The Writer's Life 4/30 - Busy

For the past couple of weeks I've run into a film on the Lincoln assassination on several different channels. Unable to name the star, who played John Wilkes Booth, I headed toward IMDb this morning. Unable to recall the title, I looked up Lance Henriksen, one of the greatest character actors of all time, who played Honest Abe. The film is The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1998), and the actor in question is Rob Morrow, who had great success on TV in Northern Exposure and Numbers. Henrikson, who will turn 75 shortly, has been unbelievably busy in 2015 with appearances in 16 works that have been completed or are in post or pre-production. That brings his credits to 213, not counting multiple series appearances, most notably the 67 he did as the star of Millennium on FOX, a show I found disappointing and abandoned very early in its run. He was in three episodes of The Blacklist this year. Born in NYC, he has the type of background one would expect of someone who has played the roles he has. According to Wiki, his parents divorced when he was two, and he was raised by his mom. He dropped out of school at 12, and did not learn to read until he was 30, using TV scripts to teach himself. He is a Navy veteran. Some people simply have an indefinable quality of screen magic, an "X-factor," a friend used to call it. Henriksen has it in spades. It has nothing to do with good looks. There is simply something there that no one can figure out. Steve McQueen, for example, an actor of limited range, had it to the max. Thelma Ritter, one of the greatest supporting actresses, did too, despite plainness. And, of course, the most obvious example will always be Marilyn Monroe. It's fun to speculate about, but it's something that should be enjoyed rather than analyzed.


I'm kind of taking on the behavior of an ostritch when it comes to politics. It has become easier to resist the temptation to respond to the liberal ideas friends post on Facebook. And I don't want to comment on the events in Baltimore because it's all been said before, ditto the Clintons and the first quarter economic report. From now on I hope to confine my opinions to the voting booth.


The floating book shop was busier than it had been the past five sessions. I was so disappointed at the paltry sales I was getting at my usual nook that I decided to change the pattern, especially the way the wind was blowing there as I made my way to my car. I headed to Bay Parkway and 85th, setting up in front of the Chase bank, as I do on the weekend, and had a decent day. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/