Tag Archives: The Curse of Our Profound Disorder

Big Day in Marilyn’s Room!

April 21, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 1 Comment

We potentially have 2 birthdays today, gang!

Reader Martha is having a birthday today. She is something like 21 years old for the 4-and-a-half-th time!! Yay!

AND–

Iggy Pop turns 79 today!!

While I have never seen both of them in the same room together — ever— I still feel 99.9% certain that they are 2 different people!!

So Happy Birthday, Martha!

And Happy Birthday, Iggy Pop!!

And here’s this fun song to continue the celebration! 1980, “Loco Mosquito” from Iggy Pop’s fantastic album, Soldier:

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

Wow, so yesterday wound up being just an incredible day here.

Not only did more alerts continue to come in all day about other wire services that were re-posting the press release for my upcoming novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder (i.e., the Palm Beach Daily News??!!)–

But also, my author copies of the new Amazon edition of Twilight of the Immortal arrived, along with my advance review copies of The Curse of Our Profound Disorder!! (Hard to believe that it is now an actual book that I can hold in my hand…)

Plus, I had a great chat yesterday with my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn — more game-planning for the upcoming weekly mini-podcast of “Marilyn’s Room”.

And I also had a great chat with Wayne, who’s gearing up to spend a few weeks in Australia and in Vietnam. I made him promise to WhatsApp me a bunch of photos!!

And he also said that while he is in the Mekong Delta and in Saigon (which is, you know, not called that now), but while he’s there, he’s going to keep his inner antennae tuned for Don’s spirit (my birth dad — who served in the US Navy, mostly as a SEAL, throughout the entire duration of that war).

So it was a really fun day off and when I got the email alert from the Tom Petty Store that THIS ITEM was in stock and ready for ordering — YAY!!!!! The day got even better!

This will soon be mine!! A Zippo lighter!! (Featuring lyrics from probably my most favorite Tom Petty song, ever!!)

“Even the Losers”, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1979:

No Chesterfields are included with the lighter…

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

Okay — 47 years ago, yesterday!!

This incredible solo album was released!!

Ronnie Wood, Gimme Some Neck, April 20, 1979:

I loved this album, gang, and I also bought the cassette version so that I could play it on my boombox in the car!! Or in the cars of others (for instance my best friend, Paul Martin) and drive them crazy!!

And when I moved to NYC in November of the following year, that same cassette (and same boombox) helped keep me from being totally lonely in my brand new, far-from-Ohio world!

********

And on a similar note–

Ronnie Wood announces the addition of 2 more shows (pre-sales start tomorrow):

Buy pre-sale tickets for the London show HERE.

Buy pre-sale tickets for the Koln show HERE.

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

And some sad news just arrived from Variety.

I just loved these guys when I was a young girl:

“Alan Osmond, Eldest Member of the Osmonds, Dies at 76“

“…As the eldest brother, Alan was often seen as the band’s de facto leader. Both a singer and guitarist, he wrote and produced many of the group’s songs with brother Merrill….”

[full article here]

Alan Osmond — I’m guessing 1970s. Getty Images

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

And here’s this!

Sort of a weird photo of Keith smoking in London, I’m guessing 1966?

**********

And here’s this!

Sort of a weird photo of Nick Cave smoking, I don’t know where or when:

And a great photo of Nick Cave onstage in 2017, holding a microphone and wearing GOLD!!

**********

And I think that is it for now.

I gotta head to town and hit the Rural King for cat food!! And then go to my shift for today.

Have a terrific Tuesday — whether or not it is your birthday — wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

Let’s close with this!

Another great song from Iggy Pop’s Soldier album, 1980: “I Need More”. (It was also the title of a short but great memoir he wrote in 1982!!)

Enjoy, gang.

Wow, gang

April 20, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

The official Press Release for The Curse of Our Profound Disorder went out over the weekend and I am absolutely thrilled with the results thus far.

The book doesn’t officially come out for 5 more months, so I will keep you posted with how the PR goes as the month of August winds down.

But as of right now, I couldn’t be happier. It got picked up by a few press wires in the UK and a bunch in the US.

And from there, it even got picked up by the Cincinnati Enquirer! (If my dad were still alive — he lived in Cincinnati — he would have been really thrilled.) (Yes, the very same city where I absolutely hated going to college — I dropped out after the first quarter — was the very first significant site to pick up the press release for my new book!!) (Makes having gone to college there for 3 agonizing months totally worth it!!)

Me! In college! Just add copious amounts of bisexual sex… yes, 1978 looked good on me!

I find this next part very interesting — today, if you enter my name and the book’s title into Google, the AI description absolutely nails the fucking book! It astounds me. Because, you know, no one has read the book yet. Just me, Wayne, and the publisher — Valerie hasn’t finished reading it yet. Review copies have not gone out anywhere.

