It’s at that point now where it is really feeling like fall.
It’s stays dark out in the mornings until 7:30 AM, and by 7:30 PM, I’m lighting the little tea candles in my room and watching TV (or listening to music) by candlelight.
Fall is definitely my favorite time of year, gang — followed extremely closely by Christmas!!
Yay!
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Okay– the sun is coming up now and it is such a gorgeous morning out there!! Something about autumn leaves against a clear blue sky just makes my heart soar, gang.
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All righty.
Today marks 57 years since Jack Kerouac’s passing. RIP, Jack.
And on a related note — I am currently reading 3 books now. I recently added this one to the stack next to my bed and I am really loving it:
If you guys downloaded it last week — when you have a chance to read it, please review it if possible! It helps those algorithms. Thank you!!
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Here’s some great news!!
The B-52s have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!!
From Fred Schneider yesterday–
And here’s this, while we’re at it!! “Love Shack,” by the B-52s, 1989!!
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From Phyllis Stein!
Iggy & the Stooges at Max’s in NYC, 1973!! (Photo by Danny Fields)
And on the subject of Danny Fields, the photographer (above) — I actually met him once, he was good friends with one of my girlfriends, a playwright.
He and I were riding around the East Village one afternoon, in the back of a rented limousine. We were talking about my songwriting career. I was frustrated because everyone was telling me to move to Nashville — that my songs were too Country for NYC. But I just didn’t want to go to Nashville. I loved NYC… Anyway. He was very nice.
And on another related note — I eventually got a song publishing deal in Nashville. But I got it through my uncle, who was a popular Country singer back then and he was very well-connected in Nashville.
He basically got me the deal –I still have the actual contract– but nothing ever happened with it. I was that determined to never go to Nashville…
Me, in my room back then, never going to Nashville!!
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Here’s Rowland S. Howard not smoking in Cologne in 1992!!
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And from Facebook!
Nick Cave, smoking but, IMHO, not laughing… ?? (Such a great photo.)
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Okay, that is it for today.
Well, darn it — now there’s a heavy fog all over the village.
That’s one thing about living in a valley in the foothills: “Sometimes there’s fog, so quickly!!” (To sort of paraphrase Tennessee Williams and “A Streetcar Named Desire”…)
Anyway.
Hopefully it will lift as quickly as it came, and I won’t have to drive to town in the fog. We shall soon see.
Meanwhile, 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!!
In honor of Jack Kerouac’s passing… His legendary TV appearance on the Steve Allen Show.
I got the final contribution for the M. Christian tribute anthology last night and so I am now very close to completing the editing — still need to write the Foreword, but I wanted to read the final contribution before I did that.
Then I turn it in to my publisher.
And btw — this happened yesterday at the Easton Book Festival! (This is my wonderful, huge-hearted publisher; do you see my new novel on the table there?? Yay!!)
Anyway!
This anthology has been a very moving experience for me to put together, gang. It not only connected me to so many wonderful memories of the small press world-gone-by, but it showed me that all of us writers were affected by how drastically the publishing world changed when the economy crashed back in 2008.
Reading what these other contributors wrote about M. Christian and those times, made me feel less alone in all that upheaval of the past, you know?
Once the publishers went under, my agent had me redirect my focus to films, TV, and then theatre, because there was a lot going on in those areas. But for me, it was never as fun as working with the small presses had been.
Then of course the scamdemic wiped out the remainder of my career a few years later… but onward.
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Okay!
From Johnny Depp yesterday!
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Here’s an area of Greenwich Village that I used to hang around in A LOT. In the folk clubs. The infamous Cafe Wha? was not a folk club but it was just a few steps away from a club I played in all the time in the early 80s.
This is about 20 years before I was around there, though:
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Here’s George Harrison and his refrigerator!!
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Keith in black & white!!
I think I posted this once before but I saw it again and I just love the feel of it.
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Phyllis Stein posted this yesterday.
I only copied one of the photos she posted in this grouping, but my main interest is in what she says about Rockets Redglare, below. (FYI, Phillis was one of the producers of the great documentary, “Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy,” 2016.)
Sid & Nancy, at Max’s in NYC, 1978 (photo by Ebet Roberts)
Here’s the doc if you haven’t seen it (free, on YouTube, age-restricted).
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And here’s this!
From Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School yesterday (this was very interesting):
“The Book of Psalms is made up of several collections. One of them stands apart. It covers 55 psalms, more than a third of the Psalter, and every one is marked with the title of one man. He never speaks in these psalms. We don’t even know his name. And yet some of history’s most famous cries come from his collection. Some of the singers whose names appear in it were remembered as prophets and seers. And when the Gospel writers record Jesus speaking in his suffering, the words of the Psalms they give him come from this collection. “
The Choir Master and the Suffering Psalms (48 mins):
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And here’s this!
