Tag Archives: books

It was a success!

May 9, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 4 Comments

I don’t want to sound too “excited” about it because we were getting him ready for Annie’s funeral, but I arrived at my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s house at 7:15 am yesterday, and he woke up the moment I stepped into his room.

On some level, he seemed to be aware of the funeral and I was able to get him out of bed and start dressing immediately. He even remembered that his shirt needed cufflinks, although he couldn’t remember the word for it. But he remembered where the wooden jewelry box was that contained them.

I so WISH I could share the photo I took of him after he was dressed and ready to go — I texted the photo to his daughter in Seattle, so that she would be assured that everything was going well.

The photo was GREAT. He looked GREAT in his suit and tie. His daughter was so happy. But obviously, I can’t share a photo that private on the blog.

His stepson – & – stepdaughter-in- law arrived by 8am. And everything really just went so smoothly.

And the stepson texted me late last evening to say that he is taking us to lunch today! So that should really be nice.

Probably not us, but I guess we shall see!

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So I worked for an hour and a half yesterday, then headed over to the old train station, saw Wendy, then had an early lunch with Steve!

Gave Steve the review copy of The Curse of Our Profound Disorder. And since he worked as a social worker for about 30 years, we both feel confident that he will not find the novel too disturbing, or hard to handle.

Mainly, he was just really happy for me that the novel is finally coming out.

Remember that you can pre-order it HERE.

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And after my shift today, I’m stopping over at the fully restored Historic Arcade, to drop off a review copy of the novel for Kevin at his beautiful art gallery there.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Arcade is like when it isn’t hosting an art expo in that main hallway. I want to see if the vibe is the same. I just loved it when I visited it a couple weeks ago (for the first time). We shall soon see!

The Historic Arcade in downtown Newark — and please note, there is a really nice used bookstore there!!

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Okay.

Apparently, yesterday was Robert Johnson‘s heavenly birthday!! He was born on May 8, 1911.

From Phyllis Stein!

And here’s this again! I love this song…

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And today is Beat Poet/Buddha Gary Snyder‘s 96th birthday!

I thought this news was so cool, since I am re-listening to the audiobook of The Dharma Bums at night, and one of the main characters in the novel is based on Gary. I’m up to Chapter 27:

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The house that Patsy Cline and her husband lived in when she died is now a renovated retro-vacation home. You can rent it!! It’s not far from Nashville.

Here’s the really cool basement!!

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And here’s this!!

Sort of an odd bit of info:

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And here’s this!

Franz Kafka with his sometimes-betrothed, Felice Bauer!

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Here’s this!!

James Tabor sent this out to us on Patreon yesterday. It’s from the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz:

The Mysterious Copper Scroll and the End of Days

“One stood among the Dead Sea Scrolls: made of metal, and seemingly never meant to be read. Who made it, when and why, and how was Bar-Kokhba involved? Shimon Gibson presents a new theory”

[full article is here]

“**The Copper Scroll, never read by human eyes except the people who commissioned and made it of course”** Credit: Abraham Meir Habermann

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And here’s this!!

Keith in Kingston in 1972!

It’s funny, but during our lunch yesterday, Steve told me that he remembers me telling him, when we were about 13, that I wanted to go on the road with the Rolling Stones. You know, as a performer.

I have no recollection of this, but it sure sounds like me. I was already writing dozens of songs back then. It was my whole world.

But what I think is SO COOL — even though I wouldn’t meet her for another 20 years, right around the time I was saying that to Steve, Sandra was already off in Berlin, with Romy Haag, Bowie and Iggy, and she worked briefly as a female backup singer for the Rolling Stones during the German leg of their European tour!!

Just a reminder — Sandra, back then!! (about 10 years before her transition surgery):

And just FYI — you might want to come see our play, “The Guide to being Fabulous” all about Sandra’s life…

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And what is not to love about this??!!

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds sitting in a fountain-type thingie, lighting cigarettes!!

And what’s not to love about this, while we’re at it??

Nick Cave and Grinderman, not smoking on the stairs!! (It almost seems like they’re refusing to smoke…)

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And speaking of Nick Cave…

He sent out a Red Hand File yesterday, wherein he replied to 2 very different letters. But one of them was about the painter/teacher Philip Guston. Nick said, in part:

“…Bruce, I couldn’t let this one go! I’m stunned that you had Philip Guston as an art teacher. I didn’t know he was one! Such a brilliant artist – an extraordinary colourist and master of paint, subversive, radical, playful, tough. I’m envious! …”

You can read it in full HERE.

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And that is it for now!

I gotta scoot and head to town for what should be a very nice day.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!

Late night listening-music, after listening to a few chapters of The Dharma Bums audiobook!

My friend Steve recently took his eldest son to see Bob Dylan in concert and Steve said that Dylan was still really great.

He sang mostly songs from the 2020 album, Rough & Rowdy Ways, which I love and hadn’t listened to in a while!

So here you go! It sounds wonderful, lying alone in bed in the dark! Or, I guess, just maybe right now…

Bob Dylan, from Rough & Rowdy Ways, 2020, the song, “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You”. Enjoy, gang!!

Almost sort of back to normal

May 6, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay, well, today I’m heading out to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man and it will be the first time I’m seeing him since he found out from his daughter that Annie died.

I’m sort of expecting him to be mostly okay with it, since he has a firm belief that: a.) everyone’s spirits live on; and b.) he believes we all go to a better place when we die.

His daughter has already left for the airport to fly back home this morning. So, we will soon see how today goes.

And Friday, my shift with him has been totally turned around. I need to get to his house by 7:30AM, and help him get into his suit and tie . His stepson from Florida will be picking him up at 8:30AM to take him to the funeral.

So, yes, I’ll be driving for an hour, total, to help him for one hour. And then after that, the new normal without Annie in our lives will officially begin.

But, I will have the rest of Friday off. So that’s, you know, I guess nice.

