Tag Archives: Nick Cave Red Hand Files

It is going to be one of those days!!

February 16, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes! The AC guys are supposed to come back this afternoon and complete the install of my Central Air-Conditioning!!

While I am not in need of Central Air-Conditioning today, it will be such a pleasure to have it this summer, if we get anther one of those god-awful heatwaves.

Normally, this old house does not really need AC because it has 21 windows and a screen door in the kitchen, and gets plenty of cross-breezes. However, some of you may recall that Little Blackie died from heat stroke last July because it was so unbelievably hot in this house. I could do nothing to save her. Thankfully, her kittens were basically weaned when she died, but overall, it was a summer from Hell. And at that point, I had to look into getting Central AC for the future.

Anyway.

With the AC guys here, it means I will be working at my kitchen table all afternoon, and the cats will be closed up in the upstairs bedrooms until they leave.

So, even though it’s my day off, it will be a little bit screwy around here again. Still, I am so grateful that I am getting the Central AC as part of a USDA Rural Development grant!! No cost to me. Yay!

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So, today, I’m planning to make a little more headway in the reformatting of the eBooks stuff.

And just FYI — if you are new to this blog, most of my more recent titles are currently unavailable as eBooks.

You can visit LULU.com for a listing of all my titles published with them, but the eBooks are sold with disclaimers that they might not be compatible with your device.

4 of my older eBooks are available on Smashwords with no issues.

Any of my out-of-print paperback titles, in English & French, are usually available everywhere as USED books.

Hachette UK has a couple of my eBook titles available everywhere: Neptune & Surf, and The Best of Marilyn Jaye Lewis.

And the Internet Archive now has:

Lust: Bisexual Erotica
When Hearts Collide: An Erotic Romance
In the Secret Hours
Stirring Up A Storm: Tales of the Sensual, the Sexual, and the Erotic, Marilyn Jaye Lewis, Editor

All 4 of those titles are available to read and/or download for free in the Internet Archive.

I am working hard to get everything organized and back on track everywhere — including updating ALL the links at MarilynsRoomBooks.com — but it’s going to take a while.

Please remember that most of my books are for Adult Readers Only. Thank you!!

And my guess is that, the minute I’ve got the cats squared away, get the laptop setup at the kitchen table and start delving into the various how-to’s for re-formatting the eBooks and the AC guys arrive — I will get a text from Sandra, saying, “Can you chat?”

And, of course, I will have to say: “YES!”

We shall see!!!

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Okay.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was preparing to head to town to see the retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat, I got a text from my favorite Japanese man’s private nurse. She said that he LOVES the rose I had brought to him for Valentine’s Day on Saturday!!

That just made my heart melt, gang. Every time I think of him looking at that rose, I just smile.

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All right!!

Here’s this!

I think it speaks for itself!

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And here’s this:

Joe Strummer in Japan in 1982:

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And here’s this!

Mick & Keith onstage, 1975:

I love any and all photos from that tour. Seeing the Stones for the first time, in Cleveland on June 14th 1975, meant so much to me, gang. I can hardly put it into words (although I will do my best once I tackle the memoir of my life in the 70s, Joy: The Shortest Season).

On July 14th 1975 — exactly one month later — because of my (divorced) adoptive parents doing their usual angry and hurtful stuff, I tried to kill myself in an effort to, you know, please them and disappear. I failed. And on July 14th, I was put into a mental institution for about 6 months.

To me back then, in 1975, photos of the Stones on tour made me feel like there was freedom and happiness somewhere…

The hospital is gone now, it was torn down. But back then, that first day, being driven through that entryway (below), was terrifying. My entire stay there was pretty terrifying. However, it taught me that I had the courage to survive a great deal of fear all on my own. That part, I never forget.

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Okay!!

And here’s this!!

Another great shot of Nick Cave in Melbourne last month:

And on a similar note…

Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File this morning that was quite moving. He replied to a young man who was grieving over having recently lost his wife to cancer. Nick said, in part:

“…there will come a time when you discover a strength beyond imagining — I believe you already know this — a resilience powered entirely by the spiritual presence of the ones who have passed away. We are made of ghosts, we grievers, and those spirits are forever beside us, as a protective force, part of the web of consciousness that interconnects all things. We can find strength in our collective losses, as long as we can free ourselves from the gravitational pull of the trauma and move forward, all our ghosts in tow, into this beautiful waiting world. We learn to cherish the present moment in joy…”

You can read it in full HERE.

FROM JERUSALEM, THE EMANATION OF THE GIANT ALBION BY WILLIAM BLAKE, 1804 – 1820

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And I think that is it for today, gang! I gotta get stuff organized around here and head down to the kitchen table.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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And speaking of the 1970s…

I leave you with this!

Oddly enough, the CD that is currently in my retro boombox next to my bed: Disc 1 from the 2-Disc collection, Once Upon A Song. Huge hit songs from the 1970s!

Here is but one!

From Janis Ian’s album, Between the Lines, her huge Top 40 hit, “At Seventeen,” from 1975 (yes, in September, when I was still in the mental hospital. I used to listen to the song on the radio next to my hospital bed — however, I was 15). Okay, a long time ago. Enjoy, gang.

