Tag Archives: fiction

You Won’t Believe It!

August 16, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay, gang.

Happy Sunday!

You’re not going to believe how yesterday went.

Since I’m in the process of getting the sample “scripts” together for the upcoming audiobooks, I was trying to get all the original manuscripts of my self-published books into one separate folder.

Just trying to get organized.

I have 7 self-published books that are being submitted to become audiobooks. Not only do I have a stack of those books perched precariously on the corner of my really tiny but beloved desk, I also have a stack of books and many papers on my desk for the M. Christian tribute anthology I’m currently editing.

And I am addicted to small notebooks for keeping notes on absolutely every project, phone call, zoom call — including a TON of notes for “The Guide to Being Fabulous”, my play with Sandra Caldwell. And my in-progress play about Caiaphas. Those notebooks are in a stack on my tiny desk, too.

And little scraps of paper are on my desk — notes to myself. And all of those notes to myself amount to my “To Do List”.

So I finally decided I needed to get better organized in order to somehow move the audiobook project forward, right?

Wow. Trying to find the original manuscripts for all 7 of these books — some of them going back to 2005 (!) — I’ve moved 4 times since then, and I’ve had no less than 6 laptops since then.

Anyway.

As I was locating the various original manuscripts and moving them into a new folder on my laptop, I discovered a completed manuscript for a book that never got published:

The Muse Revisited Volume 4: Selected Taboo Erotica of Marilyn Jaye Lewis

Whoa! WTF??

I scrolled through it and it was a completed manuscript, formatted and ready for publication. A collection of previously published short stories, from 1994 – 2021 (!!). All of them in the decidedly “taboo” erotic vein. Volume 4 in a series that had already been really popular for about 10 years.

I had totally forgotten that Black Lotus Books was supposed to publish it, in print, but then they suddenly folded.

They gave me the rights back to everything when they folded, so I immediately moved forward with self-publishing the 2 books of mine they had already published (1954 Powder Blue Pickup and a long short-story, Half-Moon Bride). This was January 2021.

And just prior to that (in 2020), I was absolutely overloaded with projects — screenplays, TV pilots, plays, short stories, novels-in-progress, and I was working nonstop with Peitor Angell on our Abstract Absurdity Production micro-minis — we were taking all kinds of meetings with producers and production companies, both in LA and in Europe.

Then absolutely everything came to a screeching halt because of all the lockdowns. And life suddenly got crazier. (My life as a digital soldier for 4 years…)

As near as I can tell, I just forgot that the other manuscript was ready to go. I definitely remember (now) that I was planning to self-publish it after Black Lotus folded.

Holy cow, I thought. I can publish this in a heartbeat. It’s all ready to go!

But then I thought: Maybe my new publisher over in Pennsylvania might be interested in seeing this…

Long story, short — she emailed me back yesterday afternoon, saying: “Um, yesssss”

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So.

That was a real thrill.

And then I realized that since I made the difficult decision to retire from professional caregiving back in July, and focus on my writing once again– well, what a great decision that was.

I have the new novel coming out in a few weeks. A book signing. The staged reading of the play coming up in NY sometime this Fall. Perhaps give a talk and be on a panel at a writers conference in the Spring.

And the M. Christian antho has helped me re-connect with so many wonderful writers from my past — and that book will come out next year. Plus this new book that materialized out of thin air yesterday! And 7 audiobooks. Plus, even though I cancelled my association with fiverr, I still have ads posted at local places as a writing coach, and school is starting up around here soon.

Wow. It’s like overnight, I finally went back to being a writer.

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Okay!

I discovered THIS amazing website last night. Wow. I am going to spend the next year just exploring it!

TomPettyTrail

Explores sites connected to Tom Petty in his childhood hometown of Gainesville and throughout Florida.

“This is the first website dedicated to documenting and pinpointing Florida sites connected to the life of, and songs written by, Tom Petty. It serves as a roadmap for Petty fans traveling there to learn about — and navigate to — these sites in his hometown, Gainesville, and elsewhere in the state. This website will help facilitate your Tom Petty tourism by giving you the information needed to create a self-guided tour that most interests you.”

And it’s totally free! A labor of love created by Shawn Murphy.

If you love Tom Petty like I do, it is amazing! It is so detailed, it is just incredible. Where he was born, where he lived. Where his family lived. Where his friends lived. All the schools he went to. The store where he bought his guitar strings — immortalized in his song, “Dreamville”…

And so here’s this, again. Tom’s tribute to his rock & roll-loving boyhood in Gainesville — “Dreamville”:

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Okay.

I think this is going to be great!

If you live in NYC, it will be at the Public Theater, September 15th thru October 18th:

“How Shakespeare Saved My Life”

“In the Red Bull Theater production of HOW SHAKESPEARE SAVED MY LIFE, Jacob Ming-Trent dares to rescue himself from the “slings and arrows” of his past. Born with a gift for poetry but rejected as unfit to play the part of the poet, Ming-Trent invites us to take a deep dive into the crevices of his youth. His search for home is relentless, and the results are by turns hilarious and tragic. Calling on the Bard and a host of genius rappers, half-crazed preachers, and soulful poets to throw him a lifeline, he takes us on a propulsive ride that reaffirms the power of language. It all adds up to one man’s attempt to reclaim his life, and through that journey we connect to the deeper parts of ourselves, and, ultimately, to each other. Directed by Tony Taccone.”

