Tag Archives: life

What Lies Ahead!!

October 31, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Here in Crazeysburg, we actually have trick-or-treaters coming out on Halloween!!

In the other nearby towns, trick-or-treat already happened on Thursday night. I guess because it frees everyone up to go to parties on Halloween — or church, if, you know, you’re Satanic or something…

Anyway!!

This is only the 2nd year that our village has had door-to-door trick-or-treaters. The kids used to dress up and then all just meet down by the little Town Hall area and get candy there, and play games, etc.

I really, really love seeing the kids all dressed up, going door-to-door!! They have such a good time. I have no clue if I bought enough candy, but we’ll find out!!

My front door doesn’t actually work, so I decorate the area directly in front of the front door and set a big bowl of candy there, and some lit lanterns, so they can help themselves. And I just sit in the family room and sort of happily watch them while sort of watching TV, too.

This is what I noticed last year: the kids are incredibly polite. They only take one piece of candy, each, and then move on to the next house. Even though it’s a big bowl of FREE candy!! Yay!! But all of them were just really polite.

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Okay!

For some reason, I don’t have much today.

But I do have this!

Someone on Facebook was kind enough to give us 3 for the price of ONE!! Yay!!

Keith!! Smoking!!

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Oh! And I found out yesterday, that me and my co-workers will be going to THIS in early December!

At the Licking County Players Theater!! “Miracle on 34th Street”!! I think it’s a musical, but I’m not sure. Either way, it’s a Christmas miracle and I can’t wait!!

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Okay.

I found out about this documentary on Facebook yesterday. I haven’t had time to watch the whole thing yet, but here it is!

From Melbourne’s The Culture Archivist:

The wild Melbourne world that created Nick Cave (36 mins):

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And speaking of Nick Cave…

Nick Cave Official and The Red Hand Files posted this on Instagram yesterday!!

Something important is going to be announced on Friday, November 6th!!

I think common sense tells us, Nick Cave is going to announce that he’s started smoking again!!! Yay!!!

But, maybe — it’ll be something like a book coming out, with a collection of the greatest Red Hand Files??

Or maybe — Nick is taking the Red Hand Files on tour???!!! And people can ask him questions again, like they did during that fantastic In Conversation tour he did all over the world about 7 years ago??

Obviously, I don’t know but we will find out on Friday!!

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And here’s a couple from Warren Ellis, on tour right now with the Dirty Three!!

And I loved the expressions on everyone’s faces here!!! In Oslo, last night–

And here’s this, because I immediately thought of it!! Paul Simon’s classic “Mother & Child Reunion”, from 1971!!

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Okay.

And here’s this!!

From Facebook!!

Beautiful!!

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And that’s all I’ve got for now!

I’ll be heading out to the store here soon. We are only open for 3 hours on Saturdays, so I’ll probably be right back home before I know it. Plus, I’ll be spending those 3 hours today working with my favorite Q-following girlfriend! So I’m guessing those 3 hours will fly…

We shall see.

However, this means that I don’t get to join in on the live Zoom with James Tabor and the Tabor Research Group today. It’s the first live Zoom since our conference last month in North Carolina. Plus, James will be joining us from Israel, where he is currently staying with Simcha Jacobovici –another one of my favorite people!! — at Simcha’s house.

I will have to watch the replay, but I wish I could be there, live.

But tomorrow!! It’s my favorite day of the year — we turn those clocks back one hour, yay!! And I get one hour of my fleeting life back!!

Meanwhile.

Enjoy your Saturday (and Halloween, if you celebrate it) 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!!

A few days ago, Alex S. Johnson interviewed British metal singer Aaron Stainthorpe!

Aaron Stainthorpe (Ex-MY DYING BRIDE; HIGH PARASITE; TOWARDS THE SINISTER). THE KANDY FONTAINE SHOW (1 hr 28 mins). Enjoy, gang!!

Maybe A Quiet One Today?

October 30, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Well, yesterday was not exactly what I was expecting.

First off — after going through the entire Spring and Summer around here without ANY cats — indoors or outside — getting fleas…

Yesterday, it became apparent that, on the final days of October, for chrissakes — all the INDOOR cats had become infested.

So … $200 later.

But I caught it in time. It hadn’t taken over the house, or anything. But I did have to drop everything and drive an hour to town and back, and visit 3 different stores to get enough flea meds for all the cats. Since it’s the end of flea season, the stores weren’t exactly stocked anymore. But I eventually found what I needed and now it is done.