“NYC, here we come!!”

February 9, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

I have absolutely no idea yet when I’m heading back to NYC, gang, but rather than focus on this being my last day of vacation, I’ve decided to focus on the next one. Whenever it may be!!

But I’m guessing it will be to NYC. So… Yay.

I know for sure, though, that it will no longer be 1980…

Okay!!!!!

I have a phone call with Sandra this afternoon at 1PM, to go over what I accomplished yesterday with the primary character breakdowns and arcs.

I was so happy with what I pulled together yesterday, gang (streamlining it from piles of notes). We’ll see if Sandra wants any tweaks. Otherwise, we flesh out 2 summaries I wrote for episodes 1 & 2, and then it is ready to send off!

I have to say, it’s been a really productive vacation.

Today, I’m back to doing laundry, washing my hair, making another pot of soup for the upcoming workweek. Basically, back to normal. And I am almost finished — finally — with the new James Tabor course on “Christianity Before Paul”. I’m halfway through the final lesson. It’s been a really great course.

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Oh!

And guess what!!

Today the temperature goes up to 35 degrees Fahrenheit! The first time it’s been above freezing in a couple of weeks.

The rest of the week will have temps in the upper 30s and mid-40s. So, as soon as the snow is gone (I’m hoping by Wednesday), I can let Kon Tiki back into the great outdoors!

Yay!

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Before I forget–

This goes out to Martha!!

Carly Simon, “De Bat (Fly in Me Face)”, from the album Boys in the Trees, 1978.

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All righty.

And here’s this.

Perhaps not something we need to immortalize, but…

Keith and Mick, when they were released from Wormwood Scrubs prison in London, July 1, 1967:

And a happier era!

Keith in Fresno, CA, in 1965:

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When Bowie and Iggy Pop did their “Idiot” Tour in 1977, they actually came to Columbus, Ohio. To a small club, down on the Ohio State campus, called The Agora:

I was only 17 at the time, so I was not old enough to get into the Agora, however, one of my close friends in high school was 18 already, so she was going.

By then I had seen Bowie in concert a few times up in Cleveland and I absolutely loved him, but I had never seen Iggy Pop! I really, really wanted to go!!

So I bought one of those fake IDs “from Florida” that were advertised in the back pages of Rolling Stone magazine back then. So, voila! I was suddenly 18. And so we bought our tickets!

I really don’t think the bouncer checking IDs at the club believed my ID was anything but a fake Florida ID purchased from Rolling Stone, but he said, “All right. No drinking. But go on in.”

I was thrilled!! I was not interested in drinking anything anyway, I just wanted to see Bowie and Iggy Pop!! And what a fantastic show!! Such a small stage. The band was so close!!

Anyway, here’s this!

Phyllis Stein saw the same tour, but in London:

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And here’s this.

Sort of a haunting photo of Chet Baker. NYC, 1984. Near the end of his life. He died in 1988.

And here’s this. From one of those albums where Chet actually sang, as well as played his horn. “Let’s Get Lost”. 1954. I love this song. One of those albums I like to listen to in the dark.

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From a new series James Tabor is starting on YouTube — “Tabor Talks”.

The Day the Children in the Temple Got Jesus Arrested! (9 mins):

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

The Mummified Manuscripts of the Bible (1 hr 20 mins):

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And here’s this!!

Nick Cave in Belgium in 1989:

Nick Cave, at some point, looking, you know, really good:

And Nick in Melbourne on the 3rd night:

And Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File this morning, from the airplane — he’s heading back home to England. He was replying to fans who had loved the shows in Australia, and Nick said, in part:

“…I feel a sudden need to acknowledge how genuinely lovely and full of meaning our time in Australia and New Zealand has been. It seemed as though the band had reached a kind of apotheosis, a state of exuberance that was next-level — primal, disembodied, exalted …”

You can read it in full, here.

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And I believe that is it!

I’m gonna finish up the laundry now and get this glorious, sunny, warming-up Monday underway!!

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!

The get-the-heck-out-of-bed-already listening-music from the CD currently in my retro boombox next to my bed!

From The Very Best of the Everly Brothers, a song that used to be sort of scandalous! “Wake up Little Susie,” 1957. Enjoy, gang!!

Yes! They Were NOT Kidding!

January 25, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Boy, have we got snow.

And, wow, is it cold out there.

View from the window at the top of my stairs, a few hours ago…

But you know what this means, gang — my shift for today is canceled! And I’m off tomorrow. So TWO SNOWY DAYS OFF in a row!!

How I’m going to un-bury my car and get to town on Tuesday, when the temperatures promise to be around -9 degrees Fahrenheit until then — well, I guess we’ll just wait and see.

I made Kon Tiki stay inside all night last night. And in her thwarted determination to try to get back outside, she only destroyed the Venetian blinds in one of the dining room windows…

And this morning, after breakfast, when I finally let her out, she took off trotting into the dark and freezing, snowing snow, and now I have no clue where she’s at. So I’m a little worried but I’m guessing she’ll materialize again on the kitchen porch when she gets hungry.

