, although he would have never let on that he did. He was my big brother and he always tried to look out for me. I will miss him very much. Thanks for remembering him.

I met Craig through Jeremy. I was impressed by his...

2008-08-15T19:43:00.000-06:00

I met Craig through Jeremy. I was impressed by his intelligence and wit, and enjoyed the conversations we had whenever he came over to our house. It was so sad to see him going to pieces... to hear about his latest job and how much he liked it, to be able to tell that he was good at it and had so much to offer, and then to hear, later, that he had been let go -- again. He reminded me of my friend Robert who died of alcohol poisoning 25 years ago: also a brilliant man with a sharp wit who was unable to curb his drinking.

To Craig's friends: do not be afraid that you will forget him, your friends burn in your heart forever.

We will miss you, Craig.
--Jim

I met Craig in 1996. When I met him he had long ha...

2008-08-15T15:23:00.000-06:00

I met Craig in 1996. When I met him he had long hair in a pony tail and always wore a leather jacket with combat boots. Our first date was to a dinner and a prophetic movie "Leaving Las Vegas". We always joked about it every time he got out of rehab... again. He was the most awkward and clumsiest individual I've ever met. When he spilled grapejuice all over me as he was trying to ask me out, I was smitten. I fell in love with his candor and shyness, but mostly his irreverence, wit and intelligence. Everyone that met him, either loved him or hated him because of it.
He became part of my family. He was a fantastic cook, another reason for falling for him. Cooking for me was a hobby of his. It was not unusual to get a call in the middle of the day asking me what I wanted for dinner a week from now.
He put himself through college even with a full workload. He loved many things, and would become obsessed when he found something new. We were both insomniacs and enjoyed our time watching great films. This is a reason why he was so close to Jeremy. He couldn't stand people that didn't use the term "I could care less" incorrectly. At his best, Craig was healthy, excercising, into music, photography, books, and we were just living life untraditionally. Some of my greatest memories of Craig include sharing late night moments where he read me his favorite poetry, finding a cool new restaurant before anyone else, watching a political show and seeing him have fits when he didn't agree with someone. He loved the innocence in people, loved laughing with children, thought little asian babies 'were the cutest', had a secret crush on George Clooney, and always said that people that were attacked by animals "always had it coming".

Being apart from him these last couple of years was the most difficult thing I've ever done, but not as difficult as the realization of Craig being gone. I've never stopped loving him and was able to tell him that before he passed.
Craig always said he would die young. "The best ones always do, Honey" he would say, "that's why John Lennon died before Paul McCartney"...."better to die young then end up like Orson Welles". He meant it.
I can't believe he's no longer here! He didn't care what happened to him when he died, but he always wanted to be remembered at his best. Happy and making sure you were laughing.
If you read about Craig, please share your memories of him. He would like that.
Sandra

I wish I'd gotten to know Craig better. I think I...

2008-08-14T23:49:00.000-06:00

I wish I'd gotten to know Craig better. I think I really blew an opportunity.

You are spot on to suggest that Craig would be dis...

2008-08-14T10:41:00.000-06:00

You are spot on to suggest that Craig would be displeased if we weren't laughing. He had a wit that was hard to spot at times, and I often wondered where his comments would lead. Craig was working for security at University Hospital when I hired him as a financial counselor in 2003. Part of his job was documenting encounters he had with patients that he was trying to assist. Most staff made brief, simple comments. Not Craig. I frequently had to tell him to 'cut down on the novels' so that I would not have to spend an entire day auditing 5 of his accounts. He's the only employee of mine who used the term 'Serendipidous' in one of those comments, and probably the only one who knew what it means.
He definitely knew his targets. I'll never forget a comment Craig made to an Irish co-worker that involved the term 'potato famine'. I was dying even though I had to wonder if I wouldn't soon be sitting in a room with him and a human resources representative.
I will miss his dry delivery and his monotone voice. I will also miss his distinct body language. Whenever he had to defend a comment or action he would make a strange twisting of his shoulders and rolling of his head with a wry smile on his face. For more serious matters he never failed to close his eyes and wipe his hand across his brow while sighing before answering.
I am glad that I had the chance to get to know Craig and I am sad to see him pass.