Too bad a house full of rescued cats isn’t actually like this…

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Before that, though —

I did make some good progress on the flash fiction piece for the Bill Burroughs anthology. And I at least have an idea of how it will end. Still don’t know how the story will get to the ending but I have about 450 words left to achieve it.

But I was happily working away on it, when suddenly–

I got a text from the investigative journalist again — more questions regarding the photographer RC Horsch, a colleague of mine from over 25 years ago that I had ceased all communications with back in 2001 because I found him very disturbing.

(I noticed that RC Horsch’s Wikipedia page has been very recently updated: “…an American erotic photographer, pornographic filmmaker, convicted criminal and suspected serial killer….”)

Anyway. The journalist asked me if I would be willing to be interviewed on camera. Back in September, I had only agreed to be interviewed through texting, although I agreed that he could use my name.

Well, Part 1 of his investigation is on YouTube now, so I stopped what I was doing and watched it (29 minutes). I felt that, while it is disturbing, obviously, it was not distastefully presented or sensationalized.

So I agreed to do the interview on camera for Part 2. It will happen Sunday afternoon.

Here is Part 1 if you want to watch it. It does not show anything explicit or gorey.

The Fall of the House of Horsch Film | RC Horsch & His Son The Early Years (29 mins):

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I was quietly relieved, though, to find that I was no longer feeling that horrible paranoia that I’d been feeling toward the end of the summer. I was able to handle watching the video just fine.

My life, overall, has definitely moved into a more emotionally secure place — mostly because I’m back in the world among people and working. Not just living alone in my head.

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Okay!

Yesterday, Brown Hound Press posted a new short story– very well written, in my opinion.

“Sound Privacy” by Nicholas Bacci Siegel

You can read it HERE, free.

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Oh, and my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn never did call yesterday…

So yesterday was just nothing like what I was expecting.

And since I was sort of “occupied” all day and into the evening, I don’t have hardly any “here’s this’s'”.

But here’s this–

I don’t really know the details, but Warren Ellis posted this from Oslo this morning:

And it was posted along with this song — Johnny Thunders, “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory” (1978):

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And here’s this!!

The B52s got their star unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday!!

From Fred Schneider:

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And from Facebook!!

And speaking of Nick Cave–

He sent out a new Red Hand File about 3 seconds ago…

A reader wrote in and asked Nick how he had spent his time off from the Red Hand Files. And Nick revealed, in part:

“…I spent the time happily sculpting, firing, and glazing – no distractions, no internet, no phones, no music, no podcasts. Just clay. I fashioned little worlds by hand, devilish things, swept along on that preternatural current where form waits to be found. I felt the world’s anxieties drain away – how quickly they retreated – until I came upon something essential, the spirit freed from the dross, the imagination stripped clean to something pure and wide, and lovely….”

This is a sample from his brand new ceramics collection — the second in his series about The Devil — The Devil in the Afterlife:

THE DEVIL IN HELL (FOR THE FIRST TIME) from *THE DEVIL IN THE AFTERLIFE* by NICK CAVE, 2026

You can read the new Red Hand File in full, HERE.

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And that is it for now.

I gotta get ready to head to work.

Enjoy your Friday-before-Halloween (if you celebrate it), wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

From my drive to and from town yesterday for the cats’ flea meds…

I played this on repeat, loud. And thought a good deal about RC Horsch, and my early career and where it’s led me, and I let the song transport me away from all of it for awhile.

Barry Manilow, “I Write the Songs”. 1975. Enjoy, gang.

Getting Social Around Here!

October 29, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay!!

So, not only do we have a group lunch coming up in early November — with my co-workers at the health & wellness store (including the woman who runs the store).

But on Monday, I’m having lunch with my dear pals Wendy and Kara, to celebrate Wendy’s birthday!!

The 3 of us have not had time to get together for lunch since Christmas. I’m really looking forward to it.

We’re going here !!

So, the main reason I returned to the working world was to be around people again. And it is already a complete success.

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I’m getting a late start here on the blog today because it was “Pay the Bills” day today!!

So the bills are paid — and I have to say, I am managing the expense of the recent trip to Charlotte , NC, and that fantastic hotel, just fine.

Yay!!

Oh, and Sandra texted at 7:15AM and asked if I was up and having coffee yet (I of course was!!), so we had our chat on the phone first thing this morning.

I am still aiming to be in NYC for her Birthday Cabaret the 3rd week of January…

And at some point today, I’m supposed to catch up with my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn!! Yay!!

For some reason, I’m a lot older when I chat with Valerie…

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And then somewhere here today, I’ll be working some more on the flash fiction piece for the Bill Burroughs tribute anthology…

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Okay!

It’s that time again!!