She’s 9 years old. So that’s 9 winters she’s survived just fine. But still. I worry.

Kon Tiki this past summer, being outdoors! What she does best…

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Anyway.

I’m getting a slow start here. And James Tabor is having another Zoom lecture today at noon for his “Christianity Before Paul” course, and I’m hoping to participate in that. But it doesn’t look promising.

The morning is just weird here. My energy is wonky. And I only just discovered this morning, that 5 of the 6 of my newest titles that are published over at LULU.com have been delisted.

They cannot be re-listed until the files are updated.

The instructions for doing this are mindboggling, so I’m going to need to hire an independent eBook editor to take care of it for me, to make sure it gets done correctly.

I am super, super not thrilled about this, gang. But it has to be done.

WTF, though, right? What happened to those days when you attached your PDF file and hit send, and then, 2 seconds later, your book was published??

Anyway… (What a drag it is getting old…)

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Okay!

Now that the publisher and the art director at Parisian Phoenix Publishing have signed off on the cover art for my new novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, I will go ahead and share it here!! They sent it to me a couple days ago and wanted my opinion, and I was just thrilled with it, gang.

Still not positive when it will be released, but probably sort of soon.

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Okay now I’m just going to post all the things I found on Instagram over the last few days! No particular order!

The NY Dolls in Paris in 1973!!

Keith and Mick Taylor, in London , 1969:

Lou Reed in NYC in 1986!

The set list from the Bad Seeds’ Sydney show!! (“Shivers” is back in the encore!! Yay!)

A great shot of Tom Waits and Jim Jarmusch! (My guess is that it has something to do with promoting Stranger Than Paradise, 1984):

The after show party of the Traveling Wilburys launch in 1987:

Richard Hell at CBGB’s 1976:

And some photos of Nick Cave in Sydney, but I think one of those shots might be from Adelaide.

The next show is in Brisbane on January 27th. You can buy tickets HERE!

And a couple of days ago, Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File from Sydney, wherein he remarked that —

“…the jet lag, constant shows, travel, and lack of sleep – the usual on–tour zombification – has taken its toll. I felt I was definitely failing in my duties – failing and flailing – as your faithful scribe. So, I hurried back to the hotel, grabbed the first few questions, and, well, here we go.”

You can read the RHF in full here!

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And on that note, I’m gonna scoot and try to get my head together for the Zoom lecture which starts in about 27 minutes…

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

I remember the first time I heard this song. Playwright Pamela Enz, my upstairs neighbor and close confidant back on E. 12th Street, said, “You gotta come upstairs and listen to this! It’s incredible!”

I listened . And it was.

Tom Petty. Bob Dylan. Roy Orbison. George Harrison. Jeff Lynne.

The Traveling Wilburys, from back in 1988! “End of the Line”. Enjoy, gang.

Just much better all the way around!

January 14, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Who knows what happens, gang, or why, but I slept great last night and woke happy and ready to bounce out of bed at 4:07AM, and everything just feels so much different from the vibes of yesterday.

Yay.

Before I forget —

I don’t want to get tedious about this, but as of right now (it’s in constant motion, though):

Gold: $4,643.99 per troy ounce

Silver: $92.35 per ounce

And if you want to know more about why this is important — in fact, sort of critical — check this out from Charlie Ward this morning. (7 mins):

And again, if you don’t have a preferred company that you buy gold and silver from, you can check SD Bouillon. I use them because my dad always used them, and I have always found them really easy to work with — fair, reliable, communicative. And they have plenty of gold and silver on offer as of right now.

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Okay!

In the continuing Good News Department!

Yesterday, I heard from the carpenter who will be replacing my 126-year-old basement stairs!!

So that makes the carpenter and the plumber, ready to get moving on my home repairs. The only one left is the Central AC guy. (Well, I did, technically, hear back from them, but they’re double-checking on the cost, since it took 6 months for the USDA to have enough money again to give out the home improvement grants.)

But it’s really gonna happen, gang. I can’t tell you how exciting this is!

Not telling you, but I guess, showing you

You know, in the nearly 8 years that I’ve been in This Old House, I’ve had to pay for a few repairs, but these are the grants I’ve been able to get over the years, at absolutely no cost to me:

Furnace upgrade
New insulation throughout the house including 4 (!!) attics
Duct work to get the house ready for Central AC
Totally new ceilings in the kitchen and downstairs bathroom
New ceiling fan in the kitchen
Entirely new roof (!!) (that one alone saved $18K!!)

And now I’m getting: New basement stairs, old water pipes replaced, new fixtures in the upstairs shower and in the kitchen, and Central AC.

I feel very, very blessed, I can tell you that. I really, really love this house but, as you can guess (or perhaps you know from experience) old houses need a lot of attention. And I have zippo skills to do any of the work myself.

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All righty.

I guess yesterday was the anniversary of this wonderful woman’s passing:

And, if you are too young to know who Ronnie Spector was, you MUST watch this TV montage of “Be My Baby”, which hit #1 on the charts in 1963:

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And speaking of women Keith adored (besides Ronnie Spector)–

Here’s Keith with Anita, in Venice in October, 1967:

I don’t think I have EVER seen a facial expression on Keith that is quite like this one…

And here he is with that other thing he adores–

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Okay.

