Tag Archives: Tell My Bones: The Helen LaFrance Story

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

October 20, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

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

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

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

Before we forget!!!!

Happy heavenly birthday, Tom Petty!!

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

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

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

Yes, even with 14 cats still living here…

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

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From James Tabor–

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

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And here’s this!

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

1966–

1980!

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

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

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Here’s this!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHERE DO DARK GIRLS GO?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And here’s this!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay!

Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world, gang!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!

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

Onward We Go, Gang!

October 19, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

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):

A new day underway, in every sense of the word, gang!

October 18, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

All righty.

I think it is okay to say this now.

I had been having a lot of misgivings about the New Guy, and how we had absolutely nothing in common. And how he was really sort of entrenched down there in Florida — buying yet another house. (He now owns 4 homes down there.) (And I don’t really care for Florida, at all. High heat, humidity, hurricanes… and he lives there 6 months out of the year.)

And then I had a huge problem with the difference in our ages.

About 10 days ago, he had finally told me how old he really was and I’d almost fainted. A 21-year difference between us, gang!! And I’m not a spring chicken… I’m 66. (I leave you to do the math.)

(Yes! 66 + 21 = Older Than Keith Richards!)

On the phone yesterday afternoon, I was moving into that area of saying “this isn’t working for me”. And I was planning to say it plainly when we spoke tonight.

However, this morning when we texted, we both agreed that it wasn’t going to work. Yay. No drama at all.

This is a HUGE relief to me, gang.

And now I can focus again on the things that need my attention.

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Okay!

Alex S. Johnson — one of the contributors to the M. Christian tribute anthology — invited me to contribute new erotic stories to 2 anthologies he’s editing/publishing. Yay!

I only have a few weeks, though, to pull something new together (x 2) before submissions close, so I really need to focus on completing the M. Christian anthology and then send it off to my publisher.

I have one more contribution coming in for the anthology later today, and that will be it. I just need to write the Foreword.

The long short story I was editing yesterday — I love the story so much, but the more I looked at it, the more I realized it is just not a good fit for the anthology for M. Christian. So, alas, that work is done.

But I am indeed getting it all together.

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All righty.

I don’t have many “here’s this’s” for today, but…

Here’s this!

This is what it looks like when you’re having a “fantastic time!” with Blixa Bargeld!!

From Teho Teardo–

And here’s this, while we’re at it! (I love this song.) Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld, “Still Smiling” in 2013!!

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And here’s this!

Bad Seed George Vjestica alerts us that he is tempted!! (And why wouldn’t he be??)

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And from Facebook!!

Here’s this!!

Nick Cave!! (And, as always, I couldn’t agree more!!)

However, this one comes with a warning!! (Not sure what I’m gonna think about now!! Darn it!!)

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And that is actually all I have for this Happy Sunday in October.

Okay.

This evening, Rasha’s mom is coming to get her and bring her to her new home!

Rasha has lived here for about a year now, while her mom tried to find a new apartment she could afford, where she could also have her cat back.

So this is a big day for Rasha!

Rasha outside among the flowers, a couple weeks ago.

So I’ll soon be down to 14 cats… with Kon Tiki of the Great Outdoors still preferring to remain outdoors…

Okay. Now I’m gonna finish up the laundry and then put my editing cap back on!

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

More vintage Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds!

And I’ve certainly posted this one here before, gang, but here it is again — since it highly features Nick with Blixa, having a fantastic time!

“The Weeping Song”!!! Yay!! Originally from 1990, but I was listening to it this morning on Disc 1 of Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (2017). Such a great video!! (And song!) Enjoy, gang.