Erica Verrillo’s fantastic monthly free newsletter for writers is out:

73 Calls for Submissions in November 2026 – Paying markets!

“This November there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.”

Visit HERE. And sign up for her FREE newsletter, while you’re at it!!

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Meanwhile….

Due to the time difference between here and Europe, and my overall schedule–

I’m falling behind in The Dirty Three’s European Tour!!

Posted by Warren Ellis after their tour-opening show in Vicenza, Italy!!

And here’s Warren ~~Elvis~~, oops, ELLIS, during their show in Geneva last night!!

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Speaking of Elvis….

Here’s Johnny Cash!!

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And speaking of Johnny Cash….

Dwight Yoakam is still on tour!! You can buy tickets HERE!

And in the event you need some Guitars, Cadillacs, and Hillbilly Music RIGHT NOW—

And I have to say, yet again, that experiencing Dwight Yoakam singing this very song live at The Ritz in NYC in the 1980s — it was absolutely unbelievable, gang. Truly one of the highlights of my already indescribably insane life.

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Okay!

Here’s this!!

I might have posted it here before, but you can’t beat a photo of Keith smoking while he’s on fire, can you, gang??!

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And here’s this great song, just for the hell of it!!

Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” from his huge hit album, Born in the USA (1984):

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From Phyllis Stein.

The New York Dolls in London, 1973.

Photographer Ian Dickson passed away recently–

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And here’s this!!

From Facebook!!

Nick Cave looking very, very Nick Cave-y!! In color!! Yay!!

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And I guess that is it, gang.

I gotta get focused here and get some writing done before the day flies away from me and I’m yakking merrily on the phone with Valerie.

Enjoy your 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 today!!

This came up in my YouTube stream!

I used to LOVE this song, as a wee bonny teenaged lass. I played this record a lot (on her Greatest Hits album) when I was very very very briefly away at college in 1978… Luckily my 3 other roommates liked Joan Baez, too.

(And if you were ever a stranger that I’ve been in love with, well, then this one’s for you and you know who you are!!)

Joan Baez, 1972. “Love Song To A Stranger”. Enjoy, gang.

“Love Song To A Stranger”

How long since I’ve spent a whole night in a twin bed with a stranger
His warm arms all around me?
How long since I’ve gazed into dark eyes that melted my soul down
To a place where it longs to be?
All of your history has little to do with your face
You’re mainly a mystery with violins filling in space

You stood in the nude by the mirror and picked out a rose
From the bouquet in our hotel
And lay down beside me again and I watched the rose
On the pillow as it fell
I sank and I slept in a twilight with only one care
To know that when day broke and I woke that you’d still be there
You’d still be there

The hours for once they passed slowly, unendingly by
Like a sweet breeze on a field
Your gentleness came down upon me and I guess I thanked you
When you caused me to yield
We spoke not a sentence and took not a footstep beyond
Our two days together which seemingly soon would be gone
Soon would be gone

Don’t tell me of love everlasting and other sad dreams
I don’t want to hear
Just tell me of passionate strangers who rescue each other
From a lifetime of cares
‘Cause if love means forever, expecting nothing returned
Then I hope I’ll be given another whole lifetime to learn

‘Cause you gave to me, oh, so many things, it makes me wonder
How they could belong to me
And I gave you only my dark eyes which melted your soul down
To a place where it longs to be

c – 1972 Joan Baez

Happily saying farewell to yesterday!

October 28, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 4 Comments

Wow, gang.

I honestly have no idea what happened, but late yesterday afternoon there was just a huge energy shift around here. Negative. Intense. Stressful.

I don’t know if it was strictly coming from me, or if other people were feeling it, too? You know how they say that cell towers can be used to transmit negative radio waves. or micro waves? Things like that?

I just don’t know. But I went from having a very decent day to suddenly feeling like I was on the verge of a mini-nervous breakdown. I couldn’t calm down — couldn’t force myself to do yoga. Couldn’t force myself to go outside and take a walk, even though it was a really beautiful day.

And I do think it’s sort of curious how my blog went from usually getting around 200 visitors a day, worldwide — then yesterday there were only 36 visitors, and most came from Europe. So it made me wonder, if just in general, there was a stressful energy going around.

And then — I was supposed to hear back from Sandra late yesterday afternoon about one of our projects, but she didn’t call. I was awake at 2:45AM, struggling to go back to sleep. I decided to text her, just to remind her that I’m working today and to call me Thursday instead… she texted right back! At 2:45AM. She couldn’t sleep, either.