You can buy tickets HERE.

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And, well, what can I say?

There are now an absolute TON of photos and videos from the Bad Seeds show in Sweden the other night. Way too many to start posting here.

I’m not positive, but it looked like, at one point during the show, Nick Cave couldn’t find a microphone that worked. I saw that video a few times.

Anyway–

Here are a couple photos from that thing I mentioned yesterday — about Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds chilling and taking in The Cure’s show over on a different stage:

And here are a few from the actual show:

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play Finland tonight. Followed by 5 more shows in Europe between now and the end of August. You can buy tickets here!

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Well, we were supposed to have more thunderstorms today, but for some reason, the sun is now out.

So I guess I’ll close this and head out for another splendid walk in ~~Dreamville~~ — Oops! I meant, of course, Crazeysburg! And then I’ll get down to some work.

Have a great Sunday, 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!!!!

One of my all-time favorite songs from my wee bonny teenaged girlhood! By one of my all-time favorite groups!!

It popped up on my playlist yesterday morning, when I ran out to the Dollar Store to run a quick errand for my beloved cats….

“Stayin’ Alive” by the immortal Bee Gees, 1977!!! Enjoy, gang.

Taking it a moment at a time here

August 10, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Or at least I’m trying to.

Having this jury duty thing hanging over my head for tomorrow has sent me right back into that terrible depression I was struggling with for most of this year before I finally retired from caregiving.

Obviously, I’m hoping that I won’t get assigned to a jury tomorrow and that it will be all over in one day. And even if I do get put on a jury, it’s not like how it was back in NYC, where there were high-profile murder cases that you could get stuck on for months.

Anyway. It’s more of a trigger — this feeling that my time (my life?) isn’t my own.

If I do get put on a jury, I will try to at least post updates to the blog in the evenings.

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Let’s move on to something happier!!

Marlon Richards turns 57 today!!

Keith had a total of 5 children — 2 sons and 3 daughters. But one of his sons with Anita Pallenberg, Tara Jo Jo Gunne, died back in 1976.

Out of all of his children, my guess is that Marlon, his first child, is the most well known, since Marlon famously went through it all with Keith.

Here’s one of my favorite photos of Keith with Marlon:

A more recent photo of them (and Marlon himself recently became a grandfather):

Happy Birthday Marlon Richards!!

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Okay.

Here’s this! The complete tour dates for the Hollywood Vampires (I think the Cardiff show just sold out):

Buy tickets HERE!!

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Yesterday (that lofty day wherein I was NOT depressed) was actually sort of magical.

Regarding yesterday’s choice for the Sealey Challenge— I very suddenly got the impetus to check one of the bookshelves down in my family room for 2 chapbooks I knew I still had of Michael Perkins’ poetry.

Sure enough, I checked and they were still there, however, I was you know, yet again stunned to discover both books are over 20 years old…

And one of them, The Persistence of Desire, still had a handwritten note from Michael stuck to the front of it. The note was written on June 23, 2004. And Michael mentions that he had just spoken to Richard Kasak (!!) and Michael congratulated me that Neptune & Surf had just gotten picked up for a mass market edition by Barney Rosset over at Blue Moon Books!

Crimony! Talk about blast from the absolute past. Richard Kasak had been my primary publisher throughout most of my early career, and had also been my business partner in Marilyn’s Room, Inc. Richard’s been gone now for at least 10 years. And Barney Rosset is of course gone now, too.

And then I thought — uh, oh— and I googled Michael and sure enough, he passed away back in 2022:

“Michael Perkins of Glenford died at Archcare at Ferncliff in Rhinebeck, New York of complications from Parkinson’s Disease on February 10, 2022, at age 79.”

Rhinebeck, of all my favorite places!!

It was just too — I don’t know the right word, it was just a sort of very fragile feeling.

I read the chapbook, I Could Walk All Day, yesterday and will read The Persistence of Desire today. Beautiful poems. (He also wrote amazing erotic fiction, published by Richard Kasak,)

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All right.

From Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School yesterday–

“According to one Gospel writer, Jesus twice pointed his listeners to the same five words—and on one occasion told them, ‘Go and learn what this means.'”

Jesus Said To Learn These Five Words (49 mins):

(HINT: “lovingkindness” is one of the words!)

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Moving on to Romania!!

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds played the Summer Well Festival. Here’s the set list from last night’s show!

Here’s Warren Ellis from before the show! Shiny, indeed!!

And a few photos of Nick Cave! (The show looked like a really intense one.)

Starting on Thursday, August 13th, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds will play Norway, Sweden, and Finland. You can buy tickets here!!

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And now we have a really intense thunderstorm underway here in Crazeysburg.

Even though thunderstorms and high winds usually trigger my PTSD, it seems that, this time, the thunderstorm has actually sort of done the opposite and dispersed my feeling of intense depression. Interesting.

Well, at some point tomorrow I will check in and let you know if I’ll be posting to the blog or not.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let us close with this today!!

Jesus. When was the last time you heard THIS song??!!

Well, I heard it while making the bed this morning and listening to the Oldies FM Radio Station on my retro boombox!!

This song was a huge hit back when I was working at the General Electric factory. I was 19, and back in Ohio, living in a rooming house, after having lived briefly out in Ukiah, California… and dreaming of moving to NYC!