“The Weeping Song”

Go son, go down to the water
And see the women weeping there
Then go up into the mountains
The men, they are weeping too
Father, why are all the women weeping?
They are weeping for their men
Then why are all the men there weeping?
They are weeping back at them

This is a weeping song
A song in which to weep
While all the men and women sleep
This is a weeping song
But I won’t be weeping long

Father, why are all the children weeping?
They are merely crying son
O, are they merely crying, father?
Yes, true weeping is yet to come

This is a weeping song
A song in which to weep
While all the little children sleep
This is a weeping song
But I won’t be weeping long

O father, tell me, are you weeping?
Your face seems wet to touch
O then I’m so sorry, father
I never thought I hurt you so much

This is a weeping song
A song in which to weep
While we rock ourselves to sleep
This is a weeping song
But I won’t be weeping long
No, I won’t be weeping long
No, I won’t be weeping long
No, I won’t be weeping long

c – 1990 Nick Cave

Fall, Finally!

October 17, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 4 Comments

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

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

It’s just totally October today!

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

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

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Okay!

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

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

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

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Okay!

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

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And here’s this!

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

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

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

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

Gram Parsons and Keith Richards. Not smoking.

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

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Okay.

Here’s this!!

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

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And that is, I guess, it for today!

I hope you have a fantastic Saturday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!

Breakfast-listening music from this morning!

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

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

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

“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

c – 1990 Nick Cave

Another late start here in the Hinterlands!

October 15, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Okay, yes, I did take my cup of coffee back to bed for a little while this morning —

But mostly I’m getting a late start here on the blog today because I had some emails to take care of first thing. A couple more writers are contributing to the M. Christian tribute anthology and I am really excited about that!! Yay!

I’m still going to focus on editing that one longer short story today, as planned. And really, that should take most of the day. And then these 2 new contributions — I should still be done editing the anthology by the weekend!

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Okay!

THIS arrived yesterday and I am so excited– the latest book we need to read for James Tabor’s Private Research Group:

A Man Attested by God: The Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels by JR Daniel Kirk

And the really good news is that it is only 632 pages long!!! Yay!!!

But, honestly, I am very eager to read it. I started it last night.

And, YES! I will be reading it alongside a book that arrived on Tuesday that I am also excited about —

Resident Punk: How I Smoked, Drank, and Stumbled My Way Through the ’70s Punk Scene (and Beyond) by Legs McNeil !!

Just keepin’ it real all the way around, here in the Hinterlands!!

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Okay.

On October 21st, from 10pm – 11pm, the Internet Archive is having a FREE virtual event:

Democracy’s Library: Tools for Participation

“Democracy invites participation; democracies require it. At the Internet Archive, we believe libraries can help make that participation possible by preserving knowledge and providing the tools to explore and build upon it.

This year’s annual celebration, “Democracy’s Library: Tools for Participation,” will showcase the many ways people can participate through the Internet Archive: from saving and contributing materials to exploring government records, researching history, and building new tools with our collections and APIs.”

SIGN UP HERE to attend — FREE!

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Also, on October 21st — and this one sort of stuns me, gang — Bill Wyman, the Rolling Stones’ original and legendary bass player who also owns a camera– turns 90!!

To honor that, in London–

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And on the topic of the Rolling Stones —

Keith! Smoking in a spotlight while sitting on a stool!! Yay!!

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And not at all related–

From Phyllis Stein!

Iggy in Miami!!

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And here’s The Clash!!

Apparently celebrating champagne!!

And here’s Patti Smith, apparently doing the same thing!!

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Personally, I don’t drink champagne too often (anymore!!), but when I do, this is my favorite!! (Just in case, you know, you were planning to visit the Hinterlands anytime soon and wanted to celebrate!!)

(Bring these, too and it’ll be just like yesteryear!! Yay!!)

And, well, okay — here’s THIS again, while we’re celebrating!!

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All righty!

Too much celebrating of a different kind was perhaps the culprit behind this event, but I’m not 100% certain–

Warren Ellis had a Hoovering incident!! (That’s “vacuuming” in American English, btw) (Please note, he is still wearing the Sid Vicious t-shirt here, and that’s part of his beard, I think!):

And here, Warren Ellis is looking quite stylish in “Warren’s House” in 2022!!