Speaking of Nick Cave….

Jesus, gang. He sent out another one of those Red Hand Files yesterday, where he answers 50 questions with minimal replies. In the beginning, those things were funny, but now they just kind of make my jaw drop.

And if you don’t get the Red Hand Files in your inbox, this is his reply to the opening question from Paul in New Zealand (whose letter was just sort of staggeringly mean):

“So, let’s get this straight – you don’t like me?“

You can read the RHF in its entirety HERE.

And in 4 days, this begins!! (Except for Paul in New Zealand). Buy tickets HERE!

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All righty, I gotta scoot and head out to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man!

And then tomorrow, I have the day off — I will be working on my contribution to the tribute to M. Christian coming from Parisian Phoenix Publishing. And then doing some work with Sandra.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s leave with this!

For no particular reason, just because I always thought this song was so funny.

Yes, another one of those songs that I would listen to on my Sony Walkman, as I bopped around NYC.

“Dog Food” by Iggy Pop, 1980, from his album Soldier. (A great album, btw. “I Need More”, “Loco Mosquito”, etc. ) Enjoy, gang.

“Dog Food”

I’m hanging around that same old scene
My girlfriend Betsy she’s just fourteen
There’s nothing better for me to do
I’m living on dog food

Dog food is so good for you
It makes you strong and clever too
Dog food is a current craze
Eat some every day

I chew up my “Sunday Mirror”
I read about the rich I fear
Dog food is my whole life
Dog food compulses my wife

Yum yum yum – Woof woof woof – Arf arf

c – 1980 Iggy Pop

Let’s Get this Coffee Started!!

January 5, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

So far, 2026 has been a really good year for me. I am hoping that you feel the same — drastic as things may seem — wherever you are in the world.

Oh, if you aren’t already doing it, Charlie Ward has a daily, very short video early in the mornings, on YouTube. And if you’re into the Q-thing, I would suggest listening to it. It is so great to have Charlie back. (11 mins):

And if you combine what Charlie has really been saying the last few days, with Simon Parkes’ update from the weekend, and this, from il donaldo trumpo yesterday (link below), then you are probably preparing for a really, really good year as the movie goes on. And on. And on.

TOLD YOU TO GET MORE POPCORN!!!😏🍿🍿🍿

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Even though my life is going pretty darn good today, there is an odd lack of cool things on Instagram!

So I gotta go to my stash for everything this morning!

Keith and Jolie Jones (Quincy’s daughter) smoking on the Stones’ airplane in 1972:

Keith and Jolie Jones (still Quincy’s daughter) smoking backstage in 1972:

Keith and Jolie Jones smoking in that OTHER way, backstage in 1972:

And, hey, why not this as a sort of soundtrack to that photo above??? “The Kind of Girl I Could Love”, 1967, The Monkees:

“The Kind Of Girl I Could Love”

Girl, you look mighty good to me
And I know that you’ve got to be
The kind of girl I could love.

You’ve got the sweetest pair of eyes
And your kiss would be paradise
You’re the kind of girl I could love.

You do something to my soul
That no one’s ever done.
If you’re looking for true love
Then let me be the one.

Girl, deep in my soul I’m sure
And my heart has no doubt that you’re
The kind of girl I could love.
The kind of girl I could love.

c -1967 – Michael Nesmith, Roger Atkins

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And here’s this!

Nick Cave smoking (and drinking). Don’t know if he was waiting on Jolie Jones and she didn’t show up, or it could be that it had nothing to do with Jolie at all, but he was the coolest fucker in the place:

And speaking of Nick Cave!!

12 more days until this happens (buy tickets here):

And continuing to speak of Nick Cave–

This morning, he sent out a really thoughtful Red Hand File, as this New Year gets underway. It was all about what and who he’s praying for, basically, everyday. He said in part:

“Setting aside questions of whether there is a god and, if so, whether that god is actually listening, I believe it is at least beneficial to dedicate some time each day to silence, reflecting on those closest to me. This focused devotion becomes a form of worship, an unspoken spiritual bond that enriches my relationships and gives the prayer genuine value and utility beyond mere wishing….”

You can read it in full here.

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And here on the home front (in my room, basically)–

I cannot tell you what a difference it makes in my stress levels, knowing that I no longer have that 10-hr shift to deal with on Tuesdays!! (It goes down to a 5-hr shift, starting tomorrow).

It just feels like everything opened up, psychologically, because of that simple change in my schedule.

And I know you guys will really appreciate being able to log on here on Tuesdays now and find that I’ve posted something a little loftier than: “I’m not posting today. See ya.”

Today, I have to make another one of those really gorgeous drives along the backroads here in the Hinterlands, because I have to stop in at the Social Security office, in order to give them back some of my own money that they gave me a couple years ago only to be told by them later that they gave me too much of my own money and so I need to give it back…

Just FYI: This is why my grandparents hated FDR. I didn’t understand why back then, but I sure do now:

“Socialism” = give us your money, it’s safer with us, and then at some point we’ll give you some of your own money back, maybe

And then I have to run a quick errand at the bank, and, as always, a quick errand at the Dollar Store. And THEN!! I will re-read the original screenplay for “Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story” and get caught up with Sandra.