Here is the Google AI description, in part:

Key aspects of the novel:
Protagonist: Jemima Callahan, who is born to a teen mother and is the illegitimate daughter of a town preacher. 

Plot: Chronicles Jemima's journey from a troubled childhood with abuse in foster care to her life as a young woman surviving on the streets, and eventually finding a new direction. 

Themes: Coming-of-age, trauma, identity, generational pain, survival, and societal taboos, particularly around sexuality. 

Central conflict: Jemima's search for her father, Reverend Parker Peabody, and the hope that he will live up to the idealized image her mother created.

I’m really just happily amazed by the whole process. I am so glad I hired that PR firm.

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

Okay, for some reason, I am getting a really late start here this morning, although the second load of laundry is already underway.

It is, of course, my day off. And the first day off wherein ALL workmen and repair guys have completed all the upgrades to This Old House (& barn) and so the day is completely and utterly mine.

And it is a gorgeous day here, although it is really cold. I had to cover up the rose bushes last night so that the frost wouldn’t kill them.

Anyway, I’m not sure why my brain seems to be lagging here this morning, but I am hoping (really) to get some writing done today. I still have that one short story that needs about 400 words before it is complete.

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

Anyway–

Here’s this!

Piccadilly Circus, in London, as it looked in the mid-1970s!

This was exactly how it looked when I made my first trip to London, in 1976. And yes! I was 16. And yes — since it was the 1970s, why wouldn’t I have had copious amounts of booze and then some sex with a Greek taxi driver in his taxi, late in the August evening, just off of Piccadilly Circus??? While my mom was waiting back at the Kensington Hotel…

(I am absolutely not kidding you, gang — if you weren’t alive in the 1970s, you just wouldn’t understand this! Anyway…)

**********

And here’s this!

I have no idea how he got his hair to do this, but I’m guessing he encountered electricity in some way?

Warren Ellis, end of tour!!

Warren, saying goodbye to that room with the view…

*********

And here’s this!

The last known photo of George Harrison and John Lennon together — in Los Angeles, in the mid 70s:

***********

And here’s Keith!!

Having no problems in NYC in 1988! (Press promo for his first solo album, Talk Is Cheap.)

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

Here’s Keith again. Only with Mick, in 1967! Just sort of hanging out, I guess.

***********

And here are these!!

Two more classics of Nick Cave!!

Nick, not smoking while wearing shades and standing near a peace lily!

Nick, smoking, while not wearing shades and not standing near a peace lily!

I could stare at this photo all the fucking time, but I’m already having enough trouble getting anything fucking done around here…

********

And with that!!

I guess I will get back to that laundry now, maybe do some vacuuming, and then focus on some short story writing!!

I hope you have a great Monday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

********

I leave you with more breakfast-listening music!

Still have the Best of Sam Cooke CD in the kitchen juke box!

I love this song. It is so “yesteryear”! I find it sort of addicting, it just feels so nice and so non-threatening.

“Having A Party”. Sam Cooke. 1962. Enjoy, gang.

“Having A Party”

We’re having a party
dancing to the music
played by the DJ
on the radio
the cokes are in the icebox
the popcorn’s on the table
me and my baby, we’re out here on the floor

So listen, Mr. DJ
keep those records playing
’cause I’m having such a good time
dancing with my baby

Everybody’s swinging
Sally’s doing that twist now
if you take request, I….
I got a few for you
play that song called Soul Twist
play that one called I Know
don’t forget the Mashed Potatoes
no other songs will do

Let me tell you Mr., Mr. DJ
why don’t you keep those records playing
’cause I’m having such a good time
dancing with my baby

Having a party–yeah
everybody’s swinging–oh we’re
dancing to the music–yeah
on the radio–oh we’re
having a party–man
everybody’s swinging–yeah
dancing to the music–yeah
on the radio–say it one more time

We’re having a party–yeah
everybody’s swinging–oh we’re
dancing to the music–yeah
on the radio (song fades and ends)

c- 1962 – Sam Cooke

Now there’s way too much to post!

April 19, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

That’s what happens when I take a day off…

But yesterday was so wonderful, gang.

After I left my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s house, I went to downtown Newark — Ohio, not New Jersey, as my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn mistakenly said: “You’re driving to New Jersey??!!”

Which is about a 12-hour drive from here. So, no. I made a 10-minute drive…

I went to this newly restored building, called The Historic Arcade. Wow, was the vibe there fantastic, gang. I just loved it. The whole block, in fact, reminded me of Cleveland, a long time ago. Here’s what the Arcade looks like now:

Yesterday, two friends were sponsoring an Arts Fair there, and I wanted to stop in and see the art, and also see their new fine arts & antiques gallery.

So imagine the above scene, lined on each side with artists displaying their creations.

No CGI, no AI, nothing digitally enhanced. Just good old art created by human beings in Ohio.

For me, it was breathtaking, because I hadn’t been to any kind of art show in a really long time. The energy is so different from the type of energy I’m usually up to my eyeballs in, and I just loved it. Plus, I had no idea The Arcade even existed, since I don’t spend much time in Newark, except to see clients in their homes.