And that goes along with this (see above)! “Rock & Roll” by Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground!! (From Loaded, 1970)

And in case you were curious — YES! That song is actually the story of my life!!

“Rock And Roll”

Jenny said when she was just five years old
You know there’s nothing happening at all
Every time she puts on the radio
There was nothing goin’ down at all
Then one fine mornin’ she puts on a New York station
She couldn’t believe what she heard at all
She started dancin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by Rock ‘n’ Roll

Despite all the amputations
You could just dance to a rock ‘n’ roll station

Jenny said when she was just five years old
My parents are gonna be the death of us all
Two TV sets and two Cadillac cars–
Ain’t gonna help us at all

Then one fine mornin’ she puts on a New York station
She don’t believe what she heard at all
She started dancin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by Rock ‘n’ Roll

Despite all the computations
You could just dance to a rock ‘n’ roll station
And it was alright.

c – 1970 Lou Reed

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Let’s jump around a little–

Nick Cave, Rowland S. Howard, and someone else (maybe Mick Harvey?) in 1982!!

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And Nick Cave & Warren Ellis both announce—

“The Death of Bunny Munro” – Vinyl Pre-order (in pink!!)

“A special edition ‘Baby Pink’ vinyl of ‘The Death of Bunny Munro’ original series soundtrack by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis is available to pre-order now HERE.”

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And I guess that is it for today!!

In all honesty, yes, I will be vacuuming today!! But I will try not to sustain any “hoovering incidents” of my own.

Then I also have to do yoga, wash hair, etc.

But the rest of the day will be spent editing the longer short story, mentioned above, here at my desk.

And so I will get started.

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Yes, the morning-listening-music around here is still Bruce Springsteen–

But I’ve moved on to his Greatest Hits!

HOWEVER!

This song is also from The River, 1980.

And I remember so perfectly, gang, shopping in a clothing store that was downstairs in the Empire State Building, while on my lunch hour, and hearing this song come on the radio there.

It had only been a handful of weeks since I’d been listening to that same song on my record player in my side-by-side rental house back in Ohio…

I rented the side nearest to the camera. My bedroom was in the 2 windows at the top

…and now I was living in NYC and working in the legendary Empire State Building!!

My life changed, literally, overnight back then. So many fucking incredible memories, gang. Most of them unbelievably stressful…. but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Okay!

“Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen, from The River. 1980! Enjoy, gang.

“Hungry Heart”

Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack
I went out for a ride and I never went back
Like a river that don’t know where it’s flowing
I took a wrong turn and I just kept going

Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Lay down your money and you play your part
Everybody’s got a hungry heart

I met her in a Kingstown bar
We fell in love I knew it had to end
We took what we had and we ripped it apart
Now here I am down in Kingstown again

Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Lay down your money and you play your part
Everybody’s got a hungry heart

Everybody needs a place to rest
Everybody wants to have a home
Don’t make no difference what nobody says
Ain’t nobody like to be alone

Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Lay down your money and you play your part
Everybody’s got a hungry heart

c -1980 Bruce Springsteen

A wonderful Wednesday underway in the Hinterlands!

October 14, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Wow, did I get a lot done yesterday, gang.

I only have one long story left to edit tomorrow for the M. Christian tribute anthology, and then I am basically done. I will still need to arrange the stories in the best order, write a Foreword, but it will definitely be turned in before the end of the month!

I still don’t know when I’ll have to do some work on the script for Sandra’s one-woman Birthday Cabaret, but I might actually be able to spend some of my upcoming days’ off focusing on my own writing again.

And most importantly, now that I have the part-time job again, my mind is in a much better place to tackle my own writing.

Me, with my mind in a much better place! Yay!

Okay, good news and bad news!

Season 2 of “Ludwig” did indeed start on Britbox yesterday — and it was so great to have that show back on my TV!!

Not so good news — I’d forgotten that with Standard Britbox, you only get to see one new episode a week. Aaarrggghhhh….