The Knack, “My Sharona”, from the album Get the Knack,1979!! Enjoy, gang.

Slim pickings but that’s okay!

August 9, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

It’s a really lovely, quiet Sunday morning here in the Hinterlands.

I spent all of yesterday getting caught up on stuff at my desk, so I don’t have too much to post about today.

However!

I did want to at least say that I was finally able to catch up with Sandra out in Los Angeles yesterday. We had a great chat! She flies back to NYC today. Then I think she’s planning on collapsing for a few days up in Rhinebeck and then we will get back to focusing on the staged reading of our play, “The Guide to Being Fabulous”.

While she was in LA, though, Sandra was involved with this amazing project, which happened this past Friday night (8/7)– since I found this posted online, I think it’s okay to post it here on the blog:

Apparently, it was a complete success!

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Okay.

Yesterday was International Cat Day!

Here’s Queenie just now, completely worn out from all the breathtaking festivities!!

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Yesterday, when it was time to do yoga, I wanted something just sort of different to listen to (I usually listen to religious or spiritual stuff).

I found this radio interview with Tom Petty from 2003 and I just loved it. It was at that perfect era in his life — the drugs were well behind him, he was married to Dana, The Last DJ, an incredible album, had already been released and he and the Heartbreakers were, once again, on the road (1 hr 23 mins):

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And as far as yesterday’s installment of The Sealey Challenge—

I decided I wanted to read something totally new. I was sort of worn out from re-reading poetry books from my past that were digging up all sorts of other emotions that weren’t necessarily related to the actual poems.

Since I had bought Drunk on Angel Breath by R. Nikolas Macioci last year and still had not had a moment to just sit down and absorb it, I chose to read that one yesterday.

Wow, gang. What an entrancing book of poems!!

If you’re new to the blog (i.e., you just started reading it this moment), R. Nikolas Macioci is not only an accomplished poet, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, and the author of 18 other poetry books — he was also my first Jr. High School English teacher back in 1972, when I was 12.

After I chose to write a poem as my “book report” for a book we had recently been assigned to read in class, he took an active interest in my writing and he took it upon himself — after class, on his own time — to teach me how to write.

That went on for several years, long after Jr. High School was over.

It was the only formal “training” as a writer that I ever had, but it totally and thoroughly served me well. It gave me an entire career.

Obviously, I have read his poems before, but this specific book had me spellbound. I could not put it down. It is safe to say that I had a really beautiful evening yesterday.

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Well, as far as “here’s this’s” — I only have ONE today!

But it is suitable for a Sunday morning!

From Warren Ellis!! In Bucharest!

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play Romania tonight. Then they have a few days off before playing Norway on August 13th. You can buy tickets here!

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And honestly, gang, that’s all I have for today.

The laundry is almost done and I’m planning to try to take it sort of easy today. We’ll see how that goes.

Meanwhile, I hope you have a splendid Sunday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

A song I have just loved from the very first moment that I first heard it!!

But my fondest memory of the song, was playing it for my (back then-film production partner) Peitor Angell one night — giving him my iPhone with ear buds, as we walked together along Sunset Blvd. after dark. As I had been, he, too, was blown away by it.

Anyway.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “We Call Upon the Author”, from one of my favorite albums ever, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! 2008.

“We Call Upon The Author”

What we once thought we had we didn’t, and what we have now will never be that way again
So we call upon the author to explain

Our myxomatoid kids spraddle the streets, we’ve shunned them from the greasy-grind
The poor little things, they look so sad and old as they mount us from behind
I ask them to desist and to refrain
And then we call upon the author to explain

Rosary clutched in his hand, he died with tubes up his nose
And a cabal of angels with finger cymbals chanted his name in code
We shook our fists at the punishing rain
And we call upon the author to explain

He said everything is messed up around here, everything is banal and jejune
There is a planetary conspiracy against the likes of you and me in this idiot constituency of the moon
Well, he knew exactly who to blame
And we call upon the author to explain

Prolix! Prolix! Nothing a pair of scissors can’t fix!
Prolix! Prolix! Nothing a pair of scissors can’t fix!

Well, I go guruing down the street, young people gather round my feet
Ask me things, but I don’r know where to start
They ignite the power-trail ssstraight to my father’s heart
And once again I call upon the author to explain

We call upon the author to explain

Who is this great burdensome slavering dog-thing that mediocres my every thought?
I feel like a vacuum cleaner, a complete sucker, it’s fucked up and he is a fucker
But what an enormous and encyclopaedic brain
I call upon the author to explain

Oh rampant discrimination, mass poverty, third world debt, infectious diseease
Global inequality and deepening socio-economic divisions
Well, it does in your brain
And we call upon the author to explain

Now hang on, my friend Doug is tapping on the window (Hey Doug, how you been?)
Brings me back a book on holocaust poetry complete with pictures
Then tells me to get ready for the rain
And we call upon the author to explain

I say prolix! Prolix! Something a pair of scissors can fix

Bukowski was a jerk! Berryman was best!
He wrote like wet papier mache, went the Heming-way weirdly on wings and with maximum pain
We call upon the author to explain

Down in my bolthole I see they’ve published another volume of unreconstructed rubbish
“The waves, the waves were soldiers moving”. Well, thank you, thank you, thank you
And again I call upon the author to explain
Yeah, we call upon the author to explain

Prolix! Prolix! There’s nothing a pair of scissors can’t fix!

c – 2008 – Nick Cave, Warren Ellis

Sorry I’m Late!