I will definitely be going back. The Arcade has a couple of eateries, but also a used bookstore! And just some other really cool shops.

And my friends’ art gallery was wonderful: Ball Hill “petit galerie” at The Arcade. Here is a photo from their website (please note 2 actual Helen LaFrance paintings on the wall, foreground right, top & middle — the barn, and a day at the races!!):

You can’t really see it from this photo, but at the front of the gallery were two chairs on a sort of raised area, and I wondered if maybe a book signing/reading would work in there this September??

I’m not really sure, but I mentioned it to Kevin (my friend — one of the owners), and he wasn’t really sure, either. It’s narrow and small, with a lot of breakable glass and porcelain antiques in the middle. But he was going to give it some thought. I only know about 4 people in this entire area, so I don’t think it would be hard to ask the four of them to “please stand perfectly still” during the entire event…

Anyway! I really just loved the place so we’ll see.

***********

Before I forget, all 3 volumes in The Muse Revisited collection are now up and available for sale on Amazon Kindle. They are free if you have Kindle Unlimited.

These are eBooks only. And very, very old. They have never been in print.

It’s probably easiest to just visit the page here on the blog, for the new links to Amazon, and it also lists the table of contents for each book.

Please remember that all the books in this series are 100% absolutely for ADULTS ONLY!!!! Thank you.

**********

Okay!

Let’s catch up a little.

Friday, April 17th, was Keith’s daughter Angela’s birthday!!

From Keith:

And RollingStonesBrasil posted this:

Keith, in 2013, with Angela and her daughter, Ava Melody:

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

And here’s this!

A couple of older photos that I love!

Keith, smoking onstage in maybe 1965?? Not sure.

Keith with a rose, not smoking, in front of his Bentley. Maybe 1966?

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

Apparently, yesterday was the 32nd anniversary of the release of this amazing album!!

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds! Let Love In.

And I guess we should take a moment to revisit this amazing classic!! “Red Right Hand”. From Let Love In, 1994!

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

And I realize that this film is about 754 years old already, but if you haven’t seen it yet, what is taking you so long???

Anyway.

A still from Nick Cave’s appearance in Wim Wenders’ 1987 incredible film, “Wings of Desire”:

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

And we can’t forget this!

Franz Kafka, along with a quote from one of his letters to his sister:

***********

And I think that is it for now.

I was supposed to attend a local meetup today — lunch with the Southeast Ohio chapter of Simon Parkes’ Connecting Consciousness group, however–

The retired Minister and his lovely wife and cat (well, I’m not sure how much input the cat had with this decision), anyway, they decided they wanted to change my hours on Sundays.

So starting today, I will be with them all afternoon, instead of into the evening. So I can’t go to the meetup. But I am really glad that on Sundays from now on, I should be home by 6PM. Yay!!

So, enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

It was another one of those interesting mornings.

I woke up singing a song from the old Broadway musical, “Paint Your Wagon”! A song I really love, but hadn’t thought of in about 40 years.

I was 18 when I saw a road-show version of “Paint Your Wagon” in Columbus, and I loved the whole show, but this song blew me away. It really did. I had to go out and buy the Original Broadway Cast album the next day, so that I could hear this song over and over and over.

I always dreamed that this song, in its own way, would someday come true for me. So far, it hasn’t happened. But how weird that I got out of bed singing it this morning, at 5AM, at the top of my voice and all the cats came scampering in!!

I found this version of the song this morning on YouTube. From 2016. They do a really lovely job.

“I Talk to the Trees”, Lerner & Loewe. “Paint Your Wagon”. 1951. Enjoy, gang.

A glorious day!

April 17, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes, even though the TV weatherman up in Columbus on Tuesday, said that today was going to be a rainy, lousy day, I stood firm in my conviction that the weatherman didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about and that it was going to be gorgeous today, and I was correct!!

It is just stunning out there this morning. And all the dogwood trees are in bloom (including the ancient one outside my kitchen window), and all the other trees have their baby “spring-green” leaves. No wind today, either!! And the sky is so blue.

Today, of course, is the day that my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man and I go to the golf course to have lunch at the incredible clubhouse with the stunning views! (Photos don’t actually come close to capturing how it feels to walk into this dining room and see miles and miles of trees and rolling foothills and sky, sky, sky!)

It is in honor of today being the day that both his 2nd wife (the love of his life), and my dad passed away (in different years). We are expecting the pleasure of their company, in spirit, at the clubhouse today!!

And the last time we were there (Christmas), I was expecting it to be our final time there together, because I was planning on retiring in January.

Today, will be a wee bit intense for me because, if my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s daughter does indeed stick him in that awful nursing home, this could likely really be our last time at that lovely place together. But I am going to just try to make it the best day, ever. Because being present today, here & now, is all that ever really matters.