Warren Ellis sending mixed messages this morning!! (Is he in need of a trim, or are the pups??? I’m not sure!!)
But here’s this, in the meantime! (See above). Donovan, “Season of the Witch” 1966! (Such a great song — so evocative!)
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Okay!
This is all I have re: Nick Cave today! But it, too, is evocative!!
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And that is it for today!
I’m heading out here soon to go spend the day with a couple of my favorite people! At my favorite health & wellness store!
I still can’t believe that somehow, so suddenly, I have my old life back. And I just love it. And even though I’d been gone from the job for about 4 years, customers come in now and instantly remember me! Wow. And all of them say, “It’s so great to have you back!”
It’s just beautiful.
Okay. Have a great Monday, wherever you are in the world, gang.
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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I leave you with this!
From Act 2 of one of my favorite operas — that I had kinda forgotten about: “Les Conts d’Hoffmann,” by Offenbach.
I saw this opera about 15 years ago, in a movie theater, but it was being broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.
The opera is just really enjoyable, just delightful. You can watch the entire opera free on YouTube if you feel so inclined,
But this is from the opening of Act 2, “Barcarolle.”
It is absolutely stunning. I listened to it several times in bed last night, in the dark. Incredible — just soaring. Enjoy, gang.
Anna Netrebko & Elīna Garanča – Offenbach: Les Contes d’Hoffmann: Barcarolle (3 mins):
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!!
“The Ship Song”
Come sail your ships around me And burn your bridges down We make a little history, baby Every time you come around
Come loose your dogs upon me And let your hair hang down You are a little mystery to me Every time you come around
We talk about it all night long We define our moral ground But when I crawl into your arms Everything comes tumbling down
Come sail your ships around me And burn your bridges down We make a little history, baby Every time you come around
Your face has fallen sad now For you know the time is nigh When I must remove your wings And you, you must try to fly
Come sail your ships around me And burn your bridges down We make a little history, baby Every time you come around
Come loose your dogs upon me And let your hair hang down You are a little mystery to me Every time you come around
It’s a holiday here in the US today, but not one of those where everything shuts down.
I’m still heading to work.
I did manage to convince myself yesterday to take the day off. Kind of astounding that I did that. But I did get to have a great chat with Valerie in Brooklyn yesterday! We hadn’t been able to really chat in quite a while, so that was great.
You can download it HERE, but it is for ADULTS ONLY, please! The stories are M/F, M/M, and F/F. All the stories have been published before, except “A Man in Her Arms” — a previously unpublished novelette.
Table of Contents:
A Man in her Arms (M/F)
A Path to the Woods (A Ghost Story) (F/F)
Score (M/M)
Code (M/M)
Alter/Soldier (M/M)
To My Beloved I Am a Stranger (M/F)
Common Place (F/F)
Wanted (F/F)
Legacy of Boy (M/M)
Half- Moon Bride (M/F)
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From Ross K. Nichols’ Sunday School yesterday —
“Jeremiah was commanded to write a scroll. But what exactly did he write? Against the backdrop of Jerusalem’s destruction and exile, we follow the clues hidden within the book of Jeremiah to a remarkable composition containing one of the Bible’s most famous promises: the New Covenant. Could this have once been a scroll of its own? And could Jeremiah have left us a final clue to what he was doing? What if Jeremiah’s hidden scroll has been in front of us all along?”
We HAVE the hidden scroll of Jeremiah? (1 hr 7 mins):
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If you are new to the blog–
Back in NYC in the mid-1980s, at the peak of the AIDS crisis, I volunteered with Visiting Nurse Services of NY. I was assigned dying AIDS patients to go visit in their homes, helping out, running errands, right up until they passed away.
The renowned gay downtown photographer, Peter Hujar, was one of my patients. To respect his privacy, I used to never discuss that he had been my patient when he was dying from AIDS. But now that it’s been 40 years, and everyone now knows he died from AIDS, I am okay with talking about it.
So — here’s this!
Happy belated heavenly birthday, Peter Hujar! (Yesterday was his heavenly birthday.)
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Warren Ellis posted this yesterday–
And here’s this — Died Pretty – “Life to go (Landsakes)” 1986:
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And here’s something I am LOVING again. It’s currently free to watch on Pluto TV. I watch one or two episodes in bed on my phone, before going to sleep at night.
I used to love this show so much, gang, back in the 80s, and now I am remembering why!! It’s so funny and so loving. “Family Ties” (1982-1989).
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And here’s this!!
All I could find yesterday that was at least interesting, and YES! Both from Facebook!
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And that is it for now!