August 7, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Wow, gang.

Just another one of those things that make me insane–

When I awoke this morning, I decided to register over on fiverr again — as a private writing/editing coach.

Many years ago, when it first got started, signing up was easy and everything was sort of immediate and personal.

I could put up an add that I was a writing coach and I listed my contact info — and then I got some students that I really enjoyed.

It was so simple.

Now it’s like you’re applying to be an astronaut. It has taken 3 hours so far– and now I’m waiting to get my tax paperwork approved. That could take a couple more days…

It doesn’t actually matter because it’s not like there’s any hurry or anything — especially since I might be on jury duty next week. I just suddenly thought it would be a cool idea to be back on fiverr. I enjoy helping other writers.

Anyway.

Things on the web that used to be easy and much more person-friendly are now few and far between. (And within a nanosecond, they want you on their phone app instead…)

(And don’t even get me started on the constantly swirling shark-infested waters that now pass for the endlessly, endlessly, endlessly updating “LinkedIn”… Jesus, you know? When do people find time to just write?)

All I can say, really, is that I’m glad I became a professional writer back when it was actually really fun. And full of people and community and in-person meetings.

I don’t know how new writers can even stand it these days. But I am an old-timer now. What can I say??

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Okay!

That aside!

Guess what I discovered about my brand new and super-fast Honda Accord yesterday, gang????

I will try to set this up so that you can feel the joy the way I felt it!

ME (on the highway heading home and going about 20 miles over the speed limit): “Jeez. This new car is so fast! I better slow down.”

MY HONDA ACCORD (woman’s voice suddenly filling my car): “Police reporting up ahead.”

Holy shit, gang! That’s, like, not legal, right??

But I went down to the the speed limit, pronto, and sure enough — up ahead on the left, a black & yellow Sherriff’s car was sitting there, waiting for speeders!!

Wow! I love my fucking new car!!!

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On the “read a poetry book a day” front —

I decided that today, I am going to read a slender, amazing book that I haven’t read in years. It was written by my favorite poet — Frank O’Hara — whose poetry I “discovered” when I was 15 and I absolutely fell in love with him.

By then, he’d been dead for almost 10 years.

But this particular book — which was already legendary — I didn’t find until 1984, when I was already living in NYC (not far from Frank’s old apartment, and I was working where he had worked: the Museum of Modern Art!):

I am really looking forward to reading it. To see how I am going to react to all his wonderful words, and all the fantastic NYC imagery, all these decades later.

I’m guessing it will be a little bittersweet.

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Okay.

Not much in the “here’s this” department, since I spent all those HOURS on fiverr this morning…

But here’s this!

And I’ve posted it here before, but I love this photo of Keith:

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Okay.

If you go to the UK side of the Nick Cave store — you can pre-order some of the Brighton Beach homecoming merch! But it is only on the UK side of the store.

And Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play Belgrade, Serbia tonight! If it’s not too late, you can still buy tickets here!!

Then they’re off to Romania!!

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And honestly, that’s actually it for now. I gotta scoot! And a terrific thunderstorm is now filling the skies across the Hinterlands so I want to go down to the kitchen porch and check on a couple of those cats!!

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***************

Let’s scoot outta here with this–

Live in Paris, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “God Is In The House”. 2007. Enjoy, gang.

Monday Swings Around Again!

August 3, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

As you can see, I did not make it back here to the blog yesterday. But never fear, here I am now!

I did go to the Sunday Mass at the Children of Mary convent yesterday. Wow, are the grounds amazing. You would never, ever, EVER, in a million years, guess that a convent was hidden up in those woods — unless somebody told you about it.

Obviously, it is way out in the country. And then you follow a twisting, turning gravel road — up and up, surrounded by trees — and then suddenly there are a bunch of old cabins and barns. Some cows and sheep. Some sacred statues hidden among all the trees. And you are there.

About 20 Sisters live there, and they basically built the chapel themselves (25 years ago), which is like a really large and incredibly peaceful, beautiful log cabin-ish kind of thing.

Really, just beautiful.

It turns out, though, that the convent is not that far from my house but I live directly on the other side of it from where my girlfriend lives (in town). So, coming from her direction, it felt like we were way out in the middle of fucking nowhere yesterday — and that’s pretty much where my house is! In the middle of fucking nowhere!

But I digress!

Anyway, I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience it. Plus, it was supposed to rain yesterday, but it didn’t. It was a beautiful day.

Here’s another photo I found online:

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Today, I have quite a few things to do here at my desk, so I need to get started on that soon.

Plus, since I didn’t post yesterday, I have a ton of “here’s this’s” today!!

So let’s get started!!

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First, this was very, very interesting!

From Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School, yesterday afternoon:

“The Bible tells us that one family was entrusted with the care of Israel’s most sacred objects, including the ark of the covenant and the scroll of Moses kept beside it. The biblical writers use different terminology for this family. Were they priests or not?

“In this study, we will survey competing priestly claims, disputed genealogies, and traces of an ancient struggle preserved by biblical writers.

“Then something remarkable happens: the ark disappears, the scroll vanishes from view, and the family entrusted with their care is no longer mentioned.

