I got the final contribution for the M. Christian tribute anthology last night and so I am now very close to completing the editing — still need to write the Foreword, but I wanted to read the final contribution before I did that.

Then I turn it in to my publisher.

And btw — this happened yesterday at the Easton Book Festival! (This is my wonderful, huge-hearted publisher; do you see my new novel on the table there?? Yay!!)

Anyway!

This anthology has been a very moving experience for me to put together, gang. It not only connected me to so many wonderful memories of the small press world-gone-by, but it showed me that all of us writers were affected by how drastically the publishing world changed when the economy crashed back in 2008.

Reading what these other contributors wrote about M. Christian and those times, made me feel less alone in all that upheaval of the past, you know?

Once the publishers went under, my agent had me redirect my focus to films, TV, and then theatre, because there was a lot going on in those areas. But for me, it was never as fun as working with the small presses had been.

Then of course the scamdemic wiped out the remainder of my career a few years later… but onward.

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Okay!

From Johnny Depp yesterday!

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Here’s an area of Greenwich Village that I used to hang around in A LOT. In the folk clubs. The infamous Cafe Wha? was not a folk club but it was just a few steps away from a club I played in all the time in the early 80s.

This is about 20 years before I was around there, though:

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Here’s George Harrison and his refrigerator!!

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Keith in black & white!!

I think I posted this once before but I saw it again and I just love the feel of it.

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Phyllis Stein posted this yesterday.

I only copied one of the photos she posted in this grouping, but my main interest is in what she says about Rockets Redglare, below. (FYI, Phillis was one of the producers of the great documentary, “Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy,” 2016.)

Sid & Nancy, at Max’s in NYC, 1978 (photo by Ebet Roberts)

Here’s the doc if you haven’t seen it (free, on YouTube, age-restricted).

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And here’s this!

From Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School yesterday (this was very interesting):

“The Book of Psalms is made up of several collections. One of them stands apart. It covers 55 psalms, more than a third of the Psalter, and every one is marked with the title of one man. He never speaks in these psalms. We don’t even know his name. And yet some of history’s most famous cries come from his collection. Some of the singers whose names appear in it were remembered as prophets and seers. And when the Gospel writers record Jesus speaking in his suffering, the words of the Psalms they give him come from this collection. “

The Choir Master and the Suffering Psalms (48 mins):

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And here’s this!

Warren Ellis sending mixed messages this morning!! (Is he in need of a trim, or are the pups??? I’m not sure!!)

But here’s this, in the meantime! (See above). Donovan, “Season of the Witch” 1966! (Such a great song — so evocative!)

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Okay!

This is all I have re: Nick Cave today! But it, too, is evocative!!

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And that is it for today!

I’m heading out here soon to go spend the day with a couple of my favorite people! At my favorite health & wellness store!

I still can’t believe that somehow, so suddenly, I have my old life back. And I just love it. And even though I’d been gone from the job for about 4 years, customers come in now and instantly remember me! Wow. And all of them say, “It’s so great to have you back!”

It’s just beautiful.

Okay. Have a great Monday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

From Act 2 of one of my favorite operas — that I had kinda forgotten about: “Les Conts d’Hoffmann,” by Offenbach.

I saw this opera about 15 years ago, in a movie theater, but it was being broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.

The opera is just really enjoyable, just delightful. You can watch the entire opera free on YouTube if you feel so inclined,

But this is from the opening of Act 2, “Barcarolle.”

It is absolutely stunning. I listened to it several times in bed last night, in the dark. Incredible — just soaring. Enjoy, gang.

Anna Netrebko & Elīna Garanča – Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann: Barcarolle (3 mins):