Plus, it’s sunny today!

So things are looking good.

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And I have to say, gang, that I cannot wait to get back on track with “Tell My Bones”.

Just looking at all the photos Gus Van Sant Sr gave me of Helen’s paintings, makes my heart spring open all over again. (He was her Business Manager, and I worked in his home office, which was where I first saw her paintings and then Gus arranged for me to go meet Helen in Mayfield, Kentucky, in order to write a movie about her life.)

“Canning Peaches” — one of my favorites; the painting goes on forever outside that window!

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Okay!

I’m gonna get started on all that now, so I will close this!

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visitng.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

“Wade in the Water”, performed by Ella Jenkins.

A traditional Spiritual that is also part of my screenplay for “Tell My Bones”.

Enjoy, gang!!

Okay, Finally!!

December 24, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I hope you have a really Merry Christmas Eve, if you celebrate it!

Yes, as usual, I am absolutely EXHAUSTED — trying to do all the last minute Christmas Eve stuff last night after a 10-hr. shift, then literally forcing myself out of bed this morning at 4:33AM.

But I’m heading out here soon to see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man.

He sort of knows it’s Christmas, but I am probably the only person he is going to see today so I’ll try to make it a merry few hours… (I might stop off at the gas station and pick up one of those pre-made vodka cocktail thingies for him. I have another gift for him, too, but Methinks anything whatsoever with vodka in it will make his holiday a really merry one…)

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Here was the view this morning as the sun was coming up — this is at the bottom of my stairs, looking through the family room to the dining room:

Yes, the kittens have re-arranged all the lights on the Christmas tree, but at least they’re still on there!!

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So, I will have a few things to do in the kitchen the very moment I get home from my shift — a lot of scurrying around before Johnny comes over to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Since I’m working today, I don’t have time to make any type of traditional Christmas dinner. Just a bunch of fun holiday food that still allows me to — YES!!!! — get out all of my many Christmas dishes!! Yay!!!

Just something simple thrown together at the last minute…

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Another quick note about my dad’s Estate —

I got an email from the Trustee of his Estate late yesterday afternoon, saying that they had just FedExed me my “dad’s belongings.”

I did not know there was anything left. I’m guessing when I get the box I will open it and then cry! I have no idea what will be in there, but I’m guessing it will be things my dad had saved for a really long time.

But the timing of the probating of his Will is helping me have truly the best Christmas I could have ever imagined.

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Okay.

Here’s this!

Nick Cave in church?? Apparently listening raptly!

And Nick Cave sent out a Christmas Red Hand File today!

“Dear Red-hand-o-philes,

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, happy holidays, and a glorious New Year! See you in January!

Love, Nick“

And if you live in Australia or New Zealand, you will really see him in January!! Buy tickets here!

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And here’s this, just ‘cuz it’s Christmas and it makes me so fucking happy to look at it!!

Ronnie and Keith!! Eternal heroes from my wee bonny girlhood!

It serves to remind me that I have officially survived 51 Christmases since the worst Christmas, ever — 1974: Greg’s death, my nervous breakdown, the gang rape in my basement. BUT!! The Stones also released THIS!!! Yay. Worth living for, I guarantee it.

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All righty!!

Before I scoot, I gotta say THANK YOU once again!! You guys keep on downloading those old eBooks of mine over at the Smashwords Christmas sale and I really, really appreciate it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Okay. I better scoot. I am so fucking busy it is ridiculous!!

Have a very, very MERRY Christmas Eve, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with these!!

Keith, John Lennon, Brenda Lee, Elvis!!

Enjoy, gang!!!

Happy Heart Surgery Day!

December 18, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Okay, gang.

Today, at 9AM in Brooklyn, NY, they’re checking my best friend Valerie in for her heart surgery.

We are all expecting it to go smoothly and she should be back home sometime later today. Prayers still appreciated, gang!!

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Before I forget!!

Wow.

I was finally able to watch “Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness”. (“Modi” in the US.)

What a great film, gang. So fucking intense. And the acting, all across the board, was just spectacular. A really well told story, and just really well executed, all the way around.

Johnny Depp did such a great job creating a sort of entire world of madness that actually made sense. Especially, I guess, if you are an artist of some kind. (After watching it, I immediately phoned Valerie, who is a painter. And she’s planning to watch it during her recovery.)

I don’t know why I was not expecting it to be so intense, but it really surprised me. It has been such a long time since I saw a new movie that didn’t just feel like a ton of AI and weak storytelling. This was nothing like that. It felt like both literature and magic, captured on the screen. I will definitely be watching it again. I’m sure there were things I missed.

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Phyllis Stein is finally back from spending the holidays with her daughter and grandchild — or some such nonsense! And she’s back to doing the truly important stuff–

Posting photos of the NY Dolls in Los Angeles in 1974 on Instagram!!