“What happened to the Bible’s most holy things, and could the words of one member of the chosen family help us carry on without them?”

The Disappearance of the Bible’s Most Holy Things (1 hr):

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From the Mid-America Arts Alliance:

Artist and Arts Organization Opportunities and Deadlines:

“(MAAA) is accepting pitches from creators interested in showcasing local artists, cultural events, and creative communities across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Native nations that share these geographies. Selected contributors will receive $250 to capture 10 short vertical smartphone videos (15+ seconds each) and provide a brief written description. Arts in Mid-America will edit the footage, add narration, and share the finished videos on its social media channels, with contributors receiving credit. The opportunity is open for events taking place between August and December 2026. Check out this example video for an idea of how your footage will be used.”

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Yesterday was the anniversary of the death of Bill Burroughs!

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Here are the Rolling Stones looking happy in London in 1969!

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And Saturday was the Heavenly Birthday of one of my all-time favorite people, Jim Carroll!

From Phyllis Stein! Jim with Keith in NYC, 1980. Yes, Jim Carroll was TALL!!

Oh, and here’s this. Being retired now (!!) gives me time to do all sorts of interesting things — like look through books I’ve owned for a million years!

I took this book of poems by Jim Carroll down from my bookshelf last week —

The book came out in Spring of 1986, after I’d taken that amazing songwriting class with Jim Carroll at the West Side’ Y’ in NYC for several months in 1984.

I flipped open the book and discovered this on the title page:

And then I remembered how, when I presented the book to him at the bookstore in NYC to have him sign it, in that intensely thick, inimitable, high-pitched NY accent, Jim said: “Marilyn! How ya been?”

It just thrilled me that he remembered me.

Had I not retired 2 weeks ago, I would not have taken that book down from my bookshelf last week, and I would never have remembered that beautiful little moment of my long-lived life…

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Okay.

Here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein!! Information about how to watch this movie online!!

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Okay.

I had tons more photos from the Bad Seeds’ show in Brighton, but it turns out, that couple who were in Brighton — and who I now follow on Instagram — actually attended the show in Dresden, Germany, yesterday and so I will sort of move along to Dresden!

From that same couple:

Oh — well, here’s this. George Vjestica posted this of the crowd in Brighton, nearly 50,000 people:

Warren Ellis, waiting on a plane to Dresden!!

Warren Ellis on an elevator in Dresden!!

The set list!

And this was really great.

This morning, Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File about his homecoming in Brighton. He said, in part:

“…I want to thank everyone who came to the concert – so many faces I recognised from years gone by. It was a homecoming in many different ways, and although part of me is relieved the Preston Park show is behind me – sometimes my job is so completely and emotionally overwhelming – I’m happy we could, for a delirious moment in time, create a place where the absent and the present could dance together. Again, thank you….”

You can read it in full HERE.

NICK AND KYLIE, PRESTON PARK, PHOTOGRAPH BY CHLOE IRVING

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds play Croatia next — on August 4th & 5th — but the show on August 5th is SOLD OUT. You can buy tickets to Tuesday’s show HERE.

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And that is it for now!!

The laundry is actually already done.

And now I’m gonna head out for another one of those amazing walks because the weather is beautiful yet again.

And then I’m gonna get to work around here.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s get ready to drive to town!

July 28, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Will I remember how to start the car??

Will I remember how to get there?

How to get home from there?

Most importantly — will I remember to turn on my Prime playlist before hitting the highway at 95mph, so that I will have music wherever I go??

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Wow, gang.

Yesterday was so cool.

In the middle of the afternoon, a guy came to my kitchen door. He was wearing one of those bright orange vests and he had a clipboard and an ID tag.

My first thought was, “This is gonna cost me money…” But I opened the door anyway.

Long story short, he wanted to sign me up for the new fiber optic Internet that has come to Crazeysburg. And it is significantly cheaper than what I’ve had for the last several years, so I did sign up.

But it was really hot and humid out, so I asked him to come into the kitchen while he explained everything and we did the paperwork, wherein, upon entering, he said:

HE: “Wow, your home is so beautiful. It’s hard to believe you have so many cats.”

And as loyal readers of this lofty blog know so well by now, a comment like that means so much to me!!!

Anyway.

Aside from saving me a bunch of money, the cool part was that he was from Utah. And he saw my Joseph Smith magnet on my refrigerator. And as soon as he recognized Joseph Smith, I knew he was a Mormon. And so we had a really long and wonderful chat about Mormons, and about the Kirtland Temple, up by Cleveland, which we both have been to, and how incredible it is.

“The Kirtland Temple was a sacred place of worship and learning for Latter-day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, during the late 1830s.”

The guy from the Internet company was about 20 years old, but we had such a wonderful chat.

And later this afternoon, the company is coming by to set up the new Internet.

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BTW —

If you saw any news this morning about terrible storms and high wind damage in the State of Ohio last night — it did not reach our part of the State. We had rain last night (and a little more rain right now) but nothing terrible.

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Okay!

When I saw this post yesterday on Instagram my heart sort of flip-flopped and my brain soared!!

If you have ever read my (award-winning!!) erotic novel, Freak Parade, you no doubt recall the character of Tricky Dick Milhouse!!

And if you know me at all, you know that Freak Parade, while fiction, is still heavily based on my actual life in NYC — things that really happened and people I knew.

