Thank you for “Friends remember multi-talented political activist Joshua J. Dostis, aka Waffles T. Clown” (Recorder, Nov. 16). Over the years I had the opportunity to engage in some edgy direct actions with Waffles. Most memorable to me was our “Frankenstein” action at a gathering of Genetic Engineering (GE) enthusiasts in Boston around 2000. Back then many activists referred to Boston as Genetown given the growth of GE companies and academic entanglements. Waffles hid a lab coat under his sport coat and I had a Frankenstein monster mask stashed under mine as we sat near the front row of the auditorium. In the midst of some speech by one of the GE officials, lauding the glories of their trade, Waffles stood up, dropped his coat and strode up to capture the mic, shouting about the glories of his work bringing his monster to life. Meanwhile, I in my monster mask stood in place making monster gestures and noises. The room first went silent, then it was chaos. Calls for security were shouted out, some laughed. After a few minutes we both vanished into the chaos and somehow managed to escape undetected. Waffles the Clown, presente’!

Don Ogden

Florence