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On Saturday, I’m heading back to this lovely place:

To drop off a review copy of The Curse of Our Profound Disorder for Kevin at his beautiful gallery there:

Even though we’re both kinda thinking the novel will be too extreme for his tastes, too, he wants to at least try to read it, which I appreciate!! So we shall see. But it gives me a great reason to go back to that really beautiful Historic Arcade in downtown Newark.

It is, of course, sort of mystifying to me that I’ve apparently written a novel that a lot of people can’t handle — even my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn gave up on it because she was afraid it was going to give her bad dreams. And Wendy only finished the book because she was trying to be a good friend to me.

But I think back to 1999, when my first book, Neptune & Surf, was just coming out and Barnes & Noble (at first) refused to carry it because of the novella in it, called “Gianni’s Girl”.

But then they changed their minds when The Guardian newspaper in London chose the book as one of their Top 10 Summer Reads that year.

When I had first completed writing “Gianni’s Girl,” I was so thrilled with what I had achieved, I immediately stuck the story in a manila envelope and mailed it downtown to my good friend, (the late) Holly Lane.

She read it and then called me and said, “What the fuck did I just read??? First, they’re bringing in a Great Dane, next it’s an incredible love story?? You have totally fucked with my head!” And then later, out on the street together one night, she said, “You know you’re a sociopath, right?” (Actually, I didn’t know.)

But N&S eventually came out in 6 editions — including trade paper, mass market, Book-of-the-Month hardcover, eBook, and 2 French editions. (And is now in the Internet Archive for eternity.)

And then I think about that French podcast I stumbled upon in the Archive the other day, wherein the podcaster said :

“… I would say the author possesses a gift for sweeping you away, for immersing you in the world she portrays. Yes, for she tells tales of worlds—of entire eras.”

And she was including “Gianni’s Girl,” which takes place among violent Chicago bootleggers in the 1920s.

So, you know, I guess you just gotta go with what comes out of your head and hits the page, and hope that, down the line, you’ll find that there was a reason for it, overall.

Oh, I do have to add that the guy in NYC who’s reading a review copy, is almost done reading the book and, so far, he’s still really liking the book.

So, don’t forget that you can pre-order it, in eBook or print, HERE if you’re interested in seeing if you can handle it or not…

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Okay, here’s this!!

Two guitar heroes — Steve Vai and Joe Satriani — are once again on tour together!!

From Minneapolis the other night:

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Here’s Keith and Patti (early 80s?) having what might be a pizza together?? Hard to tell, it’s tiny!

And I loved this!!

Perhaps they had Keith under constant surveillance, you know, after he’d famously woken up one night in his hotel bed in Florida, put a riff down quickly on a tape recorder, then passed right out again — and later, what he’d composed in his sleep, basically, became the Stones first huge monster mega hit, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”!!

Here’s this, while we’re at it!!

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And here’s this!!

Warren Ellis, ready for his close-up at the Met Gala!! (I think a day late, but I’m not positive!!)

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And a couple of beautiful shots of Nick Cave onstage. I don’t know when, where, or photos-by-whom, but I love them!!

I think this one is in Croatia, actually, but I’m not positive. And I think the photographer’s name is down in the corner.

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And that is it for now!!

I guess I’m gonna get ready to head to town and find out just what this day is gonna bring.

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys, See ya!

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Let’s close with these!

You can pre-order Foreign Tongues, the upcoming new album by the Rolling Stones, HERE!! Enjoy, gang!

“In the Stars”:

“Rough and Twisted”:

Welcome to a Sunny Monday in the Hinterlands!

May 4, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Just a gorgeous day, here, gang.

So sunny. A totally blue sky. And going up into the 70s Fahrenheit.

I am definitely going to take a walk — go to the post office and mail my birth mom’s Mother’s Day card. Then walk over to the Dollar Store and — yes! Buy more coffee!

WTF?? Didn’t I just do that? Perhaps I should look into buying a larger can…

The laundry is almost done (it’s my day off) and I’ll probably do some of this today:

And I have absolutely 100% decided that the short story needs to be a novella, so the deadline for that is no longer an issue. I’m not sure what I’ll work on today, but it won’t be that.

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I touched base with my dear friend Wendy yesterday, to see if she was making progress reading the review copy of The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, which I gave to her almost 2 weeks ago.

We knew it was going to be a tough read for her — she’s a sort of straight-laced Jehovah’s Witness. She’s had a very different kind of life than I’ve had. (Although, oddly enough — we’d known each other for about 6 years out here in the Hinterlands, before we discovered that we’d both gone to the same high school — over in Columbus!! But separated by about 8 years. How weird is that?)

Anyway.

She is indeed having trouble with the book. It’s very intense. But she is determined to read it through to the end.

Which I really appreciate. But it brought back those feelings that doing a book launch around here might not be the best idea.

But I guess I’ll wait and see how it goes. The book doesn’t come out until September.

(Oh! And if you enjoy the heck out of intense fiction, you can pre-order it HERE!)

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Well, for the first time in a couple of weeks, I sort of “woke up” at around 3AM, thinking about my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man, but this time, I felt a wave of relief instead of that nagging anxiety!

His daughter arrived last evening, so she’s there with him now. Plus, knowing that he isn’t going to be put into a nursing home anytime soon…

It was just a great feeling of relief. So here’s hoping the free-floating anxiety factor can take a backseat in my life for a while.

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I did indeed start re-watching “20,000 Days On Earth” last evening and I am so glad I did! There is just so much about that film that I had forgotten. I probably haven’t watched it in about 6 or 7 years. (I’m not going to get into that “where did the fucking time go???” business again… we’ll just re-watch it and enjoy it!!)

So I am trying to sort of just relax around here.

I’m waiting to hear from Sandra regarding any work that still needs doing on “”The Guide to Being Fabulous” — the play is already done, we just need to sort of get it staged on paper by November.

And the TV project proposal is on hold until at least the end of June.