But it’s still great to have that show back. I just love it!!

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Here’s some great news, gang.

This made me so happy last night!

People are indeed downloading the free eBook edition of “A Man in Her Arms & Other Stories” over on Amazon and so it is FINALLY listed in the sales rankings. Not only that, but I thought the categories it popped up in were very interesting;

Thank you to everyone who is downloading it!

Also — I discovered that a number of people in Kindle Unlimited are also downloading my novel from 2011, Freak Parade. Yay!!!

I will actually be getting some royalties this month. So thank you!!

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I thought this was just wonderful, gang.

On Literary Hub yesterday — a wonderful article that I really related to, since I discovered Frank O’Hara’s poems when I was 14 and in Jr. High School:

Why Frank O’Hara is Perfect For Introducing Poetry to Tweens

Catherine Sawoski on Bringing the New York School to Middle School:

“…O’Hara is most famous for his collection Lunch Poems, written on his lunch break as a receptionist from the Museum of Modern Art—proving even future curators/art critics must begin at the front desk. He’s often been called a painter’s poet, and, rejected by the conventional literary scene, found himself faster friends with the Abstract Expressionists than the literary world. Lunch Poems—reviewed by Ted Berrigan, as, emphatically “a great book!” and one of the “most important documents in contemporary poetry”—includes some of his most famous works, including “The Day Lady Died,” “Ave Maria,” and “A Step Away From Them.” This last one was my usual classroom pick. Selecting an eager student to read it aloud, a school’s worth of seventh graders would follow along on their printouts…”

Read it in full HERE

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Okay!

The Rolling Stones announced a Pop-Up in NYC for 2 days only!

THE UMUSIC SHOP AT PENN PLAZA IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY IS GETTING A ROLLING STONES TAKEOVER THIS WEEK!

JOIN US ON OCTOBER 16 & 17 FOR TWO DAYS OF A SPECIAL ROLLING STONES POP-UP, FEATURING BRAND NEW MERCHANDISE, MUSIC, LIMITED DAILY DROPS AND PLENTY FOR STONES FANS TO EXPLORE.

UMUSIC SHOP, 2 PENNSYLVANIA PLAZA, NEW YORK, NY 10121

OCTOBER 16–17, 2026

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Starting yesterday, WordPress launched “Wide Margins”, a monthly podcast, featuring interviews and a Q&A with authors. Hosted by Zander Rose.

Neal Stephenson Live: Spies, Science & the Race for the Atomic Bomb (1 hr):

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Johnny Depp posted this today. It’s in London — another exhibit of his art (he’s got a few going on all over the world right now):

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Okay, here’s this! From Facebook!!

And THIS happened last night!!

Warren Ellis actually replied to one of my comments!! (I am not even going to attempt to explain what the comment is referring to, you’d have to watch the reel, but basically, his dogs were stepping on his “fucking vinyl” record albums):

And also from Warren Ellis:

And this is from the other day — Warren with his pups!!

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Late start on this rainy Sunday morning in the Hinterlands!

October 11, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Even though I slept great last night, for some reason I felt like going back to bed after breakfast today.

Took the cup of coffee upstairs, hung out in bed with about 4 or 5 (?) cats. Slept a little more. Finally got back out of bed but I feel sort of at loose ends right now.

I know I should probably force myself to take a day off and just relax, but I am getting really close to finishing the editing on the M. Christian tribute anthology.

If I can get 2 short pieces edited today, that leaves me with only one long story to do sometime this coming week — and, in essence, the book will be done.

Anyway. We shall see if I can force myself to relax today or not!!

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Okay!

Before I forget.

Starting tomorrow the Kindle edition of my short story collection “A Man in her Arms & Other Stories” will be free to download for the week.

I don’t think you have to belong to Kindle Unlimited to get it for free. (Not all the stories are explicit erotica, but it is still Absolutely for Adults Only, thank you!)