Things with my new guy continue to develop really nicely, gang. We text in the early morning, and then chat on the phone in the evening.
Last night, we made great progress in just getting to know each other better, and helping me to sort of calm down. Long-time readers of this lofty blog know that I struggle with chronic PTSD and borderline autism, so “getting to know someone” is a true challenge for me. But we really seem to be getting there, gang!
My guess is that by the time he comes back to Ohio for a week in mid-November, I will probably be able to behave sort of like a normal human being around him!!! We shall see!!
Meanwhile–
This morning, he texted me a photo of the sunrise outside his house — the hurricane has finally passed over. The weather in his area of Florida had been really awful for about 6 days.
Okay.
I guess I will get ready to head to town now.
Enjoy your Monday and/or holiday, 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!!
Last night’s listening-in-bed-in-the-dark music (after watching 2 episodes of “Family Ties”…)
Bruce Springsteen’s 1980 album The River.
This wonderful album was released in that intense juncture in my life, where I still lived in Ohio, working in a GE factory, but then moved to NYC, sort of suddenly. (A girlfriend in NYC helped me get a receptionist job at a menswear designer company she worked for — she was a fashion designer — the job was in the Empire State Building. I got the job over the phone on a Friday and basically started working in the Empire State Building in NYC on Monday morning. I was 20…)
Anyway.
I loved this whole album. It is now full of so many memories for me.
I’ve posted this specific song here before, but this song really helps me stand back and see that I really made all my dreams come true in NYC. As hard as it was, still, what incredible times they were.
“The Price You Pay,” by Bruce Springsteen, 1980. From The River. Enjoy, gang.
“The Price You Pay”
You make up your mind, you choose the chance you take You ride to where the highway ends and the desert breaks Out on to an open road you ride until the day You learn to sleep at night with the price you pay
Now with their hands held high, they reached out for the open skies And in one last breath they built the roads they’d ride to their death Driving on through the night, unable to break away From the restless pull of the price you pay
Oh, the price you pay, oh, the price you pay Now you can’t walk away from the price you pay
Now they’d come so far and they’d waited so long Just to end up caught in a dream where everything goes wrong Where the dark of night holds back the light of the day And you’ve gotta stand and fight for the price you pay
Oh, the price you pay, oh, the price you pay Now you can’t walk away from the price you pay
Little girl down on the strand With that pretty little baby in your hands Do you remember the story of the promised land How he crossed the desert sands And could not enter the chosen land On the banks of the river he stayed To face the price you pay
So let the game start, you better run you little wild heart You can run through all the nights and all the days But just across the county line, a stranger passing through put up a sign That counts the many fallen away to the price you pay, and girl before the end of the day I’m gonna tear it down and throw it away
Soon I will be off and running to Day #2 at the health & wellness store!
I’m thinking that today should be really fun, since my favorite Q-following girlfriend in town works today, too! She wasn’t there on Monday, it was her day off. She texted me last night from her grandson’s football game — a bunch of happy smiley face emojis! “Looking forward to tomorrow!”
So I’m thinking it’s going to be a great day. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to have somewhere to go now that really makes me smile and feel energized, gang. It has been such a long time.
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Okay, here’s an interesting update. I guess we’ll find out soon enough if it’s true–
My new guy texted last evening from Florida, saying that trying to get to know someone through texting is making him crazy so he’s thinking of flying back to Ohio for a few days in early November!
Wow. It sounds serious!
I’ll keep you posted, of course.
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All the houseplants that were outdoors have now been brought back inside. And so far, there have been only two incidents between the plants and the cats –and one of them was a pretty BIG one!!
An absolutely gigantic spider plant toppled down onto tiny little Calico and scared her to death!!
So maybe they’ll give it a rest for a while and leave the houseplants alone… we shall soon see.
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All righty!!
Here’s this!
Nothing says “Keith Richards on a European tour in 1990” like a good wholesome game of dominoes!! (It almost even looks like he’s keeping score!!)
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And here’s this!
From my wee bonnie teenage “I’m dropping out of college after about only 12 weeks” girlhood!!
The First Time Tom Petty Ever Played “Refugee” Live | Winterland 1978:
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And here’s this!!
Smoking & drinking with Iggy!! Yay!!
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And this!! From Facebook!
Nick Cave sitting on stage somewhere!! And smoking!! And looking at something or other that has to do with Blind Lemon Jefferson!!!
And I guess here’s this, while we’re at it!! Almost 100 years ago!! Shit.
BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON – One Dime Blues [1927]:
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And this was on Nick Cave Official yesterday–
From July — a few photos from just before the Bad Seeds did that surprise gig on the rooftop of the Resident record store in Brighton!
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And I guess that’s it for today!