So, really, I need to just make myself relax and in a sort of non-anxiety way, decide what I want to focus on in the meantime. (For instance — maybe pull the weeds from the rose garden since it’s so pretty outside today?? Then consider finally actually beginning the writing of my memoir of the 1970s!!)

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Okay.

Here’s this!

What could be better than a couple of photos from Phyllis Stein??

Richard Hell at CBGBs in 1978!

And Johnny Thunders enroute to LA from NYC in 1973!!!!

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And here’s this!!

Keith with a bottle of Jack Daniels!!

And for the record, I would like to add that — NO! — Keith did not introduce me to Jack Daniels. That honor belonged to a Jewish girl named Karen that I was friends with when we were 12.

Her parents loved Jack Daniels and she lived a couple of houses away from a house where I used to babysit all the time.

One night, Karen stole a fifth of JD from her parents and then hid it in the bushes of that house where I was babysitting, even though I told her not to! But she did it anyway.

And the following day, she retrieved the bottle from the bushes, concealed it in the basket on her bike, and then brought it over to my house, to keep it stashed in my bedroom!

Okay. Whatever. She liked drinking Jack Daniels. I had never had it before. I tried it and really liked the aroma and the flavor of it, but it burned like hell going down.

So the fifth just sat there in my closet, so that she could drink it whenever she came over. (And Karen also introduced me to smoking cigarettes…)

But anyway.

That was the beginning of me and whiskey…. I’ll regale you with the rest of the story of Karen & the 5th of JD another day. It will tell you all you need to know about my dad’s parenting skills in 1972 and why I always preferred his skills over my mother’s…

A version of me in 1972. Or at least, my mind in 1972…

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I digress!!

Here’s Keith and Anita and Marlon, in France in 1971!

And a serene sort of photo of Keith onstage somewhere with a Flying V!

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And your guess is as good as mine with this one, gang!

What is Nick Cave holding here?? A gun? A microphone? Something else?? I just don’t know!!

And I love this photo!

His hair. The cigarette. The arch above him. Just the whole feel of it!

Nick Cave, with big hair, a cigarette, and an arch above him:

And I also love this. Something about the jacket…

Nick Cave, onstage in a striped jacket!

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And that is it.

Well, the Agency just texted that my shift for tomorrow is cancelled; the clients will be at doctors’ appointments all day. So now I have two days to figure out what I want to do.

I will begin the thinking process by finishing the laundry and then heading out for that walk.

Enjoy your Monday wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this — if you have an hour and a half.

This stuff is very illuminating, gang.

From Ross K. Nichols Sunday School yesterday:

“Many of humanity’s most ancient stories share a tale as old as time itself: the account of one righteous man, specially chosen to save the human race from a catastrophic flood that nearly ended all life on earth. We know him as Noah in the Hebrew Bible, the Christian New Testament, and the Koran, but other ancient peoples also preserved versions of this man’s story….”

Knowing Noah: The Man Behind the Myths (1 hr 31 mins):

Hoping it’s this kind of day!!!

April 30, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes! An unlit Pall Mall (aka “fake Chesterfield”) with it’s filter mercilessly snapped off!!

And me, sitting at my desk!!

It means I’m focused and getting some writing done!!

(Me, not smoking at my desk, back in 2019!!)

You can tell this is an old photo because I don’t have gouges on my chin curtesy of my delightful cat!!

Meanwhile–

I was going to disturb you last night with the following happy update, but I decided to wait until this morning, when you were awake–

1954 Powder Blue Pickup reached #25 in Historical Erotica last night!!

The sale is indeed over today, and so the eBook no longer has “sales rankings”. (Darn it.)

However, I still have access to the sales reports and I want to continue to THANK YOU!! –because it keeps on selling!!!

Yay!!!

She is just being used as a visual emphasis. Not only is she too young to read yet, she’s way too young to read 1954 Powder Blue Pickup! Nevertheless, she’s still really happy because she knows it’s waiting for her in her happy future…

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Okay.

Things continue to be a little strange with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man. His daughter texted me at his house yesterday, letting me know she was not going to be able to call him and will tell him, in person on Sunday, about his nurse being in a coma and near-death.

Meanwhile, we decided that it would be best coming from her, so I haven’t said anything to him. Still, he knows something is off. He knows he hasn’t seen the nurse in a while, that she’s been sick, but that’s about all he can process. He can’t even remember her name now.

I still get the feeling the daughter is planning to put him in a nursing home, but she hasn’t said anything to me about it.

I have sort of released my desire to somehow make everything go differently in this. It’s really the only way I can handle anything and still act like everything is okay when I’m around him.

Taking it the proverbial one day at a time. Just being in the here & now with him. And just being his friend. And when I gave him his little vodka cocktail yesterday, he told me again that he loved me and again, he said, “Thank you for showing me what a wonderful life I’ve had.”

And then he also added: “The spirit is more alive than the physical.”

So I think something’s up, but I have to just let life and/or death happen.

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All righty!

I don’t want to tarry here, because I want to finish writing that nearly-finished short story today.

So let’s get to the “here’s this’s”!

Here’s this!!

From the Franz Kafka Museum.

And I have to say that I have read everything he ever wrote, including every collection of letters he wrote that were posthumously published and which are all staggering and amazingly honest. And most of his stories and novels were published by his friends after he died (he was only 40 when he died from tuberculosis, and he was not a well-known writer yet). I just love this man’s beautifully neurotic mind; but the whole idea of anything being “Kafkaesque” did not come into being until long after he died. And we would not have ever known his work if his friends hadn’t stepped in and ignored his wishes at the end.

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And here’s this!

Sun Studios!! The birth place of rock & roll records!!

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And here’s this!!

Some rare finds, indeed!

Keith, smoking while holding a guitar!

From NYC 1975 — only a handful of weeks before I got to see the Rolling Stones onstage in Cleveland for the first time!!

And some other place, some other time (1988)!!

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Okay.

Nick Cave sent out another one of those Red Hand Files yesterday, wherein he answers many readers questions with “irreverent answers”! (I’m guessing he is hard at work on writing those new song lyrics and can’t really spend time right now on lengthy replies!!)