So who knows! I did eventually fall back to sleep and woke up feeling a lot better. more human. A little tired…

And I did spend a couple of hours on the flash fiction piece for the Bill Burroughs anthology early yesterday afternoon. I’m not really sure how it’s going because I don’t know yet how it will end — I don’t know yet what I’m aiming for, but we’ll see how it unfolds. At least I got started.

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Okay.

From James Tabor– he posted this to the Research Group last night. I think it’s okay to re-post it here:

“Robert Eisenman, Scholar of Early Christianity Who Freed the Dead Sea Scrolls, Passes Away at 89“

“I was very close to Robert since 1991 when we excavated at Qumran. We have spent hundreds of days together over these years. He lived a full and amazing life. I have endless stories to share with you all. Packing and getting ready to head to Israel soon. He was buried yesterday on the Mt of Olives…I will try to visit his grave while in Jerusalem weekend after next.”

James also included this video:

Robert Eisenman & the Dead Sea Scrolls: RIP: Best Interview Ever! (1 hr):

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Well, this really perked my “spirits” yesterday!!

Warren Ellis posted this photo from the after show — after his solo performance in Milan!

Yay!! Look who showed up?? And 2 of them had already been dead for decades!!

But at least a good time was had by all. Richard Hell, Johnny Thunders, and Sid Vicious:

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And here’s this!

Tom Petty in NYC in 1977! (Photo by Michael Putland)

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And this!

Keith and Ronnie, rehearsing in 1978 in NYC. (Photo by Ken Regan)

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From yesterday!

Alex S. Johnson chats with the legendary author, Paul Di Filippo (1 hr):

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And here’s this!!

There was quite a crowd of current and former Bad Seeds on Denmark Street in London the other day!!

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And here’s this!

From 1989!! In Los Angeles! A few of the Travelin’ Wilburys, standing still! With a couple of plates over their heads!! Tom Petty! Jeff Lynne (smoking! drinking!)! And George Harrison!

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And back to the Bad Seeds–

A couple of great ones with great hair! Nick Cave and Blixa Bargeld!!

And from Facebook!

(And today, I heartily concur — although, yesterday afternoon, not so much!!)

And that is it for now.

I want to try to just get a little more rest before heading to town. Just to make sure my energy is completely back on track for the store. Since, you know, you can’t really help others if you can’t help yourself…

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, 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.

Perfect accompaniment for my in-progress Bill Burroughs piece.

Jack Kerouac, reading “MacDougal Street Blues” with a jazz piano. (With film footage of NYC in the 1950s-60s.) (3 mins). Enjoy, gang!!

A Happy Tuesday in the Hinterlands!

October 27, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Okay!

I am here.

It’s been an active morning here so far!!

I slept great. Absolutely, totally great.

Then got out of bed at 5:30AM to discover that one of the cats had thrown up on one of the upstairs bathroom rugs. Oh well.

And another cat (the truly beautiful Cuddles McGee) was in the process of peeing on a throw rug in the hallway.

So one load of laundry got immediately underway! And I only got a tiny little bit pissed off…

Then in the downstairs bathroom, off the laundry room, I discovered that the cats had managed to get into the cupboard under the bathroom sink and had shredded THREE brand new rolls of paper towels.

Shredded bits of paper were all over the floor and I had to drop everything and sweep it up.

At this point, it was about 5:43AM.

I only got a tiny little bit more pissed off — if you count hollering, “You FUCKERS!!!” as being a tiny little bit more pissed off…

However.

I was able to easily switch gears when I took the shredded paper towel rolls out to the trash bin beside the kitchen porch, and there sat my beautiful Kon Tiki of the Great Outdoors, on the porch in the dark, and she went trotting into the kitchen to join us for breakfast.

Yay.

And so then we got breakfast underway!!

I made a really big breakfast for myself this morning, because I’ve been missing being in that hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, a few weeks ago — and, NO!, not because my cats weren’t there, but because the hotel had that great breakfast buffet every morning!

So, since I have today off, I decided to make a big breakfast and I’m really glad I did. It really, really shifted my mood back to being in a happy place!!

Okay!

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Today, I’m mostly going to begin working on the flash fiction piece for the William S. Burroughs anthology.

I have an overall feeling about what I want to write, but I’m not sure, yet, how I will put it down on paper. So we shall see how it goes!! I still have about 2 weeks to nail it and send it in.

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If you are a taxpaying US citizen and either have an IRA or need help starting an affordable one (retirement account), go to TrumpIRA.gov and sign up for info, if you haven’t already. (You might have already received a letter from the IRS about doing this.)

The government will be making up to $1000 contributions to our retirement accounts, annually, beginning in 2027, so be sure to sign up!!

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Okay.