And you likely also know that I don’t go out of my way to disguise the real identities of the people I write about!! (Except in the singular case of my late great friend, Holly Lane, who said, after reading the completed manuscript of Freak Parade: “If you don’t change that Frankie character and make her a lot less like me, I’m gonna sue your fucking ass off!”)

Well, I won’t print his actual name here (even though if you Google the Fleshtones, you’ll figure out right away which one it is) but I will say that he’s in that band above! “Tricky Dick Milhouse” is looking at you right now! And I Googled him yesterday and he’s STILL ALIVE!! Yay!!

What an awesome little trip down Memory Lane that was for me yesterday, gang!! It brought such a smile to my face.

Oh, and Freak Parade will soon be an audio book on Amazon’s Audible!! I will keep you posted!!

******************

Okay, here’s this from James Tabor.

My First Catholic Audience: Presenting the Historical Mary to Catholic Sisters (1 hr 17 mins):

***************

And this was from Charlie Ward this morning. Very interesting.

Japan Financial Shock, Australia EBS Alert & Fed Closed Meeting Charlie Ward Daily News 28 July 2026 (7 mins):

****************

And here’s this!

Keith smoking with Marlon in London in 1973!!

***********

And yesterday, the very moment I pushed SEND and posted to the blog and then got on to Instagram, there was yet another announcement from Nick Cave Official about the huge upcoming homecoming bash in Brighton starting on Thursday!!

A treasure hunt!!

And if you are going to be in Brighton this weekend and you DON’T have a good time, there is obviously something really wrong with you!!!!

Okay!

Here’s this, from June 29th!

And here’s this from my desktop stash!

From one of the best nights of my life — back in NYC, in the Autumn of 2019!! Nick Cave In Conversation!!

*************

And I think that is it for today.

I gotta get into the Honda Civic Sport and head to town and get the groceries!!

And then, I guess, work at my kitchen table today, while the Internet guys set up the new modem, etc. It’s supposed to take 2 hours (!!).

I hope you are having a Terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***************

Let’s close with this!!

Only because I love this song so much — doesn’t everybody??

The original video from way back in yesteryear —

“Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds! From their incredible album, Let Love In, 1994! Enjoy, gang!!

"Red Right Hand"

Take a little walk to the edge of town
Go across the tracks
Where the viaduct looms,
Like a bird of doom
As it shifts and cracks
Where secrets lie in the border fires,  in the humming wires
Hey man, you know  you’re never coming back
Past this square, past the bridge,  past the mills, past the stacks
On a gathering storm comes  a tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat with  a red right hand

He’ll wrap you in his arms,  tell you that you’ve been a good boy
He’ll rekindle all those dreams  it took you a lifetime to destroy
He’ll reach deep into the hole,  heal your shrinking soul
Hey buddy, you know you’re  never ever coming back
He’s a ghost, he’s a god,  he’s a man, he’s a guru
They’re whispering his name  across this disappearing land
But hidden in his coat  is a red right hand

You ain’t got no money?
He’ll get you some
You ain’t got no car?
He’ll get you one
You ain’t got no self-respect,  you feel like an insect
Well don’t you worry buddy,  cause here he comes
Through the ghetto and the barrio  and the Bowery and the slum
A shadow is cast wherever he stands
Stacks of green paper in his  red right hand

You’ll see him in your nightmares,  you’ll see him in your dreams
He’ll appear out of nowhere but  he ain’t what he seems
You’ll see him in your head,  on the TV screen
And hey buddy, I’m warning  you to turn it off
He’s a ghost, he’s a god,  he’s a man, he’s a guru
You’re one microscopic cog  in his catastrophic plan
Designed and directed by his red right hand

c - 1994 - Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Thomas Wydler

Sort of like vacation!

July 27, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Except that I’m getting a lot of work done…

And now the weather app is saying rain & thunderstorms tomorrow…

Hmmm… that makes 3 days in a row that it’s “tomorrow”.

I’m not complaining, though. It is another really pretty morning here in the Hinterlands!

And I had a great weekend, even though I stuck around the house and spent many hours on Zoom calls!

And I have a lot to get done here at my desk today, but I tell you, gang, I am learning so much about the small indie publishing houses that I thought had totally evaporated. (It turns out it’s just those pesky online algorithms that make them seem like they’ve evaporated!)

Anyway. I just love having all this TIME to get caught up on everything.

*********

Before I forget–

I’m excited about this, too.

One of my girlfriends in town told me recently about a convent she started going to for Mass and it sounds so cool. So we’re going to try to coordinate a time when I can go with her.

It’s up on a hill, totally hidden away in the woods! The nuns are self-sufficient and grow all their own food, and also have goats and cows for their dairy products. The convent is like a huge log cabin.

Here are a couple of photos from online.

Leading up to the convent:

Inside!

***************

Okay.

You might want to read this if you feel so inclined. (The upcoming WWIII “situation” is scripted. Hold onto your wee bonny hats, gang.)

***************

And here’s this!!

The Glimmer Twins not smoking!!

Yes, a few of the photos Keith posted yesterday for Mick’s 83rd birthday!

************

And here’s this!

Mick smoking and John Lennon not smoking in LA in March, 1974!! (Photo by Ron Galella)

***************

And as we wait for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ big homecoming bash in Brighton!! (Festivities begin on THURSDAY, finally!!) —

Here’s this! From my new favorite FB page!