Table of Contents:

A Man in her Arms
A Path to the Woods (A Ghost Story)
Score
Code
Alter/Soldier
To My Beloved I Am a Stranger
Common Place
Wanted
Legacy of Boy
Half- Moon Bride

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And here’s a curious — although really nice! — thing.

Amazon claims there is “only one print copy of The Curse of our Profound Disorder left in stock (more on the way)”!

I guess this means people are actually buying the book. I think the eBook is selling even a little better. But absolutely no one besides Ron Bass in NYC has reviewed it… so who knows, gang.

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Also, yesterday, while searching through some really old files for a specific story by Michael Hemmingson, I discovered the manuscripts for my erotic romance novel, When Hearts Collide (this was distributed exclusively by Barnes & Noble stores, in 2003, and it sold, overall, 10,000 copies).

And another erotic short story collection, Ribbon of Darkness & Other Stories, that I printed privately on LULU — it has never been for sale. I gave it to a handful of people as a gift. This was back in 2009.

Even though the short story collection has stories that appear in various other anthologies of mine, I’m thinking of re-publishing both these books as specially-priced eBooks on Amazon.

I was thinking of doing this because, you know, I’ve got nothing else to do right now…

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Okay.

I’ve got a lot of “here’s this’s” for today, so let’s get crackin’!!

Here’s this!!

From Phyllis Stein!

Richard Hell!!

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And how about this??!!

Photo by Anton Corbijn.

Blixa Bargeld! A long time ago!

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From Jim Lauderdale–

He’ll be playing at the Gram Parsons Derry Down listening room, in Winter Haven, Florida, on November 7th, in honor of what would have been Gram Parsons’ 80th birthday (tickets are $30 — you can buy them HERE):

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And here’s a few of Keith –SMOKING!!

In the morning in France, around 1971?? (From Facebook!)

With Mick, in London, 1969!!

With Ronnie, somewhere!! In 1975!!

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And here’s this!

Something is upcoming for Bad Seed George Vjestica!! Watch this space!!

And here’s a great photo of Nick Cave & the Birthday Party — from their first tour of the US.

Here, they’re in NYC, 1981–and Rowland S. Howard is SMOKING!!

And speaking of smoking!!

Nick Cave, onstage, perhaps taking a break?? I’m not sure!! But he’s reading and smoking in France, in 1990!! (Photo by Jean-Louis V)

And smoking — and singing!! — onstage in Germany, 1990!

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And I believe that is it for now.

And any moment, I will decide if I’m going to work on the editing today, or relax. We shall soon find out.

Either way, enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*********

Let’s close with this!

Dwight Yoakam & KD Lang, live, in 1989, singing “Sin City” by Gram Parsons & Chris Hillman.

KD and Dwight first did this duet on Dwight’s album, Just Lookin’ For A Hit, in 1988.

Enjoy, gang.

Home today!

October 10, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes, it turns out that I don’t have to work today, so that’s good because I still have a lot of stuff left to do on the M. Christian anthology and I am hoping to have it turned in to the publisher by the end of the month.

So here’s hoping I have a productive weekend!

NO, wait! Of course, I meant THIS!!

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And, YES!!

I did manage to screw up the electric breaker switch thingie yesterday morning while trying to fix the lights in the kitchen and also dash off to the job on time!

But luckily, the tech guy was able to come back out while I was at work and he fixed it in a nano-second, so everything is back to normal. Yay!!

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Okay!!

This is happening today!!

Happy birthday, David Lee Roth!! He is 72 today!!

And here’s this!! And if you’re not old enough to remember it — this was in the peak years of MTV, when music videos cost a fortune to produce and were like little 4-minute movies. From 1985, David Lee Roth’s huge hit version of “California Girls”!!

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I don’t have a lot of “here’s this’s ” today because, you know, I had to work at a job yesterday and wasn’t able to just sit and scroll through Instagram all day!! (But I had a great time!!)

Anyway.

Here’s this!