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And we can’t forget the most important thing!! (Well, except for Valerie’s surgery going splendidly…)

Today is Keith’s 82nd birthday, as well as his & Patti’s wedding anniversary!

I love these photos from their wedding (42 years ago):

Here’s Bill Wyman’s birthday greeting to Keith this morning:

And here are a couple of random shots — from 1964.

Keith smoking and assuring us that “Guinness is good for us”:

(Here, Keith and Brian are smoking by the engine of an airplane. I feel this is an entirely safe thing to do, because the Rolling Stones never once set a dangerous or bad example in anyway whatsoever about anything!)

ALL RIGHT! Who put that there?? Ignore!! Ignore!!

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Anyway!! Happy birthday Keith Richards!! I love you with every fiber of my wee bonny being!!

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Nick Cave sent out a really great Red Hand File yesterday. I just loved it. He spoke sort of rapturously about some live concerts he’s been to recently — and how it feels to be on both sides of the concert arena stage. And some advice to a singer who has stage fright. To this latter question, he said, in part:

“Yet, whether singer, artist, or otherwise, these are the demons we all must face. Whenever we take a risk in life, or do something that might set us apart, or draw the judgement of others, these crippling voices provoke a form of ‘stage fright’ – a fear of existence, a fear of life itself. But, if you can summon the resolve to overcome these inner voices, Manuela, you can conquer anything, and the world will lie trembling at your feet.”

You can read it in full here.

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Okay!

Kara’s birthday!

We had a great time yesterday, even though Johnny and I only got to see Kara for a few minutes because the Granville Inn dining room wasn’t actually open yet (Kara works there), and so he and I wound up going to a pub down the block for lunch but we had a really nice time.

And today I’m doing stuff, like:

Signing the contract for my new book!!
Washing the flannel bed linens!!
Vacuuming the upstairs!!

You can probably guess which task I’m most excited about…

And first and foremost — it’s PAY THE BILLS DAY!! Yay! So I’m gonna do that posthaste, and then get on with my glorious day off!

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!!

Another GREAT Christmas collection.

This one from Ultra-Lounge — “Christmas Cocktails”, 1996. Wayne and I used to play this CD all Christmas long in the old days. It is such a fun collection of swingin’ Christmas classics.

Here’s Kay Starr singing, “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With the Bag”. Enjoy, gang!!

Big Day Off!

December 8, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Not only is the laundry halfway finished already, but I’ve actually already been out to run my errands here in the village.

It is fucking FREEZING out there today, gang.

So freezing, in fact, that Kon Tiki of the Great Outdoors deigned to come inside for over an hour this morning…. (usually, she graces us for about 15 minutes at a time.)

Now that Big Blackie and Little Blackie have passed away, Kon Tiki is the only cat who lives out on my kitchen porch now, but I still have the four straw-filled cat houses out there that the neighbors made for me last year. And Kon Tiki uses all four of them now. I never know which house she will come out of in the morning when I open the kitchen door and call her in for breakfast… She’s mean but she’s too cute!!

Kon Tiki in the kitchen last April. Go on, give her a kiss! She’ll scratch your fucking eyes out!!

We have sort of a dreadful week coming up — weather-wise. Mixes of snow & sleet with temperatures way down in the teens Fahrenheit almost every morning.

But dreadful weather aside — I’m waiting for a text from Johnny today to confirm if we’re meeting for lunch on Wednesday! (He claimed last night on the phone that a little weather won’t bother him!! Yay.) So we’ll see.

We might actually even go HERE!! (I know that shocks you!!)

Tequilaville! My favorite restaurant in town!!

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Okay.

Today is that sad anniversary that comes every year…

45 years ago, on December 8th 1980, John Lennon was murdered.

And I know I’ve posted this article from Rielpolitik many times… but here it is again, in case you never actually read it:

KILL THE MESSENGER: The Murder of John Lennon by CIA Operation 40 – By Gualdo Hidalgo (from 2022)

“…The presence of Jose Perdomo at the crime scene is the unequivocal proof that CIA murdered John Lennon. Jose (Sanjenis) Perdomo, Chief of the Secret Service at the Presidential Palace in Havana during President Carlos Prio Socarras, a CIA veteran, worked for CIA/Miami station in the early 1960s, and recruited most of the members of Operation 40 – a CIA assassination squad most of whom were Cubans” [full article here]

My first girlhood hero to bite the dust…

And in terms of my upcoming (forever upcoming!) memoir about my intensely troubled but also beautiful life in the 1970s [Joy: The Shortest Season]…

It begins with John Lennon, in 1971, and it ends on Dec. 8th 1980, with the murder of John Lennon about 3 weeks after I had moved to NYC.

It’s all those other pages that come in between those two events that I still have to write….

Yet another reason that I cannot wait until I retire!!

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Okay.

Yesterday, I forgot to mention that it was Tom Waits 76th birthday!!!

I found this great photo at PunkRockGraveyard on Instagram yesterday, but forgot to post it:

And even though it is hard to choose a favorite song of his, this one is usually what I consider my favorite!! “Jockey Full of Bourbon” from his spectacular 1985 album, Raindogs (yes–featuring Keith Richards on many songs!!)

