Tag Archives: books

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

Shame by Iris N. Schwartz Q & A

June 26, 2019 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Hi again, gang!

It’s time for another Q &A with author Iris N. Schwartz, my long-time friend and colleague, who has another book of micro and flash fiction out, Shame & Other Stories, from the Hoboken-based publisher, Poets Wear Prada.

As I mentioned here earlier this week, Shame & Other Stories has been short-listed for Top Summer Reads over at North of Oxford. [If you follow the link, scroll down for their summer reading list.]

Long-time readers of this blog probably recall that Iris is a prolific writer of fiction and poetry.

My official disclaimer re: Iris’s work is that I have been publishing and editing her writing since 1998. We met during a reading at Barnes & Noble at Astor Place in NYC, and have been friends, and colleagues, ever since.

I published her poetry repeatedly on my website, Other-rooms.com, and included her works of short fiction in several of the anthologies I edited over the years, including in Stirring Up A Storm: Tales of the Sensual, the Sexual, and the Erotic (Running Press), a book nominated for 2 Pushcart Prizes for short fiction.

Iris’ s writing is tight, deep, emotional, and to the point. Dysfunctional people and the eroticism of food tend to be her calling cards – though not always, and not always in that order.

For me, it is a personal treat when Iris has a new book out because I love her writing, so it was a pleasure to be able to talk to her recently about her current collection, Shame & Other Stories, published by Poets Wear Prada.

So. Iris! How do you feel about your writing these days? Have your feelings changed much since your last book, My Secret Life with Chris Noth, came out in 2017 [also from Poets Wear Prada]?

I am taking more risks — with, for example, theme, story length, point of view. I hope my writing is better. Have my feelings changed? I’m not sure how to answer. I know that in this Age of Trump, I am angrier; more determined, too. This no doubt bleeds into my writing.

When you say “more determined,” do you mean more determined to get more writing out there? To express yourself differently?

I mean more determined to do what I can in my small way to grab back our democracy. That includes reading and writing impassioned, raw, questioning work. I also mean I am more determined due to some physical limitations to nonetheless write and publish more, and become a better writer.

Do you have a favorite piece in this collection?

My favorite story in Shame? At the risk of hurting the feelings of my other, deserving offspring in this collection, I have to go with “Dime-Store Bandits.” I sense Lenore and Imogene in my bones — in my marrow — and they possess a kind of salty innocence that makes me smile. “Nickeled-and-Dimed” is another story in Shame involving these sisters. I intend to write more about them.

I can easily see an entire collection of flash and microfiction revolving around those two sisters. I think my own favorite is “Franklin Is In,” a story about a man who is intensely OCD, with, of course, one of your customary “stop you in your tracks” type of endings – can you tell us a little bit about that piece and what inspired it?

I’m glad you like “Franklin Is In!” Poor Franklin. I really feel for him. He’s very intelligent and very wounded, and because he’s bright, he’s keenly aware of his limitations. Franklin is probably one-eighth based on a person who volunteered at a mental health center where I also volunteered while in college, one-eighth based on other people I knew, and the rest (sixth-eighths) fabricated.

Am I correct in feeling that the stories included in this new collection draw less from your own personal, life experiences than the pieces included in My Secret Life with Chris Noth?

You are correct, for the most part. Some of the stories, however, have a kernel or two based on my own experience.

As you said, Imogene and Lenore come up twice in this collection. They are young Jewish sisters living in Brooklyn; are they autobiographical characters?

I consider them semi-autobiographical.

Can you talk about what makes it “semi” autobiographical?

Some events are taken from real-life experiences, some not. Regardless, they are different after I write them — as I write fiction (not journalism). Hence, semi-autobiographical. “Fiction!”

You’ve included a number of microfiction pieces this time. I love how you can capture such depth of character in such a tight word count. Are you writing more microfiction, in general? Do you find it more challenging, and/or more satisfying than writing flash fiction?

Yes, I am writing more microfiction these days, though I still write flash. And thank you. I love the challenge and excitement of writing brief pieces. And, after all, every word is supposed to count. This might be more apparent when reading a one-hundred- or fifty-word story.

I’m curious about the microfiction piece titled, “Yellow,” and the title’s connection to Lillian’s being Jewish and the story’s overall connection to hair color. Any comments about any underlying message to this particular piece?

“Yellow,” I hope, speaks to the outsider in all of us, at any time: the lone Jew in a mostly Christian town; the gay boy taunted by his classmates; the only African American living in an apartment building where other renters consistently ask if he is the plumber, the “wheelchairer” in a crowd of walkers.

With all the microfiction you’re writing now, do you still get inspired to write poetry? Any upcoming poetry publications we should know about?

