Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/31 - Unimaginable

Very few suffer the grief of having a family member murdered. Imagine the pain it must cause. Recently, a celebrity had to re-confront the horror caused by such an act. Here are excerpts from an article at abcnews.go.com, edited by yours truly:
 "Actor Kelsey Grammer told a Colorado parole board he has forgiven the man who murdered his sister nearly 40 years ago, but does not want him released from prison. 'I accept that you live with remorse every day of your life, but I live with tragedy every day of my life,' Grammer, 59, told Freddie Glenn, his sister’s convicted murderer, via video conference on Tuesday. The Frasier and Cheers star was 20 when his younger sister, Karen, then 18, was abducted and stabbed to death by Glenn and others in 1975. 'She was a terrific kid,' Grammer said. 'She was a wonderful person and I miss her all the time.' Glenn is currently serving a life sentence. He watched Grammer from a video monitor and apologized to the actor, saying he was young and hung with the wrong crowd. 'I thought I would die. I thought I would be killed,' Glenn said, according to the Denver Post. 'I think I deserve a second chance.'
'I accept your apology. I forgive you,' Grammer told Glenn. 'However, I cannot give your release my endorsement. To give that a blessing would be a betrayal of my sister's life.'" The perpetrator's plea reminds me of that of Morgan Freeman's character in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), a film almost universally revered that I despise. I know time heals all wounds, but I draw the line at premeditated murder. I doubt I'd be able to forgive a crime such as Glenn's. Grammer's response seems contradictory. If he truly forgives, why wouldn't he endorse the murderer's release? Fortunately, I've never been in such a position and can only imagine how I would deal with it. I would not forgive, especially since I doubt God, if He exists, cares about the workings of humanity. The many instances of horror that occur in the world, individual, group and natural, prove, at least to this pedestrian mind, that the Almighty does not intervene, that it is up to mankind to make things right. I have a hard time with the death penalty, despite the monstrous acts of certain criminals, but I firmly believe people like Glenn should spend the rest of their lives behind bars. My sympathy is for the relatives of those killed.

"And now for something completely different," as the Monty Python crew often said: The trading deadline in MLB is at midnight and activity is hot and heavy. I don't recall so many significant names moving in so short a period. The Red Sox have thrown in the flag on the season and unloaded John Lackey and John Lester, who pitched them to the world title last year. And Tampa Bay has let go of former Cy Young Award winner David Price, a preemptive move, knowing the franchise would not be able to compete for his services with the richer clubs once he becomes a free agent. Wow.

My thanks to the kind folks who purchased items today at the floating book shop.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/30 - Success

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo is catching a lot of flack for his premature disbanding of the Moreland Commission, which was created to investigate corruption. Pundits speculate that it was hitting too close to home. Silent for several days, Cuomo addressed the issue in a brief press conference, dubbing the endeavor “a phenomenal success.” He should have used “Mission Accomplished.” This may damage the liberal a bit, but it will not derail his re-election. Most New Yorkers prefer Socialism. Republican Rob Astorino is well-qualified, but I expect him to suffer the same fate as the equally qualified Joe Lhota, who was swamped in the NYC mayoral race by ardent leftist Bill DeBlasio.

The other day a customer recommended a self-publishing service, 48 Hours Press. Although I’ve never regretted self-publishing Close to the Edge, I vowed to never go that way again. Curious, and disappointed that I haven’t been able to arouse interest in my rock n roll epic, Rising Star, I visited the website. I’m impressed. Getting a quote was easy, and I was able to do it without submitting any personal information. I’ve always imagined RS as a mass market paperback. The cost of getting it into print in the 4.25 x 7 format is surprisingly low, $797, which includes the purchase of copies and shipping. I selected 75 copies, since 25 are free. I would need a cover, which is an additional $100, plus an ISBN number, which would be another $20. A proof copy is $40. So for $957, 100 copies would be available at the floating book shop. At ten bucks apiece, a small profit would be realized -- if people would be willing to pay ten for a standard paperback. The book would also be available at the website, but not at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and such. I’m tempted, but I remind myself that it can be made available at no cost on Kindle. Until I’ve exhausted all possibilities, Rising Star will remain unavailable to the public.

According to an article in the NY Post, since 2008 European governments have paid al Qaeda 125 million in ransoms, 66 million alone the past year. Kidnapping covers half the operating revenue of the terrorist organization.

