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John Henry and Linda Pizzuti, pictured eating ice cream cones in Paris in Boston magazine. (Courtesy of John Henry And Linda Pizzuti) |
Names
When John met Linda
Boston magazine's cover story on John Henry's romance with Linda Pizzuti is an entertaining read. It reminds us a little of a Lifetime movie: Fabulously rich Red Sox owner falls head over heels for an attractive, much-younger woman who initially rebuffs her big-shot suitor but ultimately relents and begins planning a wedding. Not exactly an exposé, the flattering portrait of the millionaire and his future missus was written by one of Pizzuti's pals, Emily Kumler, who had unique access not only to the couple but to their e-mails. (More on that later.) Boston mag editor James Burnett told us yesterday that Kumler pitched the piece, and after giving it some thought, he said yes. "This isn't Sy Hersh trying to dig up secret plans to bomb Iran," Burnett said in an e-mail yesterday. "It's a woman writing about what happened when one of her close friends started dating the owner of the Boston Red Sox." The pictures accompanying the piece show the May-December duo on board Henry's yacht, together at the Daytona 500, on the field at Fenway, and, our favorite, enjoying ice cream cones in Paris. Though Henry is 59, he sounds like a love-sick teen. Just check out this e-mail, which the divorced dad of one daughter sent to Pizzuti not long after meeting her:
Dear Linda,
A man needs a muse. Well, he doesn't really. He doesn't need nearly as much as he generally thinks he does. A man is greedy. Greedy for what he doesn't think he has and what he thinks he wants.
We probably wouldn't have wandered far beyond the basic necessities without that pushing us. Progress is one of its most important byproducts.
So you will ask, "Why are you writing this?" Because a brief encounter-and-a-half with you gave a cool spin to this little blue planet from my vantage point.
We feted the Celtics tonight and the skies opened. The sun emerged and created a giant rainbow between the city and the park. We were transfixed.
You only saw it if you were in the right place. I was in the right place when I noticed you.
I barely know you. I don't have any illusions about capturing your heart. But the world is brighter, better, lighter and warmer when a man imbues a woman he knows - even tabula rasa - with the attributes that I believe reside in you. It's the small things that ultimately matter, the subtle things.
I am honest. I don't play games. And I see no reason not to say that I've been smitten by you and you've done me a great service.
You've very innocently made my world brighter, better, lighter and warmer. So thanks.
No response is necessary because a man doesn't need nearly as much as he thinks he does.
Since you're probably wondering about Pizzuti's response, here it is:
A man may not need as much as he thinks he does, but courage and honesty should be acknowledged. I am not so naive as to believe I actually possess the qualities you attribute to me. But thank you.
Phoenix suffers cuts
More details have emerged about layoffs at the Boston Phoenix: The alt-weekly has let six people go including longtime theater critic Carolyn Clay and senior managing editor Clif Garboden. Clay, whose cubicle is already cleaned out, and Garboden, who's been a fixture at the paper since the 1970s, will become part-time writers. The layoffs, announced last week, represent 2 percent of the Phoenix staff. Insiders tell us that the remaining staffers will take pay cuts, with execs losing up to 50 percent of their salaries. Executive editor Peter Kadzis told us yesterday that the process of losing his senior employees has been "heartbreakingly difficult." The other layoffs came from the paper's finance, trade, and sales departments.Dances with Jennifer
Jennifer Garner - sans Ben Affleck - walked the red carpet with costar Matthew McConaughey at Monday's Los Angeles premiere of the locally filmed "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past." Garner, who's been seen around town thanks to Affleck's Boston-based project "The Company Men," does a wedding dance in "Ghosts" - and she has Emerson College dancer-in-residence Marlena Yannetti to thank for it. Yannetti, who was asked to choreograph the film's dance scene last year, told us yesterday that she was supposed to go to a Monday-night sneak-peek to see her choreography on screen - but she forgot to show up. The weather was nice and the premiere slipped her mind. "Now I'm going to have to pay to see it like everyone else," she said of the movie, which opens Friday. Yannetti's friend Joe Guglielmo, a local dancer who was an extra in "Ghosts," did manage to see the movie and reported back that the dance scene "looked great." Yannetti worked on the project last March, choreographing dances between Garner and "Rescue Me" actor Daniel Sunjata. She said Garner "was a doll," but that she took a particular liking to Sunjata. "We had many political discussions. We're both conspiracy theorists," Yannetti said. "I fell totally in love with him."Michaels cancels
We're sad to report that the "Rock of Love" bus won't be making a stop in Boston tonight. Reality love king Bret Michaels was supposed to have a gig at Patriot Place's Showcase Live! tonight, but the former Poison frontman canceled the show yesterday morning. Michaels didn't give a reason for the no-show, but it probably has something to do with the fact that only 400 of the 1,000 seats for his performance were sold. "I guess it's just too much Bret Michaels for one market," said KISS 108's Joe Mazzei, who had to cancel a meet-and-greet he had set up for Michaels fans. Dozens of local ladies sent videos to the radio station begging for the chance to mingle with Michaels. KISS 108 had chosen eight winners. "Some of them sang. Some of them took off their clothes," Mazzei said of the applicants, who ranged in age from 20s to 40s. Those winners should be able to see Michaels when he comes to town for the rescheduled Patriot Place show this fall (refunds are also available). For the record, the "Rock of Love" star is apparently more popular in the Live-Free-or-Die state. His Friday show at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is still on - and all 2,200 seats have been sold.Friedman honored
Pulitzer-winning journalist Thomas L. Friedman was in town last night to receive the Museum of Science's Bradford Washburn Award, which is given to people who promote the understanding of science. Captain at the C's
Captain Richard Phillips, who was rescued from those pesky Somali pirates, was at last night's Celtics game, a guest of Celts CEO Wyc Grousbeck. Other familiar faces in the crowd included Pats players Adalius Thomas, Ben Watson, and Gary Guyton.Talkin' Obama
Celebrated Harvard Law prof Charles Ogletree Jr. moderated a talk the other day about the likely impact of Obama's presidency on urban America. Hizzoner Tom Menino spoke at the Faneuil Hall event, as did Northeastern Law prof David Hall. Panelists included City on a Hill Charter Public School sophomore Jaelyn Andrews; Linda Chin, president of the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence; Boston University School of Social Work dean emeritus Hubie Jones; Bay State Banner boss Howard Manly; UMass-Boston chancellor J. Keith Motley, and Giovanna Negretti, executive director of Have You Heard? The event was sponsored by Citizens Bank.Goldthwait's proud, but no longer loud
Bob Goldthwait, who you probably remember as Bobcat, was at the Coolidge Corner Theatre last night to screen his film "World's Greatest Dad" as part of the closing night of the Independent Film Festival Boston. Goldthwait - best known for his screeching voice and 1980s films such as "Burglar" and "Scrooged," wrote and directed the dark comedy "Dad," which stars Robin Williams. In a voice much softer than the one he used in the '80s, Goldthwait told us that he was particularly excited to visit the Coolidge. He lived in Boston for a few years when he started his career and was a regular at the independent movie house. "Boston's where I got started as a comedian, but the Coolidge is where I first got exposed to art movies. It's the first place I ever saw Truffaut and stuff like that."Geoff Edgers of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
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