What follows are the results of our Q&A with Coco Schwab from June 27th to
July 13th, 2001. Thanks for all the great questions, and of course thanks to Coco
for taking the time to go through them so carefully! We hope you enjoy this insightful
exchange!

Firstly I'd like to thank all of you for the interest. Like some of you have
asked since keeping out of the "spotlight" is my preference, why this
now? Because David and the guys at Ultrastar kept asking and I realized I couldn't
keep saying no if you Bowienetters really wanted to know this stuff. There were
hundreds of questions and I'm sorry I couldn't get to them all. More space another
time. Btw I think you guys are really great and Bowienet is v. cool. (And yes
I do get to the message boards and visit other places too from time to time).

- Coco

Jazzfyr asks: Welcome to the land of ether Coco! My question is; what music
do you enjoy listening to?

Coco answers: Hi Jazzfyr: Nice to be here! (In the land of ether). I enjoy
lots of different kinds of music. In my CD player at present I have Goodmorning
Spider (Sparklehorse), Wings and Shadows (Steven Gorn and Warren Senders) Zuma
(Neil Young), the new Tricky, Essence (Lucinda Williams), Fisherman's Blues
(The Waterboys) and the soundtrack from Bladerunner. There's Lou Reed and the
Velvet Underground (especially Sweet Jane, All Tomorrow's Parties, era), Miles
Davis (the Columbia Years series), classical music Eric Satie, Richard Strauss
(the Four Last Songs) stacked up by the speaker. And so much more all over the
floor. The list could go on and on..

Jazzfyr asks: Did you ever feel that you were inside a magnifying glass as
David's assistant?

Coco answers: The only magnifying glass aspect to being David's assistant that
I used to find difficult was the realization that everything one did was observed.
I just naively never even thought of that. Nor did I think to watch my back.
I just did what I had been asked to do and what needed to be done. I found out
the hard way that just as often what I did was either misinterpreted or misunderstood
or just plain old slandered. It took me a long time to realize that people really
believed what they wanted to believe and not what actually went down. My efforts
to get the job done was sometimes seen at best as overzealous or at worst as
God only (and the tabloids) knows what! However David's friendship and understanding
and the importance of what he tries to achieve helped me see fear and jealousy
for what it is and not to take on other people's stuff. Today I try and do the
best that I can in a day, let go of the rest and have a pretty good life!

Dreamingmylife asks: What was your experience like with David in Berlin in the
70s?

Coco answers: Hi Dreaming! The Berlin years are unforgettable. The haunted island
surrounded as it was by a wall metaphorically and literally representing freedom:
artistic freedom, political freedom, personal freedom whatever freedom you chose.
I especially loved one of the wall paintings which was one of those optical
illusion paintings of a road right through carrying on to the other side.

There are a lot of stories. I remember one night, around two or three in the
morning, Jimmy, David and I had been out clubbing and were on the way home.
We parked by the field of snow, which stretched out in front of the Reichstag.
In the black forgotten night the building with all its deadly secrets flanked
by the wall and the guards in their gun turrets threw a ghostly moon shadow
on the snow. We were smoking a cigarette in the silence watching a rabbit scurry
across the icy open space. Suddenly David whispered "Whats that?"
Just by the wall we saw him. A man was crouching down creeping away from the
wall. As he neared the front steps of the Reichstag, he straightened up and
began walking rapidly towards the periphery of the field where there was a wooded
area. We all realized at about this moment that he was also wearing the East
German Patrol uniform coat! At this point the man broke into a run and disappeared
behind the trees.

The no man's land between the East and West sectors of the wall were rumored
to be heavily mined. To this day I wonder if we witnessed an escape.

Rodgart asks: Are you married to anyone? What does you mother say about your
very original career? I mean, what do you yourself rely on for support - or
isn't that an issue for a person like yourself?

Coco answers: Hi Rodgart. No I am not married (yet). If you are asking whether
I have had and have boyfriends, the answer is YES:) I also have a handful of
very good old friends, several that I have known even longer then DB and who
are incredibly loving and supportive. Ofcourse that means a great deal to me.
("No, I don't need anyone"..are you kidding?? Who's like that??) My
mother passed away 3 years ago this July. Regarding what she thought of my job
I think she always kind of thought it was a "phase" I was going through,
although she was getting used to the idea that this was in fact what I do! She,
like so many, really admired and liked David as did my father who died in 1977.

[pagebreak]
Aucourant asks: Hello, Coco: Thank-you for participating in this Q&A. My
first question.. Where did you first meet david bowie? Was it at a party after
a gig? What was your very first impression of him?