Not smoking, Not happy about not smoking.

And here’s this!

Nick Cave not smoking while wielding a weapon in Amsterdam in 1988!!

And I loved this!!

He looks rested, doesn’t he??

And here’s this reminder!

And don’t forget this helpful stuff if you’ll be in Brighton!!

And all these movies, if you have nerves of steel!!

*************

And I’m thinking that is it for now!!

I’m gonna finish up the laundry here, take another lovely walk, and get down to work!!

And tomorrow, I’m actually gonna drive to town and get groceries. I haven’t driven to town (or anywhere) since Thursday. Wow. Will I even remember how to drive??

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***************

I leave you with this!!

This great song popped up on my playlist this morning, even though I wasn’t driving. I was just sitting there…

A lot of interesting memories came rushing back… I just love this song.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ cover of “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart”, from their cover-album Kicking Against the Pricks, 1986! Enjoy, gang. I sure did.

It just gets better and better!

July 25, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

This idea that I now have TIME, gang. Yay!!

Today at noon is the monthly Zoom meeting for the Tabor Research Group. I almost never get to join in on that when it’s LIVE. I almost always have to listen to the recorded playback. But not anymore!!

I am so looking forward to joining that meeting live today, gang. (And I might actually leave my room! I’m thinking I might just hang out in the family room and totally chill-ax in the AC during the 3-hour call! We shall soon see!)

And tomorrow at 3pm, is a live Zoom call with Ross K. Nichols’ Yachad Group! Again, I almost never get to listen to that one live, either. So I’m excited about joining that meeting tomorrow, as well.

And yesterday, I had another really productive day, gang.

I submitted everything I needed to submit for my proposal to speak at the writers conference in Pennsylvania in the Spring . I feel really positive about it but I will keep you posted.

Also, the bookstore in the Historic Arcade sent me an email yesterday about joining their “book cafe” to introduce my new book to local readers. So that felt very promising that I might actually get to do that book signing there, as well. It will still be a couple weeks before I will know for sure, but at least I now know I can get my book in the store.

That makes 2 local independent bookstores in 2 nearby towns! Yay!

***********

Okay!

To celebrate all these great new things in my life–

Keith and Anita, smoking while getting out of a taxi!! In 1973!!

Patti smoking a pen, while sitting on a couch with Theodora when she had that early Coke habit!! (BTW — pens are so much healthier for you, gang. Remember that, the next time you wanna light up a cigarette!!) (And depending on the pen, it can be a lot cheaper.)

And Keith not smoking, while leading the glorious Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit onto the Villa Nellcote property, on June 7th 1971!! (That was what led to the thing that absolutely changed my life forever, gang!)

And here’s that thing that changed my life forever — made in the Mobile Recording Unit!!

Exile on Main Street, in that glorious Year of Our Lord –1972!!

The BACK cover, for a change!! I just loved staring at this while listening to the records in my room.

Who can forget these opening chords?? Not me!! They changed my life forever!!

***********

And here’s this–

Joe Strummer hard at work on Friday!!

**********

Okay.

They did start posting some photos from Johnny Depp’s visit to Comic Con to promote Ebenezer. Here are a couple of them — but the actual videos are just really, really cute!

************

And as we await Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ upcoming homecoming bash in Brighton — (you cannot buy tickets here because it is SOLD OUT!!) —

We go to the desktop stash for a trip back in time!! August 1991, to be exact!!

Nick Cave in a great shirt!! (And please ignore the “send a gift” thingie!! No one is in need of any gifts at this time.)

************

And I believe that is it for now.

This morning is the final morning where we will have really beautiful weather. The heat’s going up this afternoon, followed by several days of rain and thunderstorms. So I’m gonna head out for another walk before the Zoom meeting gets started.

And I want to say thanks again for continuing to visit my (mostly inactive until the podcast begins) Substack page, for continuing to buy my books and eBooks, for checking out my out-of-print books on the Internet Archive, and for pre-ordering The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.

These things really help me to stay positive and to keep on going at this lofty age of 66. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

I hope you have a happy Saturday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

************

Let’s close with this!!

Here on the Oldies FM Radio Station on the retro boombox next to my bed, Saturdays are “Amazing 80s” Day!!

So, fresh from 1984, here was this morning’s first offering!!

“Shooting at the walls of heartache bang bang!!” — Yes!!

“The Warrior” by Scandal ft. Patty Smyth! Turn it up loud because you have NO CHOICE!! Enjoy, gang!!

“

STILL not tired of cake!!

July 23, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Wow, gang, I really had the best birthday, ever.

Even considering that for the last 20 minutes of my dinner out with Kara at my favorite pizzeria yesterday, we argued about politics (!!). We did that last year on my birthday, too…

I try really really really really REALLY hard not to talk about politics with anybody at all anymore, but wow. She pulled me into it in a nanosecond and I could not get out because she refused to stop arguing about it.

But other than those 20 minutes– I had a wonderful birthday!

And today is my Dad’s heavenly birthday — he would have been 96.

Here he is in NYC, having breakfast with me and Wayne in our apartment on West End Avenue. Early 1990s. We were celebrating both our birthdays that weekend — my stepmom, Marie, who is also gone now, took the photo:

That brief moment in time when Wayne stopped shaving…

And, continuing with birthdays!!