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

Okay!

Well, my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn and I finally had a chance to catch up on the phone yesterday afternoon!

We are trying to brainstorm (can you “try” to brainstorm, or do you simply brainstorm?) about the best way to structure our upcoming mini-podcast, “Marilyn’s Room”. My writing, her paintings. And then just chat for a few minutes — probably about the free & unbridled years of living in NYC in the 1980s!!

SHE (under her breath): “When I was selling cocaine to absolutely everyone who worked at the Museum of Modern Art…well, maybe I shouldn’t bring that up.”

ME (enthusiastically): “No, no! Bring it up!! Just don’t name any names. But it was 40 years ago already. Most of those folks probably aren’t even alive anymore.”

So it could be entertaining and very, very informative!!

Just don’t expect any make-up or fancy hairdos, gang. The use of a comb is likely going to be the extent of the glamor…(Our minds are still really glamorous, though, and I think that’s the best part of aging gracefully. We shall soon see!)

We’re also thinking, though, that if anyone out there has their own writing or art to promote and wants to chat for 10 minutes, we can have “guests”!!

So keep that in mind, gang. (And don’t name names, for godssakes, but do “elude” in enough detail that we can figure out who you’re referring to on our own!!)

*********

All righty!

From Variety yesterday:

“Johnny Depp Earns Huge CinemaCon Applause and Debuts Scrooge Transformation in ‘A Christmas Carol’ First Footage“

“…Paramount debuted a first-look at the Yuletide release during its presentation to movie theater owners at CinemaCon on Thursday, with Depp taking the stage in Las Vegas.

“Depp entered The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace to wild applause and catcalls from the rafters. ‘It really has been an extraordinary privilege,’ Depp said on stage, about being asked by director Ti West to take on the role, calling the tale of Scrooge one ‘I have been obsessed with since I was a little child.'”

However, this part here makes me think I might not be seeing this in a movie theater, where I can’t fast-forward through anything:

“…as the ghosts who visit Depp’s Scrooge are intricate, terrifying apparitions not suitable for the whole family.”

Yikes. I am my whole family! Anyway. The complete article is HERE.

***********

And from Ronnie Wood:

You can pre-order his new print, D’Orsay Blue Horse, at a special price before April 24th and also get a free, green “Wild Horses” t-shirt!!

See details and order HERE.

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

I love this photo of Keith!! (I printed it out and it went right on to my wall!!)

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

And here’s this!!

Nick Cave smoking at his mom’s house! (He might also be drinking a cup of tea, but I’m not 100% certain about that…)

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

And I actually have more “here’s this’s” for today, but I’m out of time!

I gotta scoot and head to town on this absolutely gorgeous day.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

Through some blessing and/or miracle, the chorus to this song was going through my head when I awoke at 3:45AM, trying hard not to think about this being the 2nd anniversary of my dad’s death because I just don’t want to be sad today.

I do think there was some type of angelic interference because I have not so much as thought of this song — let alone sang the chorus to it over and over in my head upon awakening — in ages.

“Everything Is Beautiful”, 1970. Ray Stevens. Enjoy, gang.

Update! It is officially a great day!

April 16, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Okay, so not only are all 3 volumes in The Muse Revisited collection now re-published on Amazon Kindle (available for sale in the next day or so), but I also got the official press release for The Curse of Our Profound Disorder (I hired a small PR firm in NYC). And here it is! I really love it.

THE CURSE OF OUR PROFOUND DISORDER BY MARILYN JAYE LEWIS EXPLORES A FEARLESS COMING OF AGE JOURNEY THROUGH TRAUMA, IDENTITY, AND TABOO

An unflinching literary novel that confronts generational pain, survival, and the search for the truth in a fractured world.

New York, NY — April 16th, 2026 — Acclaimed author Marilyn Jaye Lewis delivers a bold and emotionally charged narrative in her forthcoming novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, set for release on September 11, 2026. This deeply introspective work introduces readers to Jemima Callahan, a young woman shaped by abandonment, hardship, and a relentless desire to understand her origins.

From the very beginning, Jemima’s life is marked by instability and stigma. Born to a teenage mother under controversial circumstances and raised in the shadow of small town judgment, she inherits not only her mother’s story but also her struggles. As her mother’s mental health deteriorates, Jemima is thrust into the foster care system, where she endures further emotional, physical, and psychological challenges that test her resilience and shape her worldview.

At its core, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder is a coming of age story that does not shy away from difficult truths. Lewis crafts a narrative that examines the intersection of trauma, sexuality, belief, and identity. Jemima’s journey unfolds through a series of encounters with complex and often unconventional characters, reflecting the unpredictable nature of survival on the margins of society. Her path eventually leads her to an unexpected opportunity working for a lawyer, offering a fragile sense of stability while reigniting her longing to uncover the truth about her father.