Sadly, this happened on this day in 2013–

And, no, I’m not going to post this song here again, because I’ve already posted it here a million times….

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And here’s this–

Speaking of Bill Burroughs!! Here he is with ~~philosopher and former Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain~~ — Oops! excuse me — the artist, Francis Bacon!

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And here’s this!

Keith!! Holding a pair of shades! And a half-empty or half-full bottle of Jack Daniels!! (Photo perhaps taken by my little Jewish, Jack-Daniels-drinking school friend, Karen, back in 1972?? Not sure…)

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And here’s this!!

From the show in Milan last night!!!

Warren Ellis!! Plus one of the cutest pups ever!!

And here’s this while we’re at it!! “Cherry Bomb,” by the legendary Runaways, 1976!!

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And from Facebook!!

Here’s this!

Nick Cave, smoking!! Singing! Maybe even sweating a little??!!

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And that is it for today!!

And since it’s Tuesday, it means I get to watch a new episode of Season 2 of “Ludwig” on Britbox during dinner tonight!! Yay!

Meanwhile, have a terrific Tuesday, 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!!

Burroughs on Kerouac (1 min). Just beautiful:

How things are feeling around here!!

October 25, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Well, sort of.

I am glad I finished the editing of the M. Christian tribute anthology, but I am still feeling those little stragglers of depression and loss.

For instance, Bill Brent, who had been a very close colleague and friend of both M. Christian and myself (and countless others), came to live with me here in Ohio for awhile, after he’d broken up with a long-time significant other in Hawaii.

Bill was not easy to live with at that point in his life — his topics of conversation included his detailed thoughts about how to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco without getting rescued…

After he left Ohio, leaving all his possessions “temporarily” stored in my basement, he moved back to San Francisco…

And jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Without getting rescued.

That was back in 2012.

Of course, for me, Bill’s spirit is all over M. Christian’s tribute anthology…along with the loss of so many others from my world.

But I am trying to shift my focus. And shift my focus. And shift my focus.

I’m hoping that once I send the manuscript over to my publisher and have her focus on it for awhile, it will sort of get my mind off of all the loss, and I can truly move forward toward focusing on new stuff.

We’re gonna find out, because I’m gonna hit “SEND” as soon as I’m done posting to the blog today.

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Well, here’s some stuff!

Keith’s birthday wishes to Bill Wyman yesterday:

And here’s some birthday wishes from the gallery in London where Bill’s photos are currently on display:

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And I thought this was quite interesting!!

It was taken only THREE DAYS AGO, and Keith is clearly smoking… (so much for quitting!) (But my guess is that he’s still gonna live longer than any of us!!)

And here’s Keith again!!

Smoking!! And playing a guitar!! In mostly black, a little white…

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Speaking of guitar heroes…

Here’s something that has me sort of spellbound, gang.

The producer/narrator who is working on the audiobook edition of my novel, The Guitar Hero Goes Home, sent me over an update, an audio file, yesterday and he is doing such a fantastic job.

If you are unfamiliar with that novel — it is told from the POV of a famous (fictional) guitar hero at the very end of his life. (In fact, in my opinion, he is already dead while he’s telling the story of his life, but I leave it up to the reader to decide.)

He has no name in the book, and the entire book is being told by him to the new love in his life — and she is never named. Never speaks. Nothing. It’s only him, throughout.

When this novel “came to me” in 2019, it was literally as if it were being dictated to me by a guy in my head. A voice. I typed out what he “told me”. His whole life story. (You can read a sample here on the blog.)

I loved this novel. And every publisher I sent it to declined it. I finally published it myself, and I still love this book, gang.

Well, yesterday, listening to the new audio file — wow. It was like I was finally really hearing the guy who had spoken to me in my head all those years ago. It felt incredible, listening to it. I even got chills a couple times. “This is the guy!”, you know?

I won’t be publishing the audiobook until early 2027, but I can’t wait.

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From James Tabor — he sent out this video to us this morning. It’s from a couple years ago, but it is really good.

Paul within His Hellenistic World: Understanding Cosmic Salvation (1hr 30 mins):

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And later this afternoon, Ross K. Nichols is having a private Zoom discussion with the Yachad. I can’t post details about it yet, but it should be really interesting!!

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And in other very interesting developments — I’ve been invited to contribute a flash fiction piece honoring William S. Burroughs, for an anthology edited by Alex S. Johnson. (Tight deadline.)

Ideas are already flowing into my brain, so here’s hoping it will hit the page quickly and in a good way. We shall soon see!!

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Meanwhile….

From Facebook.

I do not think this day sucks in ANY way, however, I loved this photo!!