2008-08-14T10:36:00.000-06:00

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2008-08-14T10:35:00.000-06:00

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I didn't know him that well either but felt someth...

2008-08-14T09:02:00.000-06:00

I didn't know him that well either but felt something of a kinship through his writing. Sad to see a RED man go. Very eloquent tribute, Jeremy.

2008-08-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

This comment has been removed by the author.

I never knew Craig Froehlich that well. Mostly as ...

2008-08-14T02:10:00.000-06:00

I never knew Craig Froehlich that well. Mostly as a fellow soldier/veteran of RED and Salt Shaker. The thing I remember most about him was his distinct voice. Not just in his writing, but his literal voice I remember had a distinct sound I found pleasant. It's not much, I know, but it's the memory I have of the man.

As usual, wonderful words, Mr. Mathews.

It breaks my heart to realize that Craig hadn't pu...

2008-08-13T22:53:00.000-06:00

It breaks my heart to realize that Craig hadn't published anything since 2005. I knew Craig from his work before I met him in person. I was living in Ohio and Jeremy sent me links to his funniest Red Herrings. His Herrings were always so on target and hilarious. I always thought of him as "The Herring King" and remember how important everyone thought it was when "The Salt Shaker" started to create a similar feature mostly so Craig could write it.
Because of his columns when I first met Craig I thought he would be as daring as his columns and was surprised to find him very shy and reserved until I got to know him better. And how lucky I was to do so, Craig had such a gift for conversation. He loved to make people laugh and could often transform horrible experiences of his own life into comedic gold. Whenever I hear "MacArthur Park" I'll always laugh and think of Craig's description of it.
It's so hard to believe that he is really gone now. I know so many of his friends and family tried so hard to help him and it's so hard to accept that that hope is finally gone. I'm grateful that Jeremy has complied these articles for us to reread and remember Craig, but I can't help but cry when thinking about all the potential that was lost and wish we could be celebrating Craig under different circumstances.

I'm so sad. Thanks for reviving my own fond memori...

2008-08-13T22:47:00.000-06:00

I'm so sad. Thanks for reviving my own fond memories of a talented, funny young man.

Jeremy, thank you for this memorial. I am glad to...

2008-08-13T22:37:00.000-06:00

Jeremy, thank you for this memorial. I am glad to have read it. I was Craig's boss. I tried to work with his alcoholism sadly it didn't work out and I was forced to release him. It was the saddest experience I have had to deal with during my career.

Craig always made me laugh and smile. We always had an open and honest friendship and I appreciate the time I had with him.

I last saw Craig last week in the last few days of his life. I am very glad to have seen him and spend an hour visiting with him and helping as I could.

Thank you Jeremy,

Coby Hauser

That was beautiful, Jeremy.

I hope that I a...

2008-08-13T19:50:00.000-06:00

That was beautiful, Jeremy.

I hope that I am so deserving of such I piece when I pass. It says a lot about the person Craig really was.

Comments on The Same Dame: Craig Froehlich: 1971-2008

What a beautiful and accurate piece on my old frie...

Craig was my first boyfriend. I met him when I was...

I guess I am the last to find out about the passin...

Craig was funny as hell, but a testy sort. My fon...

I met Craig in a different setting than most of th...

I knew Craig as a social acquaintance more than I ...

Wow. I just heard about this. He was always one of...

I was out of town until today and just found out t...

I have not seen craig in years. We worked security...

It's been over two years since I last saw Craig, a...

I hadn't seen Craig in years, since the Chrony...

It's great to read all of these posts about Craig....

I met Craig through Jeremy. I was impressed by his...

I met Craig in 1996. When I met him he had long ha...

I wish I'd gotten to know Craig better. I think I...

You are spot on to suggest that Craig would be dis...

I didn't know him that well either but felt someth...

I never knew Craig Froehlich that well. Mostly as ...

It breaks my heart to realize that Craig hadn't pu...

I'm so sad. Thanks for reviving my own fond memori...

Jeremy, thank you for this memorial. I am glad to...

That was beautiful, Jeremy.I hope that I a...

That was beautiful, Jeremy.

I hope that I a...