The novel’s emotional depth is driven by Jemima’s internal conflict and her mother’s haunting philosophy that passion and divinity are intertwined. This belief influences Jemima’s understanding of love, self worth, and purpose, adding a provocative layer to an already powerful story. As she searches for Reverend Parker Peabody, the man she believes to be her father, Jemima must confront whether the truth will bring healing or further fracture her sense of self.

Lewis was inspired to write this novel as an exploration of how early life experiences shape identity and the ways individuals seek meaning despite adversity. Her storytelling is both raw and poetic, offering readers a deeply human portrait of endurance and self discovery.

This book will resonate with readers who appreciate literary fiction that challenges societal norms and explores complex emotional landscapes. It speaks to those interested in stories of resilience, identity, and the enduring quest for belonging.

Marilyn Jaye Lewis is an established author known for her fearless approach to storytelling and her ability to illuminate difficult subjects with honesty and depth. Her work often centers on unconventional lives and the emotional truths that define them.

The Curse of Our Profound Disorder will be available for pre order through major retailers and is published by Parisian Phoenix Publishing. The book is now available — secure your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Our-Profound-Disorder-Coming/dp/1957863633/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1

For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact: Marilyn Jaye Lewis
Email: marilynjayelewis@protonmail.com

It’s “Create Your Own Title” Day!!

April 16, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

I can’t decide whether I’m having a good day off or a not-so-good day off, so I decided to just let you guys figure it out and then create your own title for the post…

The not-so-good stuff. And it isn’t terrible, it’s just more stuff for the “List of Things To Suddenly Do” ASAP (as in today).

Over a year ago, Draft2Digital took over Smashwords. And they took basically forever to incorporate erotica titles from Smashwords into their eBook inventory.

I always loved working with Smashwords. I’d had eBooks published over there for 16 years now. I especially loved the bi-annual sales they had, wherein I would watch my incredibly old erotica eBook titles get downloaded for free, over and over and over again.

The most recent sale, however, with Draft2Digital — same titles, still free — zippo, nada, not a single title moved.

Last night, I got the announcement from Draft2Digital that they will now be charging an annul maintenance fee to have eBooks in their store, so I figured that now’s as good a time as any to say goodbye to the whole thing, since Smashwords is essentially gone now.

So, yes! Today — that day off I was really looking forward to, and it’s SUNNY and GORGEOUS out there — I will be re-publishing The Muse Revisited, Volumes I, II, & III, back over at Amazon Kindle. And then update the links for them over at the new Indie Bookstore, at MarilynsRoomBooks, and here on the blog.

I was really, really, really wanting to do something as tedious at that today!! So, yay.

*********

So, it isn’t the end of the world as we know it, but it just adds to the ominous feeling I struggle with every day now, about how absolutely everything is either changing or simply becoming obsolete in this world of publishing that I used to know so well.

From 1998, in Manhattan, when the heyday was just getting underway! Me and Richard Kasak, founder & publisher of Masquerade Books, at the official launch party for Marilyn’s Room, Inc., and masqueradebooks.com, their online bookstore which I had designed for them — this was right before Amazon was all over the place:

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

Okay, on to happier things.

Here are a few photos of my little 115-year-old barn now that it is totally junk-free!! (This is the part of the barn where the buggy was kept in olden days. The other part of the barn, where the horse was kept, still has all my gardening stuff in it.)

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

And here’s a sort of happy/sad thing.

Janis in her new Larkspur home that she just loved — in September 1970. (The sad part: she was dead in a motel room, from an “overdose”, by Oct 4th, 1970.)

***********

Here’s this.

From Phyllis Stein.

Apparently, yesterday was the 25th anniversary of Joey Ramone’s passing:

**********

And yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the release of the Rolling Stones album, Aftermath, an ominous title, but a career-changing album for them:

***********

And on June 4th, 1975 — only 10 days before I saw the Rolling Stones in Cleveland for the first time!! (And then 2 weeks later, my life went totally downhill for about 5 years.)

The Rolling Stones at the Alamo in Texas (I remember this photo so well!!):

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

Here’s Calico on my bed this morning, as the sun was coming up and it seemed like it was going to be a great day!!

And here’s the song she’s named after — Tommy James, “Calico”, 1973 (I sing it to her quite often!!):

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

Nick Cave sent out a Red Hand File this morning. A woman in Australia had written to him about her feelings over her 4-year-old son dying from cancer. Nick’s reply was ultimately encouraging, but the letter was also kind of really sad. He said in part:

“…It is not our fault. We must remember our departed loved ones with full and functioning hearts, not ones made narrow by self-recrimination. This is, of course, easier said than done, but do it we must….”

You can read it in full here.

***********

And that is it for now!

Sorry this is so late.

I’ve been to the bank and back — paid some bills. And answered a bunch of texts, while trying to write this post!!

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

Since I can’t decide if I’m having a good day or not yet —

Let’s close with this.