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From James Tabor this morning.

His upcoming new course about Christianity before Paul, that I am eagerly anticipating, was supposed to be out today, but now it is coming out on Friday, December 12th:

“…I like all three of my previous courses–Mark, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Paul, but this one by some measure is the most important in that it pulls together a broader view of the first 100 years of the Jesus movement– or should I say the John the Baptist/Jesus/James/Ebionite/Nazarene movement. Among the extra topics are Marcon’s Gospel, Theophilus of Antioch, Ebionites beyond the Jordan, selected Nag Hammadi and so-called Gnostic texts, the role of Woman in the movement. The Zoom meetings will then have formal presentations, with an hour or so of discussion, and distributed materials. Sorry for the delay, but it will be well worth the wait!”

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And on a sort of similar note…

This article was posted on Bart Ehrman’s site the other day. Very interesting!

Essenes: Beliefs, Significance, Links to Dead Sea Scrolls — By Marco Marina, Ph.D

“There are many paradoxes embedded in the world of the Bible and the origins of Christianity, but few are as striking as this: one group that has become central to modern scholarship on both Judaism and early Christianity is never mentioned in the Bible at all. Not even once. Yet their ideas, writings, and communal life have profoundly shaped the way historians reconstruct the religious landscape of the late Second Temple period. I am referring, of course, to the Essenes, a group many readers first encounter not in Scripture, but through modern discoveries. …” [full article here.]

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And last but nowhere near the least!!

Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File today that just astounded me. Not what he said — I really enjoyed what he said — but the tone of some of the questions he was answering today was just — I don’t know, gang. Nick Cave deserves a medal of valor for putting up with some seriously opinionated ~~shit~~ stuff.

Here’s just one of the questions today from a reader in the UK: “Love the Files. Almost. Can you let us know when you are going to mention God, Jesus, etc., so we don’t waste our time reading it? Love ya.”

You can read Nick’s beautiful replies HERE.

And here’s this —

Nick Cave onstage, from some recent concert somewhere — not necessarily thinking about today’s Red Hand Files but I guess we can’t know for sure.

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And on that lovely note, I guess I’m gonna scoot!

I want to finish the laundry and do a bunch of dusting and vacuuming today. And the Amish guys are coming this afternoon to fix the stuff hanging off my roof.

In the middle of all that, I am hoping to get some writing done!! We shall see!!

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

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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

I leave you with this!

I’m picking up some good vibrations, how about you??

Sent by my new friend Johnny the other day. Enjoy, gang!!

That Went Well!

November 29, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I’ll just say up front here that the agency managed to find a GREAT substitute caregiver for whoever it was that called off on Thanksgiving Day, and my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man had a really good holiday!

And he ate a TON of food! Yay!

And my shift with him yesterday went reasonably well. (I say “reasonably” only because with or without the food, he’s still sort of rapidly declining.)

I’m heading back over there soon and I am trying to keep a sort of “positive” outlook.

I can’t help it, gang. The more I think about work, the more I think about retiring. I don’t want to say that I’m “counting the days”, because I don’t know the exact day yet that I’m retiring, but let’s just say I have 29 shifts to go before 2026….

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Okay!

I don’t really have much to post about today, but here’s this–

From the Jack Kerouac Estate Instagram page, from left: John Cohen (back of head), Larry Rivers, Jack, David Amram, and Allen Ginsberg.

And in case I never posted about this before…

Back in April 1993, Larry Rivers turned 70 and his wife had a small birthday party for him at their loft on E. 14th Street , and I was invited to come to the party and sing!

I don’t remember what I sang — no more than 2 or 3 of my songs. I only remember that it was so cool to meet Larry Rivers!!

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And speaking of so cool…

Nick Cave sent out a really cool Red Hand File yesterday! It was ostensibly about a woman who’d had a dream about the spirit of her dead son. But it was more about how a lot of human beings these days dismiss their spiritual side. He said, in part:

“…Sadly, the world we live in now has largely abandoned the mystical and sacred side, treating it as an unserious and unnecessary impediment to human progress. We now dwell in an essentially materialistic age, and weird experiences that disturb this rational world are often met with scepticism and derision. Unloved, this aspect of our nature can wither and die. I believe we ignore this strange and otherworldly activity at our peril….”

You can read it in full HERE.

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And I think that’s it for today!

I’m working on a little project about E.12th Street and I am really enjoying it. It stems from those photos I recently posted here, showing how my “hellhole” apartment there was “renovated” after I moved out in 1992, and is now a sterile over-priced cubicle. And it has made me see those Alphabet City days of the 1980s in a whole different light.

Yep. Hard to believe, but it was actually better back then.

Okay.

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys! See ya!

**********

Okay.

I leave you with this!

One of those songs from my wee bonny 12-year-old girlhood that helped lure me to NYC… (and I’ll point out here that several people he sings about here, were photographed by Peter Hujar and I eventually saw those iconic photos in Peter’s apartment!!! See yesterday’s post.)

Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side” 1972. From his legendary album Transformer. Enjoy, gang.