I’m making steady progress on editing the M. Christian tribute anthology — and getting a sense of how I want it to feel, overall.
And I will soon be proceeding with the audiobook version of The Guitar Hero Goes Home, so I’m looking forward to that!
Other than that, I’m still sort of astounded by how much my life has turned around in only a handful of weeks.
Okay!
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!
A short with Nick Cave, a long time ago!! (1 minute):
Not only is it a really beautiful Fall day here today, gang, but it has also gotten cold enough at night now, that today I am bringing all the green houseplants indoors until next Spring.
Which also means that the 6-month battle between me and the cats gets underway today!
The cats LOVE exploring the houseplants and, whenever possible, toppling the flowerpots onto the floor and spilling soil all over the carpeting!! Yay!!
So this is a time of year that I really look forward to!!
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It has also been a splendid morning because of this!!
Yes! It’s the New Guy In My Life’s birthday today!!
So — Happy birthday to the new guy in my life!
We spoke briefly at 5:03AM (“Happy birthday!”)
Then a little lengthier chat at 6:55AM (other stuff that I won’t go into — but, yay!)
Then a very, very brief chat at about 7:25AM… (him, quickly reiterating stuff that I won’t go into — yet!)
Mostly we laughed a lot. But he also said, “I’m so sick of Florida already! I want to be back there in Ohio!” (He’s been gone about 5 days, with the rest of the entire winter to go…) (If you’re new to the blog — when he’s not at his home in Florida, he lives in the house directly across the road from me. And we decided to start dating, like, the day before he left for Florida.)
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Okay.
Today is also this —
Gone 6 years today. RIP Eddie Van Halen.
And here’s this, from 1984, “Panama”!
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Okay!
Here’s this!!
Keith!! Doing the polka!!
OOPS! Of course, I meant, wearing polka DOTS!!
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And I loved this.
Allen in his apartment just a few steps away from my old apartment on E.12th Street! And I had 2 fireplaces in the old apartment that looked very much like his looked below. PLUS, I love that he has that photo of Mick & Keith stuck on his fireplace!!
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In the “Urgent Dog Update” Department!!
Oh no! It seems Tupac threw up again!! Apparently, this time, right on Warren Ellis’s brown suit and it appears that Warren might have had to change clothes!!
And here’s this! “Back in Black”!! AC/DC, 1980!!
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And here’s this!!
Your guess is as good as mine on this one, gang!!
What I can at least tell you is: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, black & white!! From Facebook!!
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Well.
So, yesterday! I really, really loved being back at the old health & wellness store, gang.
I’m re-learning some basics– like how to work the cash register and credit card processor.
But, for the most part, it all came back to me. God, I just love that store. I literally love being in it. The energy of it — it’s a privately owned alternative health store, that’s been run by the same family for about 40 years now.
And at the end of the evening, the owner gave me a big hug and a smile and she said, “I am so happy you came back!!” Yay!
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All right.
I guess that’s it for now.
I gotta get busy bringing those plants indoors and then get back to work on editing the M. Christian tribute anthology.
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!
Can’t wait for “Ludwig” Season 2 to begin here in the US!! One more week, gang!!
First, a short– (2 mins 22 seconds):
David Mitchell LUDWIG 2 Exclusive Announcement interview 2026 (5 mins):
Before I talk in detail about my great morning, let’s do this!!!
Happy birthday Richard Hell!!!! Born this day in Lexington , Kentucky, in 1949!!
Smoking, gun-toting, shade-wearing, black & white, in NYC, 1976!! (Photo by Roberta Bayley)
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And on a more somber note–
Tom Petty has been gone 9 years, as of today. I hope he is having the time of his (after) life!
Mature Tom!! Shade-wearing, writing, guitar-playing in black & white!!
Attitude Tom, 1 & 2!! Smoking!!
(The only song of Tom Petty’s that I ever played live in NYC folk clubs!! “Don’t Do Me Like That” !! 1979)
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It’s time for the Story of the Week over at Brown Hound Press!
And it’s a really good one!! (And the editor claims the story is the author’s first publication! And it was submitted as a typewritten manuscript! Wow!)
“And the World Was Wide Open” by Willie James Bess
Here’s Gram Parsons in one of his many Nudie suits!
And here’s this! Gram, with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, “In My Hour of Darkness” from Grievous Angel, 1974:
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A couple of Stones smoking — but Brian has TWO!!!!
KEITH (looking away, quietly thinking): “Greedy bastard.”
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A couple of great ones — Jack Kerouac, October!
And if you STILL haven’t read or listened to On The Road, get with it already!! He only wrote it 75 years ago!! God purposely made cigarettes and amphetamines so that we could HAVE great literature like this!! What are you waiting for??