Coco answers: Hi aucourant, it's my pleasure. I first met David at a welcome
home party at Haddon Hall in 1973. He and Geoffrey (MacCormack) had just arrived
back from Japan on the Trans Siberian Express. My first impression was how tired
and skinny he seemed! The famous red hair was a bit crumpled but his essence,
the warmth and kind gentleness was there (through that worldly weariness) and
he hugged Andrea (Mainman Fanclub assistant) and me and made us feel welcome.
Andrea and I had been working at Mainman for several months and had not actually
met him yet.

BruceAnn asks: Dear Coco, what do you think of all the fans who are "in
love" with David without actually knowing him as a person or ever having
met him? Do you find us sort of silly, or do you see us as a devoted group who
really cares about Sailor? And, what is your impression of how David feels about
us?

Coco answers: Hi BruceAnn, I have always felt that David's fans are devoted
and caring and often really talented too. The atmosphere at Roseland was so...I
know it sounds corny but it's the only way to describe it: there was a lot of
love in that room. Yes, I know that David loves you, kind of like, "hey,
look at my tribe.."

jr859 asks: Dear Coco. Over the Years you have known David. What is the one
thing that has amazed You the most about David?

Coco answers: What amazes me the most about David is what probably amazes everyone
about David: His fantastic capacity and energy for work and life and his many
faceted talent. His patience and determination (it has never been easy) to get
his ideas out there and his hunger for learning and continual growth and development.
He is not complacent and he is also very tolerant. He just knows so much stuff
and unlike the rest of us remembers most of it!!! I guess I'd have to say what
amazes me the most is how come there's so much room in his head!! And he has
so many interesting ideas!!

Clownie asks: Hi Coco - What kind of books do you like to read? - Bettina

Coco answers: Hey Bettina, thanks again for the book! As you know I love to
read so the list is very long. Here are a few of my favorites old and new: Nuala
O'Faolin's "Are you Somebody" and "My Dream of You", Bruce
Chatwin's "The Songlines", Martin Amis's "Money", Howard
Norman's "The Bird Artist", Jeanette Winterson's "Written on
The Body", Michael Cunningham's "At Home at the end of the World",
Michael Ondaatje's"Coming through Slaughter", Eugene O'Neil's "Long
Day's Journey into Night", Derek Jarman's "Modern Nature,", Anita
Shreve's "The last time we met". Now that's for the novels (and a
play). There's also non-fiction. But perhaps another time..

Starla asks: What are your views on art in general? Who is your favourite artist?
Are you invovled in creating any art yourself?

Coco answers: Hello Starla, thanks for all your questions. Regarding Art.: I've
learned a lot about painting from David of course. It helps a lot to get right
up close to the piece of work and understand how its done and what the intent
is and to have someone knowledgeable explain. That's opened my mind and heart
a lot to work that might previously have meant little or nothing to me. My current
and longtime favorite is Anselm Kiefer. But again it is impossible to prefer
one artist when there are so many whose works affects one. Jackson Pollack,
Kienholz, Chuck Close, Picasso, Turner, Bacon, Nauman, Koons, Gerhard Richter
to name but a few. Check all this out, the body of work of each of these guys,
its pretty amazing but there ain't enough time is there? That's only the tip..
My Dad painted as a hobby and I would set up an easel next to him as a kid.
Haven't since. (His painting was pretty interesting too!)

Mephisto asks: You have a great smile that is very genuine and true because
your eyes follow your mouth. What makes you the most happy?

Coco answers: Thanks mephisto! I'm most happy exploring something I don't know.

Spaceface asks: Do you have a favourite db gig?

Coco answers: Hi Spaceface, that's tough. I'd have to say in my top five gigs
the gig in front of the Reichstag where through word of mouth a crowd had collected
on the East side of the wall through out the day and swelled to quite a size
by ShowTime. When we got word to David during the show that there was another
audience behind him and he sang Heroes to them and we could hear them cheering
inspite of curfew and not being able to see them on the "other side"
it has to be up there in the "moments". Another is Auckland in 1983.
The sheer size (90,000) which then was the largest audience that had ever gathered
in that part of the world, but also because it was such a party..Two babies
were born that night, no arrests were made inspite of being the size of a small
city and we had a really good time (except for the doves) but that's another
story!

[pagebreak]
Orissia asks: Where were you born? Who were/are your parents? Which countries
did you live in when you were a child?

Coco answers: Hi Orissia, I was born in New York City and my parents are French.
My father was a photojournalist most well known for being a war correspondent
during WW2 .He was among the first photographers to get into the camps as the
allies were moving in and the Germans were fleeing. He was also looking for
my grandmother who he found alive in the camp Thereisenstadt. His best friend
wrote a bestseller in the forties called "In Search" which tells this
story. My mother when she met him worked for French Allied Forces radio. She
later became a psychotherapist. I grew up mainly in India, Haiti and Mexico.

Ayelienne asks: Thanks for taking time to answer questions - I've got a quick
one, but it may not be easy -- can you give us one of the funniest David/Coco
anecdote/stories over the last 30 years? Thanks!