The song I sang to my dad (very quietly), as I held his hand and he lay dying in his bed. (He did not wake up again and died about a day and a half later. Tomorrow is the 2-year anniversary of his death.)

My mother hated this song and would not allow me to sing it at home after my dad left us for another woman. I always absolutely loved this song, though. I sang it to him as a sort of victory.

Engelbert Humperdinck, “Release Me,” 1967. Enjoy, gang.

A Peaceful Feeling, Indeed!

April 15, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 4 Comments

My god, gang!

When I came home and slid open the barn door and saw inside my little barn yesterday, my eyes literally popped out (I had to grab them before they hit the ground and then jam them back into my eye sockets) and my heart soared.

The guy did such an amazing job. He didn’t just load the stuff in a dumpster and hall it away, he tidied up the whole place when he was through. Plus he took away junk that had been in the barn since before I bought the house. So I have literally never seen it this clean before.

It made me feel so happy to finally have that done. And to have it be better than anything I could have ever expected.

And so now it is officially official.

Everything is done now around here. For awhile, I hope.

Well, maybe not this, but then this is never done!

***********

There are only a couple of things I’m going to post here today because I have to get an early start into town.

Here’s this.

Back when I won Writer of the Year in London (2001), for my first book, Neptune & Surf, this organization had a different name. I can’t recall now what it was, but it has been called the Sexual Freedom Awards for a while now.

Anyway.

It’s time for the awards again. If you’re in or around London, here’s the info:

The Sexual Freedom Awards 2026, The 30th Anniversary:

Date: Sunday 10th May 2026

Venue: Heaven, London

Doors:  4pm to 9pm

Tickets:

General Admission: £35 to £55

Disability / Wheelchair Users Admission: £35 to £55, FREE for PAs

Payment Plans:

1.⁠ ⁠Pay Deposit

Pay a 25% deposit today and pay the remaining balance by Sunday 3rd May 2026

2.⁠ ⁠Pay Monthly

Pay a 25% deposit today and pay the remaining balance equally over 2 months

This year's sponsors are HERE

***********

And if you didn’t already snag a ticket to see Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in Brighton on July 31st, just ignore the following, because you can’t go, it is SOLD OUT!! (And has been since about 14 seconds after it was first announced.)

The full line-up for the show has been announced. (I probably don’t have to tell you that I don’t know a single one of these acts, but that’s probably because they weren’t ~~even born~~ making records back in 1972):

However, many tickets still remain for a bunch of the other shows this summer in Ireland and Europe.

Buy tickets HERE!!

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

And that’s it for today. But tomorrow I have the day OFF, as in completely OFF. The weather isn’t supposed to be that great, but I’m still looking forward to sort of just collapsing. I have a busy weekend coming up, but after that (i.e. Monday), my life should be getting back to normal again.

Which includes, but is not limited to — TEQUILAVILLE:

Oh, and I did go in to the Rural King yesterday. And I did buy my usual ton of cat food.

And I did see ‘Wild Thing’!! And he did sort of amaze me yet again, gang.

What was the topic this time??? Yes!!! If you guessed “Greek Mythology” then you are absolutely correct!

In addition to cat food, I also bought a bottle of dish soap yesterday.

When ‘Wild Thing’ was ringing up the dish soap, he chuckled and said:

HE: ” You know, this stuff was named after Ajax, the hero of the Trojan War — because it’s tough on Greece [grease]!!”

It just sort of stunned me, you know? The stuff he talks about. I am always smiling when I walk out of that store.

Ajax: Hero of the Trojan War — tough on Greece:

Ajax, my dish soap — tough on grease:

And that is it for now. I gotta head into town and see my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man! We’re staying close to home today, because Friday is our Big Day Out! We head back to the clubhouse at the golf course to check out those amazing views — in honor of the anniversary of the passing of both his 2nd wife (the love of his life) and my dad.

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

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

I leave you with this!

Breakfast-listening music!!

Back to Sam Cooke’s Greatest Hits!! Including but not limited to —

“Bring It On Home to Me” 1962. So addictive!!Even at 5AM. Enjoy, gang.

“Bring It On Home To Me”

If you ever change your mind
About leaving, leaving me behind
Baby, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)

I know I laughed when you left
But now I know I only hurt myself
Baby, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)

I’ll give you jewelry and money, too
That ain’t all, that ain’t all I’ll do for you
Baby, if you bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)

You know I’ll always be your slave
‘Til I’m buried, buried in my grave
Oh honey, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)

One more thing
I tried to treat you right
But you stayed out, stayed out late at night
But I forgive you, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)…

c – 1962 Sam Cooke

Today could just possibly be the day!

April 14, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

Yesterday, it was official.

This 125-year-old house now has central air conditioning! The install is complete, it isn’t blowing any fuses, and it works!

So, even though it took several months to complete, it is still an incredible blessing. It didn’t cost me a dime. Plus, the install guys discovered that corroded breaker panel, which I wouldn’t have known about — and it was a fire hazard and would have just gotten worse.