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All right!
It has become clear!!
He is WITH the band!! Not hanging out in the audience!!
From Bad Seed Jim Sclavunos yesterday (meaning that, if you were waiting on me, you missed the show in Porto!):
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Facebook has let me down, gang. They had photos of Nick Cave, but not any good ones today.
I had to go to the desktop stash for this one:
Nick Cave!! (Wondering: What the fuck is the deal with Facebook??)
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All righty!!
Here it is: “The wonderfully true tale of LUNCH and how it went!!”
Wow, gang.
I’m not even sure where to start. I can at least start by saying again: What a nice man. And it is safe to also say that it looks like we’re officially DATING.
Even though he leaves for Florida later today. So it’ll be “long distance, over the phone” dating for a while. (He’ll be back for a week in January, to check on his house — furnace, water pipes, etc.)
We share the same sense of humor and he is so easy to talk to. He says the sweetest, while totally unexpected things. For instance:
“You should enter a beauty contest, you know, in the category of women your age — you’d win that, easily!”
Okay, here are a few things, in no particular order.
In all the best ways, I feel like my dad is back. This guy is taller than me, bigger than me, older (mid-70s), he gives great hugs, he’s smart and he likes to laugh, and he can fix absolutely everything.
And he has plenty of money and property (3 homes in Florida and one across the road from me!).
But 2 of the homes in Florida are up for sale. He loves to buy older homes and rehab them and then sell them. He can’t stand being retired and needs to stay busy… The one remaining home that he is keeping (and living in) has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths and is really pretty– he said (more than once) “Come visit me in Florida! I’ll pay for it! I’m all by myself now.”
He’s a widower with grown children and a couple grandchildren.
And probably most importantly of all!! He owns an enormous RV. He keeps it parked on some property not far from my house, where other campers are parked, but his is in an isolated area because it is huge.
(BTW, he was showing me all this stuff on his phone while we were at lunch.)
I love RVs and campers. I love to go camping. But this RV is 2 stories tall. It’s nothing like the campers of the 1960s. The bedroom is upstairs. It looks a lot like this, but this is not his:
He said, “I really hope you’ll come out and see it. It’s just sitting there now.”
And then he showed me the view outside the upstairs bedroom window — green fields and tons of trees . He said, “You could run around naked out there and no one would see you.”
I thanked him for the head’s up on that…
Anyway. He is of course retired. He worked various kinds of construction his whole life. He’s very down to Earth and just very nice. And after lunch, he came inside for a few minutes to meet the cats and they seemed to really like him, too.
He did not ask me anything specific about my life yet, he was being very polite — he knows I’m divorced, that I’m a writer and that I lived in NYC and worked in publishing for about 30 years. He didn’t ask what kind of writing I do, so I didn’t tell him. I have decided I’m not telling him anything unless he specifically asks me. (Oh, and I mentioned I’m returning part-time to the health & wellness store in town and he has actually shopped there before, because his son is into natural healing and health food, etc.) (He grew up, got married and raised his family in that area of town where the store is now, a long time ago, when it was still just cornfields and farms.)
So we’ll just see how it all goes.
We texted quickly this morning around 6AM and he does indeed use smiley-face emojis!!
I thanked him again for lunch yesterday — I really did have a nice time with him. And he texted back that he feels “good vibes”! (So, yes, we are both kinda OLD!!)
But I’m excited to see where it goes. We’ll likely be talking on the phone for 3 months before I see him again. So I should have a pretty good idea by January.
Meanwhile!!
That’s it for today, gang! Gotta work on the M. Christian anthology now, and tomorrow– my book signing!!
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Enjoy your Friday, 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!!!!
I don’t think it needs any explanation. Enjoy, gang.
Today is going to be all about taking care of loose ends, gang, before I get really busy — and then also washing my hair!! (Tomorrow I’m supposed to be going to lunch with the gentleman across the street!)
Because, also, tomorrow — the official deadline for contributing stories to the M. Christian tribute anthology arrives. So, beginning tomorrow, I will have my editor’s cap on a lot. Here’s hoping it won’t mess up my hair!!
So with all that hard work in mind, let’s tackle some of these loose ends together!!
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In the “Guess What Day It Is” Department:
Here’s this!!
Happy heavenly birthday Marc Bolan!! Born September 30, 1947 (and gone by September 16, 1977):
And here’s this, appropriately enough! “20th Century Boy,” performed on England’s Top of the Pops, 1973:
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And in the “I had a feeling this was gonna be a good one”‘ Department:
Rave reviews are in for the one-man show, “How Shakespeare Saved My Life,” at the Public Theatre in NYC!
