By Ted Kleine
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Last Thursday Carpenter lectured on her book to a small crowd of leftists at the Newberry Library. The occasion: the weekend of the Bughouse Square Debates, an annual revival of one of her father’s favorite public forums. Carpenter was introduced by Lila Weinberg, a woman who knew Ben Reitman in his heyday.
“Ben…had an enormous appetite for everything life had to offer,” said Weinberg, leaning on a cane. “Mecca captured all the excesses, all the women, all the adventures. She got it all down, and her affection for him shows through.”
“Then Roger’s book came out, and it was all news to me in his book. It made me want to go back and read his letters. I thought there was still a story.” (For the record, she doesn’t believe Reitman’s mother was a prostitute “in terms of full-time employment, although she did live with several men. When you’re poor you get by the best you can.”)
“I remember…thinking, ‘Stop, mom, stay away from him. He’s no good for you.’ I’m glad she didn’t stay away from him. I think he was good for her.”