“Walk On The Wild Side”

Holly came from Miami, F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says, “Hey, babe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
Said, “Hey, honey,
Take a walk on the wild side.”

Candy came from out on the Island
In the back room she was everybody’s darling
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She says, “Hey, babe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
Said, “Hey, babe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
And the colored girls go
“Doo do doo do doo do do doo…”

Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City’s the place
Where they said, “Hey, babe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
I said, “Hey, Joe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Looking for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should’ve seen them go, go, go
They said, “Hey, sugar,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
I said, “Hey, babe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
All right, huh

Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
Said, “Hey, babe,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
I said, “Hey, honey,
Take a walk on the wild side.”
And the colored girls say,
“Doo do doo do doo do do doo…”

c – 1972 Lou Reed

Okay! Rejoice, Gang!

November 20, 2025 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

What a great phone conference I had with my accountant in NYC yesterday.

Any way that you look at it — and there are several ways to approach it, it turns out — I will be able to RETIRE early in 2026.

By retire, I mean from working a part-time job. I’m not planning on ever retiring from writing.

And even though I will have to live sort of frugally, I will still be able to take that “Tracking Jesus Tour” of the Holy Land with James Tabor’s group, when it is safe to go back over there. (This is my life’s dream, gang — to do that specific history/archeology tour about Jesus with James Tabor.)

And I will even be able to visit Prague, Berlin, and Alsenz at some point, too. Alsenz, in Germany, is where my ancestors were from–

The church in Alsenz where my ancestors were baptized, married, etc.

And of course, Prague is where Franz Kafka was from–

Where Kafka lived and wrote, from 1916-1917

And Berlin, just because I’ve always wanted to see Berlin.

Anyway.

I can’t tell you the profound relief I felt after that conversation with my accountant.

Even though I seriously doubt that my life will be “full of deadlines” ever again, like it was in the years before the lockdowns, it will still be such a blessing to be able to write again, every single day.

Even though it takes a lot of energy to deal with the many cats all day/every day — they are like having a tiny herd of cattle in the house at all times —

It’s nothing compared to the amount of emotional energy it takes to do the caregiving. It makes it nearly impossible for me to find enough energy to focus and write.

So!

Yay.

I will keep you posted.

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In other rejoicing news!!

Nick Cave’s Stranger Than Kindness art exhibit from a few years ago is now virtual — and FREE!!!

Visit this link to start the tour. (I’m not going to do it until later, when I can just relax!)

Today, I am meeting my friend, Steve, for lunch to catch up before the holidays. (Steve is the guy I’ve been friends with since we were both 11 years old.)

We’re going back to Three Tigers Brewing Co in Granville!

Once I get home from lunch, I’m going to take the virtual Nick Cave art tour!!

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In other Nick Cave news–

He sent out a very interesting Red Hand File this morning, wherein he answered a question about the song that helps him to feel genuinely joyful.

You can read about it here.

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Ross K. Nichols is one of the speakers in an upcoming online event:

Awaken the Christ Within Summit, a fully online event running:

December 3–9, 2025

If you register through the link below (FREE), you get immediate access to an interview with Ross:

“The Hidden Jesus–Moses Connection & The Moses Scroll: Was the Bible Edited?

A deep dive into the authentic Moses, the original Torah, the Josianic reform, and the surprising historical trail that led to my research on The Moses Scroll.”

Use THIS LINK

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How cool is this??

Just in, from Variety—

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter ‘Waiting for Godot’ Revival Recoups $7.5 Million Investment (EXCLUSIVE)

“The Broadway revival of Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece “Waiting for Godot” has recouped its initial investment of $7.5 million in eight weeks. The show has been a hot ticket thanks to the pairing of “Bill & Ted” stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Jamie Lloyd, who oversaw recent revivals of “Sunset Boulevard” and “Evita,” directs the show. “Waiting for Godot” is the first production of the 2025-2026 season to make back its investment, a feat that’s growing rarer as producers struggle with the punishing economics of Broadway.”

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Last night, I watched the 2014 documentary on the late poet laureate, W. S. Merwin, “Even Though the Whole World is Burning“.

I enjoyed it, but it focused mostly on his work as an environmental activist, not as much on his poetry. But I’m still glad I finally saw it.

Official Trailer:

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And I think maybe that’s it for now! I gotta get ready for my lunch date with Steve!

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Oh, and you know what? I keep forgetting to thank you guys for continuing to purchase the Kindle edition of my beloved novel from 5 years ago — The Guitar Hero Goes Home. Thank you so much!! That novel means so much to me.

And here’s something that astounds me — even though I have kept this blog continuously (on varying blog sites) since 1997, this year I have already had more visitors to the blog than I’ve had in about 15 years. And the year is not over!!

Thank you so much for this — especially since it is more popular nowadays to have podcasts and not blogs. I really, really appreciate it.

Okay. Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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

I leave you with this!!

Yes! I’ve left you with this before!! But here it is again!

My traveling-back-home-from-town music from yesterday! It came up on my playlist and then I couldn’t stop hitting ‘repeat’.

Neil Diamond, “Sweet Caroline”. 1969. Enjoy, gang!! And rejoice.