“ONE OF THE TOP ONE-MAN SHOWS I’VE SEEN THIS YEAR”— DAVID WALTERS, THE FRONT ROW CENTER
“A deeply moving testament to transformation, forgiveness, and the power of finding one’s voice” –Deirdre Donovan, Off Off Online
“Brilliant showcase of his dramatic range.”—Kenji Fujishima, TheaterMania
“Ming-Trent’s talent shines through as he portrays a wide range of characters.”—Thom Geier, Culture Sauce
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In the “I actually didn’t know that” Department:
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In the “I’m not really clear if he’s gonna be onstage or in the audience” Department:
From Bad Seed Jim Sclavunos:
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And this next one falls into 2 separate departments–
The “Updates on my dog’s relieving himself in the live studio” Department
And the “I’m not really clear if it was Warren who swallowed the button after playing his viola or the dog did” Department:
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From the “Cool things my heroes said when I was a wee bonnie lass” Department:
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From the “Cool things my heroes are currently doing” Department:
Ronnie Wood has 2 new portraits of Jimi Hendrix, along with some other Jimi Hendrix prints, on display right now at the Handel-Hendrix House in London!
“Lambda Literary nurtures and advocates for LGBTQ writers, elevating the impact of their words to create community, preserve our legacies, and affirm the value of our stories and our lives.”
And this next thing was so cool — it appeared in my Instagram feed yesterday. Not an account I had heard of before, but apparently she was having breakfast with my publisher!!
And in case you live anywhere near Newark, Ohio, please don’t forget to join me on Saturday afternoon! Books will be on sale at the event.
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And I guess that is it!
Oh — I am having a great time looking at the private app James Tabor setup for our conference memories — looking at everyone’s photos and reading everyone’s comments really makes me wish I was still in that wonderful hotel with everyone in Charlotte!!
Okay!
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.
I am still reading Conversations with Tom Petty (2005) and Tom was talking about what a thrill it was to hear Johnny Cash’s version of Tom’s classic, “Southern Accents”.
So, of course I had to drop everything and listen to it! (I also played it many times on my trip to town yesterday.)
So here it is for you!
Johnny Cash, “Southern Accents,” from his album American II: Unchained, 1996. Enjoy, gang.
“Southern Accents”
There’s a southern accent, where I come from The young ‘uns call it country The Yankees call it dumb
I got my own way of talkin’ But everything is done, with a southern accent Where I come from
Now that drunk tank in Atlanta’s Just a motel room to me Think I might go work Orlando If them orange groves don’t freeze
I got my own way of workin’ But everything is run, with a southern accent Where I come from
For just a minute there I was dreaming For just a minute it was all so real For just a minute she was standing there, with me
There’s a dream I keep having Where my mama comes to me Then kneels down over by the window And says a prayer for me
I got my own way of prayin’ But every one’s begun With a southern accent Where I come from
I got my own way of livin’ But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from
Yes, sometime in the next few hours, my birth mom arrives to spend a magical weekend with my many cats!!
(I’m hoping that the above illustration is a reasonable facsimile of how splendidly it will go!) (Except that my mom is a little tiny bit older than she appears in the above illustration…)
I’m excited, gang.
And I’m really, really hoping her visit here goes well. She knows some of my cats quite well, but as loyal readers of this lofty blog no doubt recall, I had quite a bunch more cats thrust upon me since my mom was last here.
But they are really sweet, really loving (if often super frisky) cats. So we’ll see!
I’m also excited to just be packing a suitcase again, gang.
I’m taking a smaller, lightweight one, since I won’t be checking it and I’ll have to wheel it around with me for an hour in Detroit, and I’ll only be gone for the weekend.
It’s my favorite suitcase. I’ve had it for quite a few years now. I was going through the outside pockets of it this morning and found a postcard from the Empire Hotel in NYC — where I stayed in July 2025.
And I found 2 receipts: one, from a dinner I had with Sandra that same trip to NYC; and the other receipt was from a newsstand in LAX airport! From a trip I took to Los Angeles to work with Peitor Angell in December 2018!!
I loved finding those!! So I stuck them right back in the pocket, to find again some other time.
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All righty.
I did have a splendid day yesterday. Mostly, my mood was just really good. Finally. It seems like I had some sort of turning point, energy-wise. Maybe it was the Equinox? I don’t know. But I feel a sense of relief, like I can finally move on from all the recent trauma.
I am indeed starting to get submissions for the M. Christian tribute anthology, so I’m thinking that I won’t really be doing any of my own writing until that project is complete. (The official deadline is next Thursday — a week from today — then my book signing is the following Saturday. After that, I’ll have to focus on editing everyone’s submissions.)
But whatever plays out, I’ll just flow with it.
Oh!