Anyway, this wasn’t necessarily my favorite question, but I identified with the reply a lot!!

Q: “On the song ‘Carnage’, there is a lyric ‘sitting on the balcony reading Flannery O’Connor with a pencil and a plan’, that really resonates with me. Now I am reading Flannery O’Connor. Any more recommendations?”

A: “If you are reading Flannery O’Connor, be sure to read her short story A Good Man is Hard to Find. If you enjoy Flannery O’Connor, read William Faulkner – As I Lay Dying is a great place to begin.”

I adore Flannery O’Connor!! And that short story is a really great one. A couple of years ago, while I was vacuuming, I noticed that on one of my bookshelves, Flannery O’Connor’s short story collection is right next to Nick Cave’s novel And the Ass Saw the Angel!! So I have never moved them apart!!

I also love William Faulkner and have read all his novels — although Sanctuary was sort of an intense one. (Oh, and if you’re new to the blog — back in 2001, my then novel-in-progress, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, was a finalist in the William Faulkner Writing Competition in New Orleans. I was so thrilled by that!!!) Anyway.

Also from this morning:

And here’s this! A song I love!! (mentioned above.) “Carnage” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, 2021:

Meanwhile–

You can read the above-mentioned Red Hand File in full HERE.

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And now I better scoot and I am so hoping that today remains stress-free, distraction-free, and full of an easy flow of joy and wonder!!

I guess we shall see…

Have a great Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

Another — but very, very different — song that I love.

Morgana King, “It’s A Quiet Thing.” 1965. Enjoy, gang.

Back on the Happy Track

April 29, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Well, at least for now, the Agency has added NO ADDITIONAL shifts or hours to my schedule. So it’s looking like they have found other caregivers to help out at my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s house.

Today will be, well, I don’t know if “interesting” is the right word. But his daughter will be calling him from Seattle while I’m at his house today, to tell him that his private nurse — the nurse who has been a constant presence in his home since about 2018 and taken such great care of him — is dying and will never be coming back.

I don’t know how he will process it. I really don’t. It might go right over his head, at first. But eventually it will register with him. Ultimately, I know he will say that she’s gone to a better place. But how he will actually feel about it — I just don’t know. We’ll soon find out.

Yesterday was rough for me, but today, at least so far, I’m better. One thing about this job — death is part of it. But this one really came out of left field.

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This morning, gang. Wow. Actual royalties in my checking account from Amazon!

And also!! After having been banned for 5 years, and back on sale for less than a week–1954 Powder Blue Pickup is ranked #41 in Historical Erotica!!!!! Thank you so much, gang. This just makes me so happy.

The eBook is still FREE on Amazon Kindle, with or without Kindle Unlimited. But I think that ends today. I’m actually not sure. But the eBook is HERE.

1954 Powder Blue Pickup is absolutely for Adults Only. Thank you!!!

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Tomorrow is my day off. And once again, I am hoping to complete that short story that still only has about 400 more words to go.

I think back on my life, and up until that scam-demic and the lockdowns, I spent so much time every day, getting my writing done. And now, it’s like whacking my way through an emotionally draining jungle of distractions, just trying to get even an hour to write each day, where my brain and heart are focused.

I come up with weird thoughts, like: Am I not getting enough coffee? You know, I cannot figure out how to get back to my old life. I have so much new writing I want to do. Not just to finish the short story that’s been hanging on forever (which is under a deadline now), but I really, really want to get down to writing the memoir about my life in the 1970s.

To the point where I say to myself, Please, God, don’t let me die before I have a chance to write that book!!

Not to mention, an almost-complete erotic memoir, Girl in the Night: Erotic Love Letters to the Muse, and the half-finished erotic novella, Novitiate ’66. And the not even halfway started non-erotic novel, Down to the Meadows of Sleep. And the almost finished non-erotic flash memoir about my childhood years being raised by a narcissist, In the Shadow of Narcissa. And 3 barely started scripts for streamers that have nothing to do with Sandra. And 2 plays.

All this stuff on my desk.

Anyway. On we go. At least it’s finally getting better!

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Okay.

Here’s this!!

Keith.

Wow, did this make me smile. I don’t think I need to explain why:

And not-so-smiling, but boy, do I remember Keith in 1978!! Keith had finally kicked heroin after the horrible drug bust in Toronto, in ’77.

Keith in South Salem, NY, 1978:

And here’s Keith looking really seriously sleepy (?) at the Excelsior Hotel in Rome, in 1984:

Just because he quit heroin finally, didn’t mean he quit doing other stuff. I remember when my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn was working for Mica Ertegun in the early 90s and doing some specialized painting in Keith’s house in Connecticut, she used to tell me that he’d go down to his basement recording studio at, like, 8 in the morning, with a glass of Vodka and Orange Crush…. something like that.

Anyway….

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Here’s this!

A wonderful blast from the past!

Nick Cave and Blixa Bargeld in 1985!

And from the not so distant past at all!

Nick Cave decides to take John & Yoko’s advice and “Give(s) Peace A Chance”!

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Here’s this, while we’re at it —

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And I think that’s it because I gotta get ready to head to town and see what this day with my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man is going to bring.

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this, while we’re still at it.

From the Oldies FM Radio Station on the retro boombox next to my bed this morning.

From John & Yoko’s final album together, Double Fantasy. Which was released two days after I arrived in NYC (released November 17, 1980), and I remembered looking at the album cover displayed in the window of a record store in Midtown Manhattan and just feeling so happy to see John Lennon looking so happy (and sounding so happy, finally).

My very first hero, gang. I really was so happy for him.

When I was 11, his massive interview in Rolling Stone Magazine introduced me to a new side of Bob Dylan that I’d never seen, to Brian Jones and the Rolling Stones, helped me see Elvis in a whole new way, and tons of other musicians and types of music.