Jack Kerouac– confused in Autumn!!

And here’s this bit of absolute loveliness while we’re at it! Chet Baker, “Tis Autumn” from 1959:

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And here’s this!!

From Phyllis Stein.

Lou Reed with Iggy Pop, smoking, at Max’s in NYC in 1972!! (Photo by Danny Fields)

And I’ve posted this once before, but here it is again! The song I wrote about Iggy Pop in 1984, after having read his incredible memoir I Need More. (What a great book that was.)

This is an absolute demo — it’s just me and my drummer using the 8-track in my bedroom on E.12th Street, so the sound quality is not great. The demo is followed below by my lyrics, and then by Jim Carroll’s comments on my lyrics, because I wrote the song and turned it in while taking Jim Carroll’s songwriting class in 1984 (one of the true highlights of my life!!).

“SHAPE YOU’RE IN“
(for Iggy Pop)

She was a tiny girl,
but she felt like a woman to you
In her high-heeled shoes and her
Tanqueray point of view.

You were a man on the edge
She was a girl in chains
When a child comes on
Don’t the night get strange?

CHORUS I:
You’ve broken all the rules but you still need more
‘Til you’re not sure what you’re looking for
But God’s gonna overlook this one sin
‘Cause, honey, He’s seen the shape you’re in.

It was a tiny dream,
It took all the money you had
It was a good little dream, but it shook you
And treated you bad.

When the damage is done
When you fear the change
When the deal’s gone down
Don’t the dark get strange?

CHORUS II:
You’ve taken all the pain but they still want more
‘Til you’re not sure what you do it for
But God’s gonna carry you through my friend
‘Cause, honey, He’s seen the shape you’re in.

Life on the edge
Can cheat you and paralyze
‘Til the voice in your head
Misleads you and tells you lies

If I could give you the moon
In a paper jar
Would you trade it all
For the big rock star?

CHORUS III:
You’ve broken all the rules but you still need more
‘Til you’re not sure what you’re looking for
But God’s gonna carry you through my friend
‘Cause, honey, He’s seen the shape you’re in.

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And here’s this!

The only Nick Cave thing I have today, but it’s from Facebook!!

Nick Cave and his skateboard!!

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All right, that’s it.

I need to finish up the laundry now and get focused on editing the anthology.

Oh, I will add that I had such a great chat on the phone with my new guy last night. Even though our lives could not have been more different if we’d planned it that way, we have a lot of fundamental things in common.

For instance, does this sound familiar? He said that his parents forced him to go to college. He didn’t want to go. He said, “I lasted about 10 weeks and thought it was just stupid and so I quit.”

Of course the difference between him and me, is that after I quit college, I went off to NYC to become a singer-songwriter and a writer, and he worked on farms and trained horses and did road construction and rehabbed old houses.

HE (on phone last night): “I’m just a dumb hillbilly.”

ME (very encouraging): “You’re not dumb at all!”

(He’s a hillbilly maybe, but he absolutely is not stupid!!)

Plus we also discovered that our ancestral heritage is similar — heavy on the Irish and German.

Anyway!

Okay. I gotta scoot.

Enjoy your 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!!

From 1986!

Iggy Pop’s fantastic song “Blah-Blah-Blah”!! From the album of the same name. (I adored this whole album.) Okay. Enjoy, gang!!

“Blah-Blah-Blah”

Pop before the war
lunch before the score
steady as she goes
following my nose
I’m a bull mongrel
that’s me

Shimon Peres
whatcha gonna do
I’m from detroit
blow the reveille
deatho knocko
that’s me little ol’me
glamorous me

Johnny can’t read
blah blah blah
I’ can’t see
blah blah blah
tuna on white
guns all night
blah blah blah

Cat taboo girl-
raped by an ape
cat taboo girl
jam the sucker in
you dig the mongrels
guardian of the state
says you gotta go
bombin’ low