I haven’t written poetry in a long time. I may return to poetry, but for now, flash and micro do it for me. Or to me. Or with me. Oy.

I hope you do go back to writing poetry because your poems are wonderful! I found “Fur” an intriguing story – where an older woman is hallucinating in unusual ways about cats. Is there any specific background to what inspired that piece?

Thanks re: “Fur.” I am an “older” woman who likes cats — and dogs, and horses. I use fantasy, dreams, and whatever else comes my way.

Are you making any kind of statement, though, about the woman’s aging process and her seemingly joyful life involving cats? When I read this piece, I felt that her life of loving cats and perhaps her imminent death were intertwining.

The woman is “older,” but I wasn’t thinking of her mortality. She is lonely, but opening to new possibilities, maybe love again.

You have a third book in the works with Poets Wear Prada – is this correct? A title yet? An approximate publication date?

Yes, I will have a third book coming out with Poets Wear Prada, Thank you, PWP! I don’t know when it will be available, but when I know I will certainly tell you. The title? Brisket for One, and it has another cast of quirky characters. I mean, my lovely if sometimes troubled “children.”

Again, can you update us on the various ways that readers can find you on the web?

My website should be ready soon. [www.irisnschwartz.com – coming soon!]

Also, see my Amazon Author’s page.

And please visit my publisher, Poets Wear Prada.

Marilyn, thank you very much for this opportunity to discuss Shame, as well as for your astute questions!

You are so welcome. Congratulations on the new book. And, gang, be sure to check out Iris’s Amazon Author’s page to check out all of Iris’s books to date!

Thanks for visiting! See ya!

Thank God Almighty, Free At Last!

August 22, 2014 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

In answer to my deepest prayers & fondest hopes, Brad has hit the road. Gone, baby! I don’t care where he went to, and I don’t plan on looking for him — in case he only went as far as, like, my underwear drawer or something equally unwanted and horrifying.

He left a hand-written note. However, he wrote it with all 8 of his hands at once, so it’s hard to decipher, but it looks like it says: I am outta here, crazy lady. Got places to go and people to terrify. It was great while it lasted. See ya in the funny papers. -Brad

In all seriousness, I am really glad the spider’s gone, and also really glad that I didn’t have to kill it because I never would have done it. And it’s funny that once I named him and became less afraid of him, creepy as he still was, I slept peacefully through the night, then awoke yesterday morning and he was just gone. And it’s been 24 hours now, so I think he really is gone. Yippee ki yi yay! It just proves that once we face our fears, we find out they are nothing!

Today, in addition to my scintillating homework in the Church Administration course (I have to write a response on how Objectives make for Good Church Administration — I know; don’t hate me because my life is so heady and exciting!), I also work at the church. I am currently re-organizing the Senior Minister’s personal library. I love doing this because the building itself is a European-style Neo-Gothic cathedral, built in 1931, and his office is to die for. I simply love being in it. So much dark wood, and enormous old windows, and high ceilings. And the whole office has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on each wall, filled with everything from 200-year-old Holy Bibles, to every theology book imaginable, to Social Justice & Political books, to things like The Catcher in the Rye and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

I just love being surrounded by all these books. I have to re-organize them in some sort of order that makes it easier for him to find what he needs, when he needs it. And alphabetize them. It’s actually kind of a tough job because there are just so many books. And while I’m there, the Minister pulls out books and makes little piles and says, “I don’t think I need these anymore,” then a moment later, he changes his mind — he still wants them! — but the books stay in the new little piles, confusing me.

The worst part is — and I use that term loosely — he keeps giving me all these really cool old theology books, or books that will help me with my own ministry. I LOVE books! I, too, have way too many books! And I will be moving in 6-8 months. We all know how much fun it is to pack up box after box after box of heavy BOOKS, move them, then unpack them!

The Minister says to me, “Here — would you like this?” And my eyes get wide, and I say, “Yeah! Wow, that is so cool. Thank you!!” Then I lug the books out to my car, try to wedge them into a bookshelf here at home, wonder when on earth I will ever find time to read them, and try not to think of the joys of packing…

The other news is that there is no news yet on how my re-writes of Act One are going, and there won’t be any feedback until both producers get to meet over coffee next week. So I am kind of stumped. I need to utilize this “free” (ha ha ha) time and keep working on the re-writes because any day now, I will have to switch gears and tackle the re-writes of the play and take off for NYC and do more heady things , like work magic and fall in love again! So what do I do? Just proceed to re-writing Acts 2 through 4, in hopes that my re-writes for Act One did not go too far afield?

I guess I’ll know when I know, right, gang? It probably makes more sense to just keep writing…

Okay, well, have a terrific Friday, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing! Thanks for visiting, folks. See ya!