I loved music. By then, at age 11, I played violin, piano, and guitar. (In fact, music was what made me want to go live in NYC in the first place, back when I was only 7 years old.)

Then Lennon was assassinated a couple of weeks later, on December 8, 1980. Jesus. NYC in the 80s was just so intense.

Anyway. When this came on the radio this morning right as I was getting out of bed, my whole adult life went walking across my brain. (And of course, it only made me want to write about it…)

“Watching the Wheels” from Double Fantasy, 1980. Enjoy, gang.

A very happy Friday!

April 24, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Okay, so–

It has happened.

As of now — 1954 Powder Blue Pickup has been published on Amazon Kindle, in eBook and in print!

The eBook is available now — $2.99 (free if you are in Kindle Unlimited).

And the print book is now available here!!! ($8.95) Yay!!

“A young man with a pickup truck in 1950s America, navigates the strict sexual morals of the era by introducing a pretty, unmarried virgin to the true joys of “backdoor” sex — how it can save her virginity for her wedding night so that no one will ever be the wiser. The two agree to embark on an affair of unbridled licentious behavior with no strings attached, in the privacy of his pickup truck out on the edge of town. However, neither of them is prepared for just how well suited they are to each other’s carnal appetites, as the young woman is introduced to more and more sexual surprises, until they are each forced to admit that they’ve crossed over a line they can’t come back from without each other.“

It is a love story, but it is absolutely hardcore and absolutely for ADULTS ONLY. (“Thank you for your attention to this matter!” — DJT)

(“Wow, Jane, this is the best book you ever wrote!” — my seriously open-minded 94-year-old uncle in Virginia.) (It’s a long story, but my uncle’s nickname for me is “Jane Galloway.”)

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I am just so thrilled, gang. And I’m still sort of holding my breath, because we’ve gotten this far before…

But so far, so good. And it only took me about an hour and a half, yesterday, to get both editions back up there.

I still had plenty of time to take that walk yesterday — it was unbelievably gorgeous outside.

And I did yoga. And I vacuumed the whole house. All the windows were open, so the air just felt so great in here. Like, I could actually breathe. Yay!

And I officially put in my request at the Agency yesterday for time off in June to go to NYC for the Lammy Awards.

As of right now, I will be staying in a hotel west of Times Square, in my old OLD neighborhood — in Hell’s Kitchen, between 9th & 10th Avenues.

I lived in that area briefly when I was 20 years old, from February 1981 until I married Chong, in April 1981, and then moved with him to 8th Ave and W. 45th Street and my whole life turned around .

I don’t have the best memories from that Hell’s Kitchen apartment, or of the guy I lived with there.

In fact, below is the song I wrote later in 1981, about that brief and intense time in my life!

However, the song was very popular when I finally started performing in the folk clubs in the West Village, a couple months later. (Photo below is of me in the E. 12th Street apartment, a few years later.)

My song, “Breaking Glass” — as it appeared on vinyl in 1982!! Still available on Folkways Records!!

“Breaking Glass”

I was doomed to live in New York City
On a block where accidental babies
Went out with the trash;
We shared a two-room apartment,
Tiny and cold
To the tune of a love, by winter,
Growing old
And the sound of an angry young woman
Breaking glass.

I recall our lives were never empty
There were tears enough for the third who entered
And beckoned your past;
The hours you kept were deceitful
And it had to show
The passion of time she burned
I couldn’t control;
I was trapped in my raging fury
And breaking glass.

CHORUS
There’s no telling how the coming of love
Will find us
There’s no guessing in what way
It’s gonna set us free
There’s no doubting that the anger of love
Can break us
When our actions don’t even come close
To the people we wanna be most
And our dreams don’t work out as the glories
They’d promised to be.

Without excuses I left the table
Well, I ran like hell while I was still able
I started anew;
I’ve lost some weight and I’m strong 
And happy now
I got over the fiery anger, though
I don’t know how;
The songs we knew, they don’t drive me crazy
Well, I stopped the drinking and being lazy
It’s over at last;
The painful sheer rejection has 
All gone past;
The tunes of deceit and loneliness
Fading fast;
Gone are the days of anger
And breaking glass.

CHORUS
 There’s no telling how the coming of love
Will find us
There’s no guessing in what way
It’s gonna set us free
There’s no doubting that the anger of love
Can break us
When our actions don’t even come close
To the people we wanna be most
And our dreams don’t work out as the glories
They’d promised to be.

c- 1981 Marilyn Jaye Lewis
First of May Songs, BMI

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Anyway. I digress. It will be interesting being back in the old neighborhood — in a hotel, no less. It’s a lot nicer there now than it was 45 years ago. (Unless of course, I end up staying with Sandra on the Upper West Side, then all of what I’ve just said, changes…)

Okay!

Here’s this!!

I have never seen these photos of Keith before and I just love them!!

Photographer is Jean Marie Mazeau. Not sure, but maybe 1966?

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And here’s this!

Two photos of Nick Cave that I don’t think I’ve seen before, either!

Nick, waiting on a phone call from the distant past??

And Nick, reading from his upcoming novel And the Ass Saw the Angel, in Melbourne, in 1988 (?) (I absolutely loved that novel!):

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And this just in!

Official lyric video of ‘Haunted’ performed by Johnny Depp & Imelda May. Written by Shane MacGowan. From the upcoming “20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan”. (Pre-order here.)

Johnny Depp & Imelda May – Haunted (Official Lyric Video):

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Okay!!

You know, I forgot to mention that back on April 17th, my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man and I were not able to go to the clubhouse at the golf course that has those fantastic views! (There was a health problem with his private nurse last week, so things got screwy for a few days.)

However!! Assuming he is up to it when I get there–

We are indeed going today!! And the weather is perfect once again!! So here’s hoping that in a few hours, he’ll be having his vodka martini while sitting next to one of these windows!! (I don’ t know where I’ll be, but my guess is that I’ll be sitting right next to him!! Minus the martini!!)

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And I think that is it for now.

Have a great Friday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!