So here it is!!

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And that is it for now.

I’m gonna get the manuscript off to my publisher, and then maybe take a little walk and clear my brain.

It is another stunning fall day out there today.

Enjoy your 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!!

That TV show from Japan that I really loved is back on Netlfix!! With episodes I haven’t seen yet!!

I watched it last night. I’m so glad it’s back. (Between that, and new episodes of “Ludwig” on Britbox, and reruns of “Mrs. Brown’s Boys”– again!!!! I’m doing all right, TV-wise.)

“Midnight Diner”. Recap. Enjoy, gang.

Very quick post

October 23, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Okay, I did get a little nap just now (see earlier post), but I still don’t have time for a regular post today before I have to leave for town.

However, I did want to post this today.

10 years ago today, the sweetest cat on Earth left us!

Bunny! She lived to be 14. I adopted Bunny and her brother Buster as kittens, from an animal shelter in Times Square in NYC. They moved with me 5 times — to 3 different States…

And here’s the portrait Valerie in Brooklyn made of Bunny about 12 years ago:

And I’m posting this just because I saw it while looking for photos of Bunny —

The house I had from October 2006 to October 2016. Huckleberry, on the old piano in the living room!

Also, this happened on this day in 1999–

I lost my best friend on Earth, Paul Martin. He died at a few minutes after 8 in the evening, October 23, 1999. And oddly, it had been an incredibly beautiful fall evening. I was over in Riverside Park, looking out at the Hudson River, overwhelmed by how beautiful everything looked; it was spellbinding. (This was only a few blocks from where Wayne & I lived on the Upper West Side in NYC.)

Then I went home and a little later, got word from Paul’s mom that Paul had passed away. He had suffered from AIDS for about 6 years by then and had been confined to a nursing home for the final year of it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: my life was never the same after Paul died. He was truly my best friend. So funny, so talented. So compassionate. We stood by each other through everything. We met in the Theater Department in high school, in 1977, and remained best friends for 22 years.

Soar in peace, baby! I miss you so much.

And that’s it.

I’ll have a regular post tomorrow. Thanks for visiting. I love you guys!!

And here’s this, just because Paul loved this song so much. I wrote it in 1981.

“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.

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

A delightful Thursday in the Hinterlands!

October 22, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

All righty, gang!

Today, I am hoping to finally decide the order to put the stories in for the M. Christian anthology. For some reason, I’m having trouble with that. But I am hoping to simply tackle it today.

Then write the Foreword.

Then turn in the anthology to my publisher.

That’s the plan anyway….

If for some reason it goes awry, I still have the weekend to finish it and turn it in.

Oh!

My work schedule has changed. I will now be working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And one Saturday morning per month. (Which means that for 3 weeks each month, I will have 3 days off in a row…)

I am still absolutely loving being back at that job, gang. Honestly, it’s like being part of a family again.

And there is so much passion there, and laughter — mixed with a genuine desire to help people (the customers) take control of their own health.

And at the end of the shift, we generally all walk out together and hug each other while saying goodbye and heading out for the night.

That little health & wellness store has been family-owned and on that spot for over 30 years.

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Okay!

I thought this was very interesting. I read it in “The Dailies” this morning:

“WGA East found a way to make scripts AI-proof. The [screenwriter’s] guild is partnering with Cloak, a startup whose tool makes files unreadable to AI but readable by humans, and giving members free access to keep their work out of training data. Cloak claims it holds up against ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, plus the auto-summaries in Gmail.”

You can read about it in full on IndieWire HERE.

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From Singapore Unbound today:

“You are warmly invited to Singapore Unbound’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, wherever you are in the world! Established in 2016, Singapore Unbound envisions and works for a creative and fulfilling life for everyone through the arts and activism. We organize events such as the monthly Second Saturdays Reading Series and the biennial Singapore Literature Festival in NYC. We also publish a literary journal called SUSPECT and books through our close associate Gaudy Boy.”

Singapore Unbound’s 10th Anniversary Celebration (online)
Saturday, November 14, 8.00-9.30 pm ET / Sunday, November 15, 9.00-10.30 am SGT
Featuring Vijay Seshadri, Gina Apostol, and Tania De Rozario
RSVP: HERE

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All righty.

From Phyllis Stein!

Gene Vincent, smoking in 1956!! (Photo from Michael Ochs Archives)

And also from 1956 — Gene Vincent’s HUGE hit, “Be-Bop-A-Lula”!! (I loved this song as a wee bonny lass! It was, by then, already a classic.)

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And here’s a great photo of Keith Richards and the late, great, and very missed, Charlie Watts!