Coco answers: Hi Ayelienne, not sure if this was that funny at the time for
David, but here goes: We were leaving London for somewhere. I had packed up
the apartment we were all occupying and sent all the luggage ahead to the airport.
David was on the phone in the living room. It came time for us to leave and
we were running pretty late. "Where the hell are my shoes" I hear
from the hallway..(Oops, apparently on the conveyor belt en route to belly of
plane it turned out). Barefoot to Bali? Not quite but almost. We did stop on
the way to Heathrow in an incredible rush and yes he did walk into the store
barefoot and yes I'm still embarrassed about it.

Carlreynolds asks: How did you get involved with David in the first instance?
Did you have any involvement with the Fan Club (as it was then) circa 1973....??

Coco answers: Hi Carl. I got started working with David by answering an ad in
the Evening Standard in London asking for "girl Friday needed for busy
office". I had run my finger down the page and stopped there in totally
arbitrary fashion. I needed a job to earn expense money for a trip a photographer
friend of mine and I were planning to take. We had a magazine interested in
us to do a story of two girls on a greyhound bus tour of America, kind of Jack
Kerouac" On the Road" style, but two girls as opposed to two guys.
They were only willing to pay a certain amount upfront and we thought to save
a bit more we'd get short term jobs. When I was ready to leave Mainman 6 months
later, David called and asked me why I was leaving. I explained about this greyhound
bus tour of America thing. He paused for a minute and said"how about a
limousine tour of America?" I paused for about a nano second and said something
like"Uh, OK." Needless to say I don't think my photographer friend
ever truly forgave me.

DesertRat asks: What do you think is the one thing that drives David's amazing
creativity? Is it a divine gift, or does he really have to work at it?

Coco answers: Hey Desertrat, I think both. He really works hard. But he also
can't help it. "It" pours out of him all the time. Ideas, transforming
experiences and sensory overload into creative expression.. I guess some would
call it divine gift. In my opinion it's his lifeblood destiny however that has
come about.

Kisch asks: Dear Coco, do you concider David as your closest friend ? Is it
easy his friend? Thank you.

Coco answers: Hi Kisch, yes David is one of my closest friends. It is easy because..I
guess you could say the key was acceptance. He is truly accepting of others
and in his case so am I!

Leubrich asks Give us some gossip on Brian Eno!

Coco answers: Hi Leubrich, during the making of Low, Brian would get up really
early and wander to the kitchen for his "cleansing"ritual which consisted
of eating a lot of raw garlic for breakfast. David had the opposite schedule
and would get up really late and work at night whilst Brian worked in the day
but he said the garlic "effect" could be "felt" in the studio
with or without Brian present.

Elvis asks: Your favorite Iggy Pop anecdote...

Coco answers: I loved how Jim would pick new neighborhoods in Berlin and then
just go out and walk them. Then he'd come back and say, "wanna go for a
walk?" He'd show us from time to time what he found. It was always fun.
I remember one elevated subway ride where you rode into East Berlin with no
checkpoints and then back out again into the West. Trust Jim to find that one..

Straffer asks: What is your favorite bowie song?

Coco answers: As usual I don't have a favorite Bowie song, rather quite a few
different ones for different times both historically and mood wise too. These
are my regular faves: Memory of a Free Festival, Rock and Roll Suicide, Silly
Boy Blue, Queen Bitch, Can You Hear Me, Beauty and the Beast, Sound and Vision,
Red Sails, Always Crashing in the Same Car, This is Not America, I'm Afraid
of Americans, Something in the Air.

Bianca asks: Dear Coco, as I got to know your father was a photographer for
a news-agency who also worked for newspapers. I would like to know if there
is still a possibility to see the photographic works of your father in exhibitions?
Is there a book exisiting about his photographs or a photo-catalogue? Love from
Bianca :))

Coco answers: Hello Bianca, you can see a few of my father's photographs in
a book called "The Family of Man" created by Edward Steichen for The
Museum of Modern Art in 1955. My father also photographed for Look, Life, Stern
and various international organizations including pictures for the UN in Africa,
Asia and South America . The most recent book that includes his photographs
is called "Memoire Des Camps" and was published alongside the exhibition
in Paris in January 2001. I believe there is an installation at present in the
Jewish Museum in Berlin with his old camera and other personal items. His pictures
are also in the 2 major Holocaust museums: one in Israel and the other in Washington
D.C.

MerZbau asks: Coco! [I like your name a lot.] This is a question I forgot to
ask David last time he was in chat, but maybe you might know the answer; we
know that David is reluctant to put out an auto-biog, but is there any chance
that he'll ever publish any written ficiton [like a novel, short stories, poems,
or whatever]?

Coco answers: Hi MerZbau, I hope so. I agree it would be really great. Maybe
if we all keep bugging (I mean begging) him..