Yay!!

From my retro boombox next to my bed this morning!!

Tom Jones! His version of “She Drives Me Crazy” from his absolutely fantastic album, Reload, 1999. Enjoy, gang.

Miracles Springing Up All Over the Place!

April 23, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay, gang.

So far, another great day-off is underway!

The weather is perfectly splendid, for one thing! Which means I will get to go outside later and take a walk and just see all the stuff that’s turning green and blooming all over the indescribably peaceful village today.

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As far as miracles go…

Now that I’ve transferred The Muse Revisited Collection from Smashwords over to Amazon Kindle, the eBooks are actually selling again. And not the “free downloads with Kindle Unlimited” but actually selling.

I find this astounding. But in a good way! (The collection has been available for well over a decade, and it is a collection of my erotic fiction from 1997-2009). (Yes! That means that the “newest” piece in the collection is 17 years old already…)

I am going to try to move A Man In Her Arms & Other Stories over to Kindle, as well. Both in print and eBook. I say “try” because I have to start the formatting from scratch with that one, and sometimes that stuff makes me a little looney — it used to be so much easier in olden times.

But I am also going to see if Amazon will let me re-publish 1954 Powder Blue Pickup with Kindle, as well. We’ll see how it goes this time.

Back when I first released it, in late 2021, I was up to my eyeballs in 5gw stuff and Amazon was doing some seriously destructive shit to my career and they were remarkably effective at it.

But now that that seems to be over, I’m gonna try to slide 1954 Powder Blue Pickup back in there and see if it sticks this time.

I love that book so much and it gets more and more difficult for people to find it.

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Another miracle!

If you google my name with The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, now Barnes & Noble comes up!!

They have not carried my books in, like, forever.

I used to have a really, really GREAT relationship with B&N. You used to be able to walk into any B&N in the English-speaking world, and find all of my books for sale there.

And their online bookstore used to carry everything, too.

But now that — what was once — the really burgeoning world of literary erotica has been almost thoroughly erased, BN.com has carried maybe 2 or 3 of my books that are still with traditional publishers.

Anyway, when I saw B & N come up on Google this morning, I was once again really, really thrilled with my decision to go with a private PR firm for my new novel.

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And speaking of the new novel–

Yesterday, I was able to drop off an advanced review copy to the bookstore in Granville, Ohio, that said they will carry my book (!!).

And I was also able to stop in at the old train station, where I used to be the night manager, and lend my dear friend Wendy a review copy, as well. She is helping me brainstorm the whole book launch party thing in September.

It was such a thrill to see her face light up when she saw me walk in to the station, carrying my book! And she gave me a big hug and was just so excited for me.

You know, in the old days, when I actually had people in my life and not just cats, I would have gone to some great restaurant and celebrated.

So it felt really great to hand the book to Wendy. Plus, she is planning on buying the book from the bookstore in Granville in September. And she also said that a couple of the customers from the station who remember me from the old days are really excited about the book, too, and will be buying it at the Granville bookstore, too.

So that makes me feel really, really great, because the owner of the bookstore will get to make some sales.

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And in other miracle-news!

I paid all the bills this morning and I still have money left over…

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All righty!

On a somber note–

Today is the anniversary of the death of Johnny Thunders, who died on this day in 1991.

About 8 years ago, Wayne made us both T-shirts: “Johnny Thunders for President”. So in honor of Johnny’s passing, we are both wearing our T-shirts today.

Here’s me in mine:

RIP, Johnny Thunders.

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I would have posted this yesterday, if I hadn’t had a weird morning.

Back on Tuesday (April 21st) —

The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Sip-In was held at Julius’ Bar in NYC, and in other places across the country.

They ran the opening ceremony in NYC live on Instagram, so it was really cool to watch it happen:

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And over the weekend, Patti Hansen and her daughters and 2 of her grandchildren did a special Mother’s Day ad campaign for Burberry, and yesterday, Patti, Alexandra, and Theodora posted a bunch of photos and videos on Instagram. (Theodora is currently pregnant with her second baby.)

Patti and Alexandra, with comments from Alexandra and Theordora:

And on a related note–

A great photo of Keith from the 1980s, taken by Ronnie’s then-wife, Jo Wood:

And just proof, in case you needed it, that Keith has been able to play the piano for a really long time now:

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Yesterday was John Waters’ 80th birthday!!

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And here’s this — buy tickets HERE:

And speaking of Nick Cave…

He sent out a Red Hand File this morning, wherein he discussed the various podcasts he has time to listen to and some of the books he’s had time to read!! (You can read about those HERE.)

He also said that he is:

“… looking forward to reading Andy Beta’s biography of Alice Coltrane, Cosmic Music, which I’ve just ordered. Thanks for the recommendation, Peter, I had no idea it had come out (I’ve sent a copy to Warren too).“

And apparently Warren received his copy quite speedily as he already posted this today:

And Nick added:

“…I am back in my office writing lyrics at the moment and am particularly in need of quiet, so that the words can find their way – and so that I have something to sing when I go into the studio next week with Warren to begin what may, in some far-flung future, when all the stars align and the planets clap their hands in joy, amount to the next Bad Seeds record.”

So, YAY! (Read it all HERE.)

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And that is it, I think!

The only thing I am completely certain of about today is that I will take a walk later, do some yoga, and VACUUM!!!!

Other than that, we’ll just see what unfolds. (Oh, and BET+, the streamer channel, has announced that they are closing down on June 11th, so that sort of makes the “TV proposal” life a little interesting around here…)

Anyway.

Life seems really fluid right now, so I have no idea what is likely to happen at any given moment.

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys, See ya!

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I leave you with this!

From my retro boombox next to my bed this morning!

I have always loved this song, from the first moment I heard it, and as fate would have it — it was a huge hit on the Top 40 radio when I went to visit my birth dad in Fallon, Nevada for the first time (1989).

He and I were standing in my stepsister’s living room — I was meeting her for the first time, too — and this song came on her radio.