And here’s Mick and Keith goin’ places on a train!! (1964 or 65?) (Mick doesn’t own a cellphone yet so he’s just staring at a bottle…)

Keith thinks staring at bottles is, well, stupid.

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Here’s Ronnie Wood, painting!!

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And here’s a photo by the legendary rock photographer, Lynn Goldsmith!!

3 of my idols when I was in my late teens:

Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and Tom Petty!!

And why not listen to this, for a change?! Jackson Browne’s huge hit from 1978! “Running On Empty”!

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And here’s this!!

Yesterday, Bad Seed George Vjestica wished Jim Sclavunos a Happy Birthday!!

Happy belated birthday, Jim Sclavunos (aka “Super Hot Dog”)!! (I love this photo: Bad Seeds Jim, Colin, George, and Carly.)

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From Nick Cave Official this morning–

Apparently, it’s been 5 years since Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds released Vol. 2 of B-Sides & Rarities!!

(I can’t believe it’s been 5 years already…)

But this happened, 5 years ago, too! This was such a great conversation. This happened online during the era of lockdowns. I remember listening to it on my (now obsolete) iPad, in bed , in the dark…

Nick Cave & Mick Harvey Talk B-Sides & Rarities (36 mins):

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And from Facebook!!

You know, in case we wanted to have some FUN today!!

Nick Cave!! Smoking!! And, well, having fun…(?)!

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And that is it.

I better get that editor’s cap back on and get to work around here.

Enjoy your Thursday, 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 absolute favorite songs from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ B-Sides & Rarities, Vol. 2!

I do not know how many times I have listened to this song in the last 5 years…

“Fleeting Love”. 2008. Enjoy, gang.

“Fleeting Love”

I wake up and it’s half past four
My baby, she turns her face to the wall
I ain’t gonna cry
But it ain’t that funny no more

I pulled on a blanket made of stars
I wrap up my darling, all nice and warm
I ain’t gonna lie
But I don’t want the truth no more

Everybody knows
Ain’t found this good since the Stone Age
When my undying love
Was just a phase

On her way to the club
I hear her say
She’d dance the night away
Everybody needs some fleeting love

I follow my baby up the hotel stairs
And I’m lying into the back of her legs
I ain’t gonna buy
Whatever it is they’re selling, no more

I wake up later and it’s half past five
My baby, she stretches, opens her eyes
She says, “I ain’t gonna lie
But I could get to like you, babe”

Everybody knows
Ain’t found this good since the Stone Age
When my undying love
Was just a phase

On her way back to the club
I heard her say
As we dance the night away
Everybody needs some fleeting love

Ain’t found this good since the Stone Age
When my undying love
Was just a phase

When she opened her eyes
I heard her cry
Saying, “Darling, don’t you sigh
‘Cause everybody needs some fleeting love”

c – 2008 Nick Cave, Warren Ellis

“Her Tuesdays should just be called ‘sorry I’m late’ day.”

October 20, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 1 Comment

I don’t really know what it is about Tuesdays, now, gang, but since I started back to work at the store, Tuesdays feel like Saturdays to me. And I just seem to get a really slow start here.

Meaning: I go back to bed after breakfast; play with the cats; look around at my world and wonder how the heck I even got here… Etc.

But here I am, now, at my desk! Happy Tuesday!

Before we forget!!!!

Happy heavenly birthday, Tom Petty!!

Believe it or not, he would have been 76 today. I almost can’t fucking believe it. Anyway…

And let’s listen to this one today! One of my all-time favorite Tom Petty songs. “You & Me”, from The Last DJ, 2002.

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Well, I have to say that Rasha’s mom did come to get her and take her to her new home, and I actually miss little Rasha quite a bit.

Yes, even with 14 cats still living here…

But every time I remind myself that Rasha and her mom are finally re-united now — I feel very happy for both of them.

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From James Tabor–

Did the First Witnesses Believe that Jesus’ Body Left the Tomb? (33 mins):

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And here’s this!

A couple of great photos of the Rolling Stones from yesteryear!!

1966–

1980!

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And something else I did not know about Dwight Yoakam!!

(Although I do know that he went to high school in Columbus, Ohio!! But he lived way on the other side of the city from where I lived. Plus, he’s 4 years older than I am, so I was about 13 when he was graduating high school…)

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Here’s this!

Rowland S. Howard smoking and promoting “Swamp Thing”!

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I have had misgivings about posting this photo to my blog, because I didn’t want to invade her privacy or anything.

But, you know, she DID post it to Instagram… so I’m gonna go ahead and post it to my blog!