I loved this– Warren Ellis posted it this morning. It may seem a little down, but it had a really cool audio track that was extremely uplifting (plus I love F. Scott Fitzgerald). The 2 messages together captured how I’ve felt the last few weeks:
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And speaking of Warren Ellis–
A new selfie! Catnapping with adorable pups!
Although, on a sad note — the lead singer of Rose Tattoo, Angry Anderson, passed away on Monday:
“Rose Tattoo frontman Angry Anderson has died just weeks after being admitted to a hospital in Germany during the Australian rock band’s European tour.
“The 79-year-old singer spent 50 years in the music industry and also became a television presenter, charity worker and youth advocate.
“Rose Tattoo’s hits included ‘Bad Boy for Love’, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw’ and ‘We Can’t Be Beaten’, while Anderson found solo success with the song ‘Suddenly’.”
And, from Warren’s selfie above — here’s this (1978):
RIP Angry Anderson
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And here’s this!
The Cars are taking requests!! What’s yours?? (Mine is probably still “My Best Friend’s Girl”.)
Okay– since you requested it! From 1978!!
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From Johnny Depp yesterday!
Another movie is on its way– “Day Drinker”! (More info is coming soon, but I know that Penelope Cruz is also in it.)
And just FYI — that is my least favorite Tarot Card (pictured above — The Devil), followed closely by The Tower…
But, oh! If you read Tarot Cards (I do), this woman in Australia has the very best site for reading them!!
I have used her website for about 20 years. Click on LEARN, then in the drop down menu: TAROT CARD MEANINGS
Her work is phenomenal.
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Okay!!
Most people probably know that London had a really hard time getting back to normal after WWII.
In fact, by 1966, still only the nouveau riche could afford outside plumbing!!
Keith, enjoying his nouveau riche lifestyle outside his legendary home, Redlands, with his pup in 1966!
And I loved this!
Keith doing what he does best!! Playing the guitar!! Smoking! Drinking! Wearing shades!! (1978)
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And I really, really did love this.
Keith with the Exile on Main St album cover art, 1972 (oh, and smoking):
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Okay, well, my Instagram feed yesterday was still jam-crammed full of birthday wishes for Nick Cave!!
So here are some more of those!!
Dinner? And smoking!
I loved this–
From Facebook!!
I had never seen this photo before. I love it!!
And one more!!
And that’s it probably — until September 22nd rolls around again (most likely in the wink of a fucking eye!!)!!
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Okay, yes.
I am going to quickly vacuum the house one more time before my mom and sister get here later —
Oh wait, I love this photo!!
This was from before I knew my mom. (I was raised by an adoptive family in Cleveland, and didn’t find my birth mom until I was 25.)
My birth mom and my 2 half-sisters and half-brother, on vacation, around 1970-ish. (The little tiny girl in the green pants is the one who’s driving my mom here today.) (Their dad, Sonny, is taking the photo.)
All righty.
Gonna get the vacuuming done and then pack my suitcase!!
Have a fantastic 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!
A little music to pack suitcases by!!
I loved this album. It came out when I was already married to Chong and we lived in The Camelot Building, on the corner of W. 45th & 8th Ave. (I bought it in a record store that was just up the block from us, in Times Square. I bought all my records there back then, but I don’t remember the name of the store!)
Anyway.
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ huge hit from 1981, “The Waiting”!! From their fantastic album, Hard Promises. Enjoy, gang!!
“The Waiting”
Oh baby, don’t it feel like heaven right now? Don’t it feel like something from a dream? Yeah, I’ve never known nothing quite like this Don’t it feel like tonight might never be again? Baby, we know better than to try and pretend Honey no one coulda ever told me ’bout this
I said yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part Every day you see one more card You take it on faith, you take it to the heart The waiting is the hardest part
Well yeah, I might have chased a couple women around All it ever got me was down Then there were those that made me feel good But never as good as I feel right now Baby, you’re the only one that’s ever known how To make me wanna live like I wanna live now
I said yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part Every day you get one more yard You take it on faith, you take it to the heart The waiting is the hardest part
Oh, don’t let it kill you baby, don’t let it get to you Don’t let it kill you baby, don’t let it get to you I’ll be your bleedin’ heart, I’ll be your cryin’ fool Don’t let this go too far, don’t let it get to you
Yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part Every day you get one more yard You take it on faith, you take it to the heart The waiting is the hardest part Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part
We’re getting awfully close to Thursday around here, gang!
Thursday being the day my birth mom arrives to take care of my cats while I’m gone.
All the dusting and furniture polishing is already done, and the mirrors are sneeze-free! (Meaning, where the cats sneezed on them; not that the mirrors actually sneeze…)
So starting today, we’re doing all that heavy duty laundry that you only do when houseguests are coming — all the sheets, blankets, the bed skirt from the guest room. All the extra bath towels.