Senator Rambo
merrily you go
monkey butcher knows
a cab to find abank
a bank to find a loan
’cause you can’t be alone
you dig the mongrels

Violent peace
blah blah blah
buy it right now
blah blah blah
we are the world
we are so huge
blah blah blah
johnny can’t read
blah blah blah
I’ can’t see
blah blah blah
tuna on white
guns all night
blah blah blah

blue jeans coolies
everything huge
petrified food
pizza killers
from napalm to nice guy
nifty fifty
hit ’em where they live

the most spoiled brats
on god’s green earth

pop before the war

c – 1986 Iggy Pop, David Bowie

Okay! I’m starting to get used to this!

October 9, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Heading to town in the mornings and having a job again!! Even if it’s only part-time.

Honestly, gang, when I wake up and realize that I have someplace to be, a place I really love being in, around people I really enjoy, it makes me feel so happy to get out of bed!!

I will find out today if I’ll be needed to work on Saturdays, too, but on Saturdays, the store is only open for 3 hours so it’s not really like working…

Anyway.

I’m in a really good place, mentally. Finally.

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All right. So.

The hot water heater is working great, for now. However, as soon as the sun is fully up, I need to head down into my 125-year-old creepy basement and look at the breaker panel, because another fuse has blown on one side of the kitchen wall. I’m guessing that when he was checking the breakers yesterday afternoon, he flipped one that needs to be flipped back. We shall see!

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Okay!!

It’s all about THIS today!!

Happy heavenly birthday John Lennon!! Born on this day in 1940. Rest in glory, baby!!

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And I think this next one should just basically be the new motto for this whole blog!!

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All righty.

A couple of updates on Warren Ellis that are not in any way dog-throwing-up related!!

Coming up on October 26th in Milan, Italy (I think this is in some sort of fashion museum?) —

And here’s this!

Kirsten Krauth’s new podcast, Just Surrender: Creative Conversations, interviews Warren Ellis!

You can listen HERE (45 mins)

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There’s an End of Summer Sale going on at the Nick Cave merch store!!

Shop here for Summer Sale items!!

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Okay. Here’s this!!

The Cars take Osaka in 1980!!

Oh, here’s something, before I forget!

The Cars were really popular when I was in my late teens. And the girlfriend I wrote about here recently who is now really sick and confined to a nursing home — we loved The Cars.

She and I recently re-connected through Facebook. And last night — another girlfriend re-connected with me through Facebook! The three of us were all really close for most of our lives.

Here’s the 3 of us at my 40th birthday, when I was still living in NYC but had made a quick trip back home to Ohio — we’re all 40 in this photo. 26 years ago (we had all been friends for 30 years already!):

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Okay!

Here’s one from Phyllis Stein!!

Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers, in London, 1977 (Photo by Ian Dickson)

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And here’s the playwright, Arthur Miller, smoking at the Chelsea Hotel in NYC in 1960!!

If you’re unclear about who he was, aside from being an incredible playwright, he was married to this gal! (From 1956 – 1961)

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And here’s this!!

From Facebook!!

Nick Cave!! Lying down on a sort of sofa/bed thing, surrounded by Christianity!!

And here’s Nick Cave, all alone on a chair!!

And Nick Cave doing, well, I’m not sure what but his hair looks great!!

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And that is it!

I better scurry down to the dark creepy basement and check that breaker box before heading to town!

Oh, the latest update on my guy is sort of intense, gang.

He is indeed coming back to Ohio for about a week in mid-November in order to spend time doing stuff with me and getting to know me better. He bought his plane ticket yesterday.

We text a couple times a day and chat on the phone every night. We are indeed getting to know each other but he finds phones and texting frustrating. He says that, in person, we can:

HE (on phone): “Make some headway and move forward.”

ME (sarcasm): “Is that the same as spendng time together and getting to know each other??”

Anyway! He’s funny.

I will, of course, keep you posted.

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Meanwhile, have a great Friday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

Getting ready to be super helpful!!

October 7, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes!

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.