I quietly thought to myself at that moment that I would never forget that moment, ever, and would think of it every time I heard that song.

And 37 years later, that turned out to be completely and entirely true.

Love and Rockets, “So Alive”, 1989. Enjoy, gang.

"So Alive"

I don't know what color your eyes are, baby
But your hair is long and brown
Your legs are strong, and they're so, so long
And you don't come from this town

My head is full of magic, baby
And I can't share this with you
I feel I'm on a cross again, lately
But that's nothing to do with you

I'm alive, huh, huh, so alive
I'm alive, huh, huh so alive

Your strut makes me crazy
Makes me see you more clearly
Oh, baby, now I can see you
Wish I could stop
Switch off the clock
Make it all happen for you

I'm alive, huh, huh, so alive
I'm alive, huh, huh so alive

I don't know what color your eyes are, baby
But your hair is long and brown
Your legs are strong, and they're so, so long
And you don't come from this town

My head is full of magic, baby
And I gotta share this with you
I feel I'm on top again, baby
That's got everything to do with you

I'm alive, huh, huh, so alive
I'm alive, huh, huh so alive
Doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo
Ooh

 c- 1989 - Daniel Gaston Ash / David Jay / Kevin Haskins

Big Day in Marilyn’s Room!

April 21, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

We potentially have 2 birthdays today, gang!

Reader Martha is having a birthday today. She is something like 21 years old for the 4-and-a-half-th time!! Yay!

AND–

Iggy Pop turns 79 today!!

While I have never seen both of them in the same room together — ever— I still feel 99.9% certain that they are 2 different people!!

So Happy Birthday, Martha!

And Happy Birthday, Iggy Pop!!

And here’s this fun song to continue the celebration! 1980, “Loco Mosquito” from Iggy Pop’s fantastic album, Soldier:

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Wow, so yesterday wound up being just an incredible day here.

Not only did more alerts continue to come in all day about other wire services that were re-posting the press release for my upcoming novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder (i.e., the Palm Beach Daily News??!!)–

But also, my author copies of the new Amazon edition of Twilight of the Immortal arrived, along with my advance review copies of The Curse of Our Profound Disorder!! (Hard to believe that it is now an actual book that I can hold in my hand…)

Plus, I had a great chat yesterday with my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn — more game-planning for the upcoming weekly mini-podcast of “Marilyn’s Room”.

And I also had a great chat with Wayne, who’s gearing up to spend a few weeks in Australia and in Vietnam. I made him promise to WhatsApp me a bunch of photos!!

And he also said that while he is in the Mekong Delta and in Saigon (which is, you know, not called that now), but while he’s there, he’s going to keep his inner antennae tuned for Don’s spirit (my birth dad — who served in the US Navy, mostly as a SEAL, throughout the entire duration of that war).

So it was a really fun day off and when I got the email alert from the Tom Petty Store that THIS ITEM was in stock and ready for ordering — YAY!!!!! The day got even better!

This will soon be mine!! A Zippo lighter!! (Featuring lyrics from probably my most favorite Tom Petty song, ever!!)

“Even the Losers”, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1979:

No Chesterfields are included with the lighter…

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Okay — 47 years ago, yesterday!!

This incredible solo album was released!!

Ronnie Wood, Gimme Some Neck, April 20, 1979:

I loved this album, gang, and I also bought the cassette version so that I could play it on my boombox in the car!! Or in the cars of others (for instance my best friend, Paul Martin) and drive them crazy!!

And when I moved to NYC in November of the following year, that same cassette (and same boombox) helped keep me from being totally lonely in my brand new, far-from-Ohio world!

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And on a similar note–

Ronnie Wood announces the addition of 2 more shows (pre-sales start tomorrow):

Buy pre-sale tickets for the London show HERE.

Buy pre-sale tickets for the Koln show HERE.

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And some sad news just arrived from Variety.

I just loved these guys when I was a young girl:

“Alan Osmond, Eldest Member of the Osmonds, Dies at 76“

“…As the eldest brother, Alan was often seen as the band’s de facto leader. Both a singer and guitarist, he wrote and produced many of the group’s songs with brother Merrill….”

[full article here]

Alan Osmond — I’m guessing 1970s. Getty Images

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And here’s this!

Sort of a weird photo of Keith smoking in London, I’m guessing 1966?

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And here’s this!

Sort of a weird photo of Nick Cave smoking, I don’t know where or when:

And a great photo of Nick Cave onstage in 2017, holding a microphone and wearing GOLD!!

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And I think that is it for now.

I gotta head to town and hit the Rural King for cat food!! And then go to my shift for today.

Have a terrific Tuesday — whether or not it is your birthday — wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!

Another great song from Iggy Pop’s Soldier album, 1980: “I Need More”. (It was also the title of a short but great memoir he wrote in 1982!!)

Enjoy, gang.

Update! It is officially a great day!

April 16, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Okay, so not only are all 3 volumes in The Muse Revisited collection now re-published on Amazon Kindle (available for sale in the next day or so), but I also got the official press release for The Curse of Our Profound Disorder (I hired a small PR firm in NYC). And here it is! I really love it.

THE CURSE OF OUR PROFOUND DISORDER BY MARILYN JAYE LEWIS EXPLORES A FEARLESS COMING OF AGE JOURNEY THROUGH TRAUMA, IDENTITY, AND TABOO

An unflinching literary novel that confronts generational pain, survival, and the search for the truth in a fractured world.

New York, NY — April 16th, 2026 — Acclaimed author Marilyn Jaye Lewis delivers a bold and emotionally charged narrative in her forthcoming novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, set for release on September 11, 2026. This deeply introspective work introduces readers to Jemima Callahan, a young woman shaped by abandonment, hardship, and a relentless desire to understand her origins.

From the very beginning, Jemima’s life is marked by instability and stigma. Born to a teenage mother under controversial circumstances and raised in the shadow of small town judgment, she inherits not only her mother’s story but also her struggles. As her mother’s mental health deteriorates, Jemima is thrust into the foster care system, where she endures further emotional, physical, and psychological challenges that test her resilience and shape her worldview.