Blare N. Bitch!! At “Gay C/DC”!! The “All Gay Tribute to AC/DC” in LA the other night!!

She is still a guitar player — but more a heavy metal player than the punk rocker she was when we first started, you know, doin’ that stuff we did in the 1980s…

Anyway. She was the absolute love of my life then, and she still looks fantastic at 67!!

And here’s this, while we’re at it!! The song I wrote for her in 1983! “Where Do Dark Girls Go?” (Back then, the girls she ran with in her punk band had some heroin issues… but she’s been clean now for about 38 years.)

WHERE DO DARK GIRLS GO?

Where do they go
When the night comes down?
They turn up the radio
And they drive around;
When the night comes down.

Where do they hide
When the lonesome road
Is taking its toll again
And the kicks get old;
Where do dark girls go?

Out on the wind
Where the voices call
From the pain of centuries
Through the darkest soul?
Is that where they go?

CHORUS
She takes it in
She breathes it out
She breaks the thing
She cares about
She tries again, cries and in
Anger she breaks it down;
She buys the dream
She holds it then
The passion turns to fire again;
She’s trying it, hiding it
This is her only crime:
She speaks her mind.

Where do they run
When the dreams get lost
And the game goes round & round
And she can’t get off,
And she can’t get off?

Where do they hide
When the fear takes hold
And she’s pushed the needle down
As far as it will go?
Where do dark girls go?

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And here’s this!!

Nick Cave, looking splendid while lounging somewhere, not smoking and holding a pair of glasses!! In black & white!!

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And actually, I think that’s it for now.

I’ve got to run a couple of errands here in the village, then focus on the M. Christian tribute anthology which is just about complete…

I do have to say that I am battling a sort of undercurrent of depression, gang. The anthology has brought some wonderful people back in my life from the old days — but it makes me really miss the old days. I’m trying to just focus on “here & now” and allow the past to be part of what “now” is. If that makes sense? (All of it would probably be easier if I were still living in NYC, however.) But I am so grateful I have the old job back at the health & wellness store, and get to be with my friends when I’m working there. Because at least that makes me really, really happy.

Anyway — I do have this to look forward to today!!

Episode 2 of Season 2 of “Ludwig” started airing on Britbox today! I will watch it during my dinner!

Okay!

Have a terrific Tuesday, 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!

The new video by the Rolling Stones!! Just dropped this morning. Enjoy, gang!

Fall, Finally!

October 17, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 4 Comments

Wow, it really is finally Fall around here, gang.

Chilly, sunny. Most of the leaves on the trees have turned to those beautiful autumnal colors, while a bunch of them are already on the ground… All over the village.

It’s just totally October today!

I will be at my desk probably the entire weekend. I need to stay on track with the M. Christian tribute anthology deadline. And that one longer short story is front and center on my desk today for editing.

Also! I want to mention here — Dr. Carol Queen and Alex S. Johnson have both contributed to the anthology. So I thought I’d post this! (Alex interviews Carol!! From a few days ago.)

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Okay!

The FREE download promotion for my short story collection, “A Man in Her Arms & Other Stories” over on Amazon is over now, but I want to thank everyone who downloaded it!!

Even though it was free, so obviously I don’t make any money off it, but just having you guys download it put it in the sales rankings, so that helped hugely. So thank you so much!!

(And that cover above was designed by my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn!! I just love it…)

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Okay!

Coming up on October 21st in Iowa — in honor of Jack’s passing! (I think this is so cool. I wish I could be there.)

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And here’s this!

More from Johnny Depp’s current art exhibit in London!

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And it looks like yesterday was the anniversary of Hilly Kristal’s passing. He was the owner/founder of CBGBs in NYC. He was practically as famous as his club was.

I went to CBGBs many times in the early 80s (in addition to playing there), because I had friends in bands that played there frequently back then. And I do remember at least one night when Hilly was there and everyone was sort of whispering and pointing at him…

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And here’s these two guys!! In days gone by…

Gram Parsons and Keith Richards. Not smoking.

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And here’s Keith!! On the road to getting better with age!! Yay!

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Okay.

Here’s this!!

And I’m not sure what’s going on here but it looks like they see something! (Personally, what I see, is some truly great hair on Nick Cave…)

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And that is, I guess, it for today!

I hope you have a fantastic Saturday, 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!

Breakfast-listening music from this morning!

Yes, I have listened to this song 7 trillion times in my life, and yes, I have posted it here to the blog about as many times…

But here it is again! From Disc 2 of Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2017) which is currently in the little jukebox on my kitchen table!!

“The Ship Song” (originally 1990), Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Enjoy, gang!!