Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses

Peter didn’t graduate high school, because he failed a class and did not want to attend summer school. Afterward, he spent several months sleeping on friends’ couches and roaming around various universities in the Massachusetts area, often posing as an art student so that he could use the schools’ art supplies. Peter eventually applied to the Boston Museum School of Fine Art, lying on his application that he graduated high school, and was accepted.

While looking for a roommate, Peter met David Lynch, who was also attending the school. They lived together in a small one-bedroom apartment for several months and for the most part got along despite their differences. Recalling one night when David was brushing his teeth and discovered half a cockroach on his toothbrush, Peter theorizes that it may have inspired some of David’s later film work. Peter was often late in paying the rent, and eventually this led David to kick him out of the apartment. Peter had to sneak back in to get his belongings, and the police nearly arrested him, thinking he was the Boston Strangler. There were no hard feelings, however, and David was happy to hear from Peter years later but joked that he still owed rent money.