At its core, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder is a coming of age story that does not shy away from difficult truths. Lewis crafts a narrative that examines the intersection of trauma, sexuality, belief, and identity. Jemima’s journey unfolds through a series of encounters with complex and often unconventional characters, reflecting the unpredictable nature of survival on the margins of society. Her path eventually leads her to an unexpected opportunity working for a lawyer, offering a fragile sense of stability while reigniting her longing to uncover the truth about her father.

The novel’s emotional depth is driven by Jemima’s internal conflict and her mother’s haunting philosophy that passion and divinity are intertwined. This belief influences Jemima’s understanding of love, self worth, and purpose, adding a provocative layer to an already powerful story. As she searches for Reverend Parker Peabody, the man she believes to be her father, Jemima must confront whether the truth will bring healing or further fracture her sense of self.

Lewis was inspired to write this novel as an exploration of how early life experiences shape identity and the ways individuals seek meaning despite adversity. Her storytelling is both raw and poetic, offering readers a deeply human portrait of endurance and self discovery.

This book will resonate with readers who appreciate literary fiction that challenges societal norms and explores complex emotional landscapes. It speaks to those interested in stories of resilience, identity, and the enduring quest for belonging.

Marilyn Jaye Lewis is an established author known for her fearless approach to storytelling and her ability to illuminate difficult subjects with honesty and depth. Her work often centers on unconventional lives and the emotional truths that define them.

The Curse of Our Profound Disorder will be available for pre order through major retailers and is published by Parisian Phoenix Publishing. The book is now available — secure your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Our-Profound-Disorder-Coming/dp/1957863633/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1

For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact: Marilyn Jaye Lewis
Email: marilynjayelewis@protonmail.com

Me, Maybe!!

April 6, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

If I can get any energy whatsoever happening here today.

I am so fucking tired.

And I really hate when I’m so wiped out on a day off.

But we’ll see how it goes.

However.

THIS was so awesome. The sales rankings for pre-orders of The Curse Of Our Profound Disorder on Amazon US last evening, after the first 24 hours — thanks everybody!!

If you want to pre-order the print edition on Amazon US, you can do it HERE.

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I keep forgetting to post this link, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the upcoming new album by the Rolling Stones. (The link came from the RollingStonesBrasil channel on Instagram.)

The Cockroaches (whatever it is, it’s coming April 11th)

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Apparently, yesterday was the anniversary of Allen Ginsberg’s death:

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And also from yesterday, Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School.

“This session carefully examines the resurrection stories of the Hebrew Bible, tracing the clues left by the biblical writers. What emerges is an often-overlooked pattern and a trail that leads somewhere quite unexpected, offering a fresh and thought-provoking look at a familiar theme.”

Raising the Dead: In Search of Its Source (1 hr 15 mins):

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And another re-post from James Tabor yesterday:

Jesus’ Final Week: A Post-Easter Wrap-Up (52 mins):

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Also from James Tabor.

But this has nothing to do with Easter. It has more to do with Christianity before (and during) Paul.

“… who were the Ebionites? Were John the Baptist, Jesus, and James part of a “stream” of faith and piety that traced back to the Dead Sea Scroll group, and down through a so-called “Christianity,” before, during, in contrast to the message of the apostle Paul? I explore what they believed, how it differs from later mainstream Roman Christianity, We explore what happened to them, down into the later centuries, including their influence on earliest Islam.”

The Forgotten Ebionites–Found at Last! (45 mins):

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And here’s this!

A couple of masterpieces sighted at the Louvre in Paris only a few days ago!!!

Keanu and Mona:

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More rum aficionados at the recent launch of Johnny Depp’s new brand of rum, Three Hearts Rum (drinking only, no smoking allowed):

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And let’s take a quick moment for a mini quiz!

Which of these Stones is probably stoned???

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And here’s this.

Another trip down Memory Lane!

2 photos of Nick Cave by Bleddyn Butcher.

The first — right before Nick had spinal surgery in Brazil, to have that growth removed:

And second — this ended up not requiring shoulder surgery. The extra head was actually attached to some guy who walked away:

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And that’s all I have for today, gang. I am just so fucking tired.

I’m finishing up a load of laundry here (you probably think that all I do is laundry, but you’re mistaken. I do other stuff, too. I do, like, 1,794 other things.).

I hope to get some writing done today, but honestly, I just don’t know. It depends on if the brain wants to put in an appearance or not. But the good news is that, since I’m taking that webinar on Sunday, I only have 4 shifts this coming week, so, yay! I feel confident that the brain will return at some point!

And this afternoon, I’m supposed to have a chat with Valerie in Brooklyn! That always perks me up.

And for right now, I want to take some time to just stop, and think about stuff that makes me happy. (I think there are, like, 3 things that make me happy. I’m going to try to focus and remember what those things are.) (I might go outside and take a walk. Sometimes that helps me remember everything…)

Meanwhile, enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

Last night’s listening-by-candlelight-while-lying-in-bed music!! (And pretty soon, the candles will be gone until Fall, because it’s getting later and later now before the sun actually sets!)

But this was beautiful. I hadn’t actually listened to this song in ages.

Bob Dylan. “Lay Lady Lay”. 1969. From the album, Nashville Skyline. Enjoy, gang.

Lay Lady Lay

Lay, lady, lay
Lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay
Lay across my big brass bed

Whatever colors you have
In your mind
I'll show them to you
And you'll see them shine
Lay, lady, lay, lay across
My big brass bed

Stay, lady, stay
Stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day
Let me see you make him smile

His clothes are dirty, but his
His hands are clean
And you're the best thing
That he's ever seen
Stay, lady, stay
Stay with your man awhile

Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you?

Lay, lady, lay
Lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay
Stay while the night is still ahead

I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay
Stay while the night is still ahead

c- 1969 Bob Dylan