I was reminded by a reader that I forgot to celebrate Bobby Sherman’s heavenly birthday yesterday!! (I guess I was just too smitten with my own birthday…!!)

However, long-time readers of this lofty blog perhaps recall that I loved Bobby Sherman when I was a little girl, and it thrilled me that he and I shared a birthday!!

So–

Happy Belated Heavenly Birthday, Bobby!

And while we’re at it, here’s this!! “Cried Like A Baby” — one of Bobby Sherman’s Greatest Hits! (Try not to dance the pony all around the room when the chorus hits, but you might not be successful with that!! I sure wasn’t!!)

And, wow — what else did I miss yesterday??!!

Yes, it was the Feast of Mary Magdalene!! (I actually can’t believe I forgot that one, gang.)

Now back to my OWN birthday!!

Wayne sent me this video early yesterday morning. I just loved it!

The Ramones The Simpsons Birthday Song (40 seconds):

And Steve, the guy I’ve been friends with since we were 11, not only texted me to say “Mazel Tov” on my retirement (I think he’s the only Jewish friend I have left from my wee bonny girlhood), but he also sent this!

Was (Not Was) — “I Feel Better Than James Brown” (4 mins):

But I must say that this next one really delighted me, gang!

I got a text from Dennis right after dinner!! Wishing me a Happy Birthday, and he sent me this video!!

Rod Stewart — “Forever Young” (from way back in 1988. Wonderful):

But I also got some phone calls, some emails, and even quite a few actual BIRTHDAY CARDS this year!! I still have them all propped up on the kitchen table.

So, really, it was just such a nice day.

And starting today — back to my desk!! Wow, do I have a lot of stuff to do. But all of it is connected to various writing projects so I couldn’t be happier.

*************

Okay!

Here’s this!!

I loved how they phrased this! Words that are so un-Kafka like: “stylish bust”.

From the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague:

***********

And from Phyllis Stein!!

Keith, Mick, and Mick apparently not smoking in LA in 1969!! (Photo by Ethan Russell):

**************

And since everyone “Bad Seeds-related” seems to be taking a break right now–

From the desktop stash!! Going back in time!

Nick Cave (with Tracy Pew and some drunk people) not smoking in Germany!! Instead — he’s catching up on some sleep before the upcoming SOLD OUT homecoming bash in Brighton that is many decades away!!!!

**************

And I guess that is it for now.

It is another cool, sunny, gorgeous day here so I’m gonna head out for a walk now and then get down to work.

There is that live acoustic music show going on at the Historic Arcade starting at 5:30 this evening. I’m going to try to attend that but we’ll see how it goes around here.

Meanwhile, enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

************

Let’s close with this!

They actually just released Episode 5 on Prime this morning, but it’s not on YouTube yet, so here’s this!

The Rolling Stones – Speaking In Tongues | The Official Podcast (Episode 4) (26 mins):

Off to great start!

July 21, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yesterday was wonderful, gang.

I got so much done right here at my desk!

And I took that walk — wow, what a gorgeous morning it was around here. It was one of those perfect summer mornings that sort of seemed unbelievable — the birds were singing, the sky was so blue & the smoke haze was gone. Everywhere flowers were blooming and the trees were so green and the corn is getting really tall out in the fields now.

And I did get a lot of stuff done at my desk but I also had a great chat with Wayne on the phone. And I got some promising updates regarding reprint rights I am hoping to secure for the M. Christian tribute anthology from the estates of both Simon Sheppard and Bill Brent.

AND– I got an email from Amazon’s Kindle that a royalty check is on its way to my bank account, so thanks again everybody!! I really, really appreciate that you keep on buying my books and eBooks.

I also discovered yesterday that my reprinted books at Kindle (which are no longer banned or blocked!!) appear to be eligible for Audible audio books now, too! So I am going to be taking care of the paperwork for all 7 of the reprinted titles, so that those can get underway.

So, yay. A great day yesterday.

***********

All right.

I have a phone chat scheduled for 10AM today so I need to get moving —

So, here’s this!!

This artist lives here in Ohio, although I don’t know her. But I always love her pet illustrations (she and her family have lots of dogs and cats). These 2 from yesterday really jumped out at me — big surprise!

“She believed she could so she did … She rescued every animal that came her way.”

“Enjoy the little things in life for someday you will realize they were the Big Things”

****************

And here’s this!

Yesterday in Boston! Peter Wolf dropped in on Jim Lauderdale before the gig!

***********

And here, well, I’m thinkin’ Charlie’s not so sure about that balloon on Keith’s guitar…

***************

And here’s this — from all the way back in 1976!

Richard Hell and Voidoids in a photo taken by Blondie’s Christ Stein!

************

A couple more great ones from Phyllis Stein!

Johnny Thunders in NYC in 1981 (photo by Kathy Findlay):

And the Sex Pistols in London in 1977! (Photo by Adrian Boot)

*****************

It looks like Johnny Depp has a new Sauvage ad campaign coming soon from Dior (perhaps just in time for the Hollywood Vampires’ tour of the UK and Europe, starting in August??) (BTW– you can BUY TICKETS HERE!):

***********

Over at Nick Cave’s Cave Things, they’re having a 2-for-1 t-shirt sale!! You can check it out HERE!

And although it won’t reach me by my birthday, which is tomorrow, I am still in need of this one — lyrics to “The Mercy Seat” (thanking you in advance):