Plus I also now have those brand new basement stairs!!! I can go down and change the filter in the furnace now whenever I want to, without worrying that I will fall through the rotting stairs and die!!

(Plus, I had many, many carpenters and plumbers and AC install guys and Amish roofers, coming and going. Of various ages. But every single one of them was extremely attractive so it was really great having them swarming all over the place!)

And the last but certainly not least news–

The really nice guy from the small, family-owned dumpster company did indeed call me back. Last evening. He quoted me a fraction of what a commercial junk-hauling company charges. So I said, “Okay!! Come on down!!”

So he’s coming today, while I’m in town at my shift, and he’s going to load up a dumpster with all that stuff that was abandoned in my little barn and then haul it away to the dump.

(If you’re new to the blog — over 2 years ago, a temporarily homeless young married couple stayed with me for 6 months. Then they “temporarily” left their stuff in my little barn and never came back for it.)

So, as of later today — all the home repairs are done and my barn will be my own again.

(I didn’t have to do any of the work, so I’m not sure why I’m so exhausted…)

********

Anyway.

Somehow, life is good. And me and this old house carry on.

I don’t really have anything to post about today.

So, here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein — and how fortuitous!!

Johnny Thunders in London in 1977, but he is sitting in front of a movie poster for “The Sheik” starring Rudolph Valentino!! (Star of my masterpiece-recently-re-published novel, Twilight of the Immortal!!)

Rudolph Valentino as “The Sheik”, 1921

*********

And here’s this.

A few featuring Keith…

Smoking and rehearsing for “Rock & Roll Circus” in a London TV studio, 1968!

(Mick seems happier than Keith here, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that while Mick was filming the movie “Performance” earlier that year, Mick was openly doing it with Anita — Keith’s girlfriend — both on and off the set! The moods pictured here are just a coincidence.)

***********

And here’s this!

Keith and Bill Wyman onstage, when the Stones played Poland for the first time, in 1967!

Oh, and here’s this while we’re at it! Bill Wyman re-issued the newly restored video for “Stuff (Can’t Get Enough)” on April 10th!

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

And here’s Keith, at the Stones’ legendary concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC, 1969:

***********

And let’s finish with this!

Nick Cave in LA, awaiting the imminent arrival of his wife, Susie! (About 7-ish years ago.)

***********

And now, seeing as how it is Tuesday, I have to get ready to head to town and stop in at the Rural King for more and more and more cat food!!

We’ll see if that perks up my energy a little bit… depending on who’s working the checkout counter, it usually does.

Meanwhile, have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***********

Let’s close with this.

My life. Really. Hope it’s yours, too. (15 seconds):

What the heck?

April 13, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis 2 Comments

I just spent the last 50 minutes working on the blog post while waiting on the AC install guys (who just called and said they should be here in 10 minutes), when suddenly my wi-fi glitched and the entire post I was working on disappeared….

Yay.

I guess I will just cut to the chase and not try to re-write what I had just written…

I did want to at least mention that the “screenwriting” webinar I took yesterday afternoon was nothing at all like what I thought I had signed up for.

I won’t say it was a “waste of time” but it was a class for fiction writers, about how to use the art of screenwriting to help you write better fiction.

It wasn’t anything I didn’t already know. But since I had paid for it, and had also taken an afternoon off from work in order to take it, I listened to the whole thing. But wow.

I suppose I need a webinar about how to comprehend descriptions of webinars…

***********

Okay.

Here’s this.

Keith at Redlands in 1968. (I get the impression he is spiritually signaling my wee bonny 8-year-old self at that time, that he’ll be coming into my life soon and that my life will never be the same again!)

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

And here’s this.

Keith and Charlie, arriving for that rehearsal in Rotterdam in 1973!

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

And here’s this!

That photo of Keith in the 1400s!

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

And here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein!

Mick, Bill and Andy in NYC in 1980!

**********

Iggy, last night at Coachella!

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

And here’s this…

Nick Cave in June of 1984, wondering where he got those magazines:

Nick Cave trying to lift his beer up in a bar in Melbourne in 1993:

Nick Cave, leaning against something and thinking in Brazil:

***********

All righty.

AC install guy is here (only one guy this time!).

I’ve already had a very good chat with Sandra. (I’m supposed to hear back from her later today, about when to expect my life to go into overdrive, writing-wise…)

And all my housecleaning got done yesterday, so pretty soon here, I will have the rest of the day to myself!! (I’m seriously hoping it’s going to be a relaxing, non-fucked-up day!)

Meanwhile, have a nice Monday wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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

I leave you with this!

Breakfast-listening music from this morning!!

For some reason, after having heard this song about maybe a zillion times before, this morning it occurred to me that this song is very much like Kerouac’s novel, On the Road.

Anyway.

“America,” by Simon & Garfunkel. From the album, Bookends. 1968. Enjoy, gang.