Then I’ll do the final vacuuming, too.
AND– I’m even gonna touch up the paint on the walls, where the kittens scratched at it when they were younger and totally delighted themselves while making me not quite so delighted.
It’s also time to cut back the rose bushes for autumn. I’ll do that probably tomorrow. Or whenever it stops raining.
You know, just try to not only make everything look like 15 cats don’t live here, but also take away ANYTHING that would tempt my mom to undertake the tasks herself!!
I just want her to be able to relax!
Yes, even though my mom is 79 years old now, she is still a brunette… (And oh yeah, trust me — she imbibes!!)
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Okay.
Well, this happened last night.
I discovered that in 11 days, reruns of the old TV show “Castle” are leaving Amazon Prime.
I loved that show when it first came out. And I only recently re-discovered it on Prime. I always watch it during dinner now and it totally makes me calm down. I love everyone in the show, but I especially love the interactions between Richard Castle (a writer) and his mom and daughter, up in his duplex apartment in Manhattan.
I had purposely been making myself only watch one episode a night, because I wanted it to last…
Now, I can’t possibly watch all the episodes in the next 11 days, unless I watch it around the clock. (It ran for 8 years.)
Dang! I will probably just buy the whole show from somewhere online and keep watching it. Honestly, it settles down all my anxiety.
A clip from 15 years ago, Castle with his teenage daughter (1 minute):
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And then this happened last night, too.
While I was doing yoga yesterday afternoon, my eye caught site of that children’s book Keith Richards and his daughter Theodora wrote. (Theodora illustrated it.)
Keith wrote it about his grandad, Gus, who taught him how to play, and to love, the guitar.
I’ve had the book since it came out in 2014. I did read it, but that was 12 years ago. So I took it down from the shelf and saw that it had a CD inside, attached to the inside back cover! I never even opened the little pouch! Never played the CD! It’s Keith, doing the audiobook reading of it!!
Wow. I thought it would be nice to listen to it in bed, in the dark!
So after everything was done yesterday, and I was in bed in the dark, and with the CD in the retro boombox next to my bed —
I turned it on and Keith’s amazing voice filled the room.
I was so delighted!!
But since it’s a children’s book — it lasted about 6 minutes. Shit.
Too bad there’s not an audiobook out there of Keith reading War and Peace or something equally indescribably long….
Anyway.
Here’s the audiobook version of the book, but it is not Keith reading it.
Gus & Me by Keith Richards (6 mins 29 seconds):
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Okay!
From Phyllis Stein!!
Richard Hell wearing his heart on his sleeve in London in 1977!!
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And back to Keith!
Looking intense! In black & white!
Also intense, and equally black & white, but also smiling in 1981!!
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And some more great photos from Facebook! (To be honest, it’s basically the only thing I do on Facebook now.)
Nick Cave! Singing, smoking, sweating!! (Apparently, I chose 3 words)
Nick Cave smoking!!
I loved this one!!
Nick Cave and Blixa Bargeld, smoking!! Near some alcoholic beverages!! Full color!!
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And that is actually kind of it for now.
I have a ton of stuff to do around here today.
However!
Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!!
Thanks for visiting.
I love you guys. See ya!
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Okay, this stuff has got to STOP!
I am already having way too much trouble dealing with TIME passing!!
That said–
Apparently, yesterday was the 22nd anniversary of the release of the phenomenal Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds double-album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus !!
22 YEARS!!! WTF??!!
Well, anyway.
Let’s close with this gem!
“Breathless”, by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, from the above-mentioned double-album with the very long title!! 2004!! Enjoy, gang. (I sure have — for 22 years…)
“Breathless”
It’s up in the morning and on the downs Little white clouds like gambolling lambs And I am breathless over you And the red-breasted robin beats his wings His throat it trembles when he sings For he is helpless before you The happy hooded bluebells bow And bend their heads all a-down Heavied by the early morning dew At the whispering stream, at the bubbling brook The fishes leap up to take a look For they are breathless over you Still your hands And still your heart For still your face comes shining through And all the morning glows anew
Still your mind Still your soul For still, the fire of love is true And I am breathless without you The wind circles among the trees And it bangs about the new-made leaves For it is breathless without you The fox chases the rabbit round The rabbit hides beneath the ground For he is defenceless without you The sky of daytime dies away And all the earthly things they stop to play For we are all breathless without you I listen to my juddering bones The blood in my veins and the wind in my lungs And I am breathless without you Still your hands And still your heart For still your face comes shining through And all the morning glows anew Still your soul Still your mind Still, the fire of love is true And I am breathless without you