“America”

Let us be lovers
We’ll marry our fortunes together
I’ve got some real estate
Here in my bag

So we bought a pack of cigarettes
And Mrs. Wyler pies
And walked off
To look for America

“Kathy”, I said
As we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
Michigan seems like a dream to me now

It took me four days
To hitch-hike from Saginaw
“I’ve come to look for America”

Laughing on the bus
Playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit
Was a spy

I said, “Be careful
His bow tie is really a camera”

“Toss me a cigarette
I think there’s one in my raincoat”
We smoked the last one
An hour ago

So I looked at the scenery
She read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field

“Kathy, I’m lost”, I said
Though I knew she was sleeping
“I’m empty and aching and
I don’t know why”

Counting the cars
On the New Jersey Turnpike
They’ve all come
To look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America

c – 1968 Paul Simon

A Good Sunday Underway in the Hinterlands!

April 12, 2026 marilyn jaye lewis Leave a comment

Yes, I have the day off today — except for the screenwriting webinar later this afternoon. (Just updating my skills.)

I’m hoping to have a calm, peaceful, happy day.

We’re gonna see how that plays out.

Okay!

So, here is that photo of my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s dad, taken in Tokyo in 1957, on the front porch of his home (which is now a House Museum) (see yesterday’s post). He is 88 here:

And it is not exactly cool to post this to the blog but, once I saw it, I knew I absolutely HAD to!! I found it in his basement with a bunch of other old photos. So, let’s just say — this “Japanese guy” is in his early 20s, studying at college, early 1950s. (Add about 72 years now….) Isn’t he awesome???

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

Oh, and here’s this!

Me, early this morning, practicing in the Substack recording studio thingie, trying to get the upcoming mini-podcast thing underway.

My room is so white, though. It just washes everything out… I might have to choose a different room.

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

And once again, I have to say you guys are incredible.

The re-published print edition of my 2011 novel, Twilight of the Immortal, is ranked at #151 in LGBTQ Historical Fiction this morning on Amazon US!! It was just re-published yesterday!

I guess it pays to somehow have a novel accidentally disappear from the Internet, then spend 3 hours going FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! while trying to fix it and re-publish it! Yay!

But, honestly, thanks everybody for buying it!!

(This was the same novel that my agent in LA said was my “masterpiece” but no publishers would touch it — and not because I presented a story that portrayed a Hollywood legend, Rudolph Valentino, as very actively bisexual, but because the book had lesbians in it and they didn’t know how they would market that. So to all of you who were in publishing back in 2009 -2010 and actually said that — and I mean this in the nicest way — go fuck yourselves!!)

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

All right!

Today is my birth dad’s heavenly birthday. He would have been 81 today. (He died in 1999 — from a type of cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. He’d been a US Navy SEAL.)

One of my favorite photos of him. His older sister, my Aunt Jo, gave it to me. It’s 1965, he’s in North Carolina visiting Aunt Jo & her kids, on leave from Vietnam.

**********

And here’s an update of what the Cockroaches thing was all about yesterday:

***********

And here’s this!

A different line-up than 1969, but the Rolling Stones, apparently bonding again prior to the US tour!! (1981)

**********

And here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein — Iggy Pop at home in Miami in 2007!

***********

And here’s this!

Another one from my desktop stash, since nothing is coming into my Instagram feed. I don’t know where, when or photo-by-whom! But–

Nick Cave, looking gorgeous!!

***********

And that is it for now!

I’m finishing up some laundry here. And then I am going to try to just have a really creative, fun sort of day. Although I will probably at least vacuum the downstairs, since the AC install guys will (I hope!!) be coming into my home first thing tomorrow morning!

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

**********

Okay. I leave you with this.

It was too wonderful!!!

Yesterday afternoon, towards the end of my shift, my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man was staring off into space and clearly thinking about something.

ME: “What are you thinking about?”

HE (suddenly smiling): “Kansas. Me and a girl, out under the moonlight, singing.”

When my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man was living in NYC in the early 1950s and going to NYU, he took a break from Engineering School and got a scholarship to study for the Ministry at a small Methodist College in Kansas. It was the best time he had in his entire life. There was a really gorgeous girl named Elsa there that he was very close with (I’ve seen her photo in his old college yearbook from 1954 and she really was just stunning).

ME: “Are you singing with Elsa?”

HE (still smiling): “Maybe.”

ME: “What are you singing?”

He actually thought about it. “I don’t remember.”

So I got out my trusty iPhone, googled the top songs from 1954, and then selected the song below.

ME: “Was it this??!!”

When the song started playing, wow, gang — did he SMILE. He said, “I remember this song!!”

It was just so wonderful, gang. I have always loved this song, and clearly, it brought back some really great college memories for him. We played it all the way through, and both sat there in his living room, listening and smiling.

The Crew Cuts, “Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream),” from 1954. Enjoy gang. We sure did.