Here’s a positive note on Muslims. An article at Yahoo Sports profiles Ameer Abdullah, the ninth sibling in his family scheduled to graduate college. He gained more than 1000 yards in each of the last two seasons at Nebraska. He was selected to address the annual Big Ten luncheon. Asked about the current controversy about the alleged exploitation of athletes by colleges, he said getting a degree is like “hitting the educational lottery.” Kudos, young man.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/29 - Swamped

Two liberal Facebook friends recently posted the following quote from Deepak Chopra: “All great changes are preceded by chaos.” This seems like an all-time rationale. Left out is the element of time. How long will the turmoil last? Five years? Ten? 20? 50? 100? It seems they are indirectly saying Obama’s policies, domestic and foreign, will eventually prove to have been right. Let’s hope that’s the case, although it seems a pipe dream at present.

In today’s NY Post I came across a term previously unfamiliar to me. In a review of Jenny Lewis’ new album, Michael Angelo Matos describes her music as “yacht-rock.” Here’s Wiki’s definition, edited by yours truly: "Yacht rock" is a pejorative used retrospectively to refer to the soft rock format that peaked in popularity between 1975 and 1984. In part, the term relates to the stereotype of the yuppie owner enjoying smooth music while out for a sail. Additionally, since sailing was a popular leisure activity in Southern California, many "yacht rockers" made nautical references in their lyrics, videos and album artwork, particularly the anthem, Sailing, by Christopher Cross. Notable artists also include Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan and Toto.” There is a 12 episode series of that name featuring artists and actors in realistic and exaggerated situations. It premiered in 2005. The last show aired in 2010. I watched about a minute of an excerpt at youtube. It’s not for me.

About a month ago, a woman donated more than 50 pictorials to the floating book shop. I sold all within seven days. Today she returned with about 200 books across a wide spectrum: classics, children's, self help, art, bodybuilding, sex, relationships and law. She also brought DVDs, videotapes, CDs and computer accessories. The space at the foot of my front passenger seat is filled, as is that of the rear seat, and my trunk might not fit a dime at present. I discarded only about five-percent of the wares, leaving the legal texts and medical books in the lobby, and recycling damaged or other goods of dubious marketability. I asked her to bring only one cart's worth, but caved when she said she was moving to Florida and had to get rid of a lot of stuff. As far as problems go, it's a good one to have, although I worry about the strain to the old Hyundai's shocks. Thanks, madam, and to those kind folks who relieved some of the burden.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/28 - Silly-ville

The mind is an amazing apparatus. Saturday I had a McDonalds big breakfast for lunch. It’s about 1200 calories, not counting the Coke I had to go with it. Even though I gave the hash brown to my sister, ate only a third of the biscuit, and poured a couple of ounces of soda down the drain, I felt so guilty that I bought a ready to eat, pre-cut fruit salad for dinner. Another example of the brain’s odd function, at least in this 64-year-old male, is the continued desire for young women. Whether it’s the bodacious Miss Tits, as I’ve mentally dubbed her for obvious reasons, or the lovely, brainy Sue-Ellen, my mind wanders into silly-ville. Also in that vein, I just received a follow request on Twitter from a beautiful young woman who apparently has no connection to the literary world -- and I had to think twice before ignoring it, which happens at each similar come-on. Although I frequently tell myself: "What would she want with an old fool like you?", the mind insists.

In an op-ed piece syndicated in today’s NY Post, George Will writes about the race for a senate seat in Oregon. Monica Wehby, a former pediatric neurosurgeon, is the Republican candidate. Her campaign slogan is: “Keep Your Doctor, Change Your Senator.” Touche, madam.

The incomparable Hondo, the Post’s satiric handicapper, has come up with another gem. The Colorado Rockies had a T-shirt giveaway the other night featuring their most popular player, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Unfortunately, the manufacturers left out the second T. Hondo wonders if this is a result of the legalization of marijuana in The Centennial State.

For the fourth straight Monday in Park Slope, the floating book shop set up on a different corner. It is dictated by where I find parking. I don't have the energy and patience to haul the crates long distances any more. Today I was on 7th Av. just inside 5th St., three-quarters of a block from my car, a few feet from the doors of an annex of Methodist Hospital, just up the street from Barnes & Noble. It looked like it was going to be a disappointing session until Francis came along and bought pictorials on maps and gods and goddesses, a children's book that had his name in the title, and P. L. Travers Mary Poppins. Thank you, sir, and also to the nurse who purchased a self help book.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/27 - Numbers

Baseball is in the post steroid era. Pitchers, many of them very young, are putting up impressive numbers. The ERAs of Chris Sale and Felix Hernandez are below two - in a DH league! Shades of Pedro Martinez. In all, ten American League pitchers have an ERA below three. Here's a list of all MLB pitchers who have an ERA below the long accepted standard of excellence, which really should be considered 3.50, maybe even 3.99, regarding AL hurlers.                             
                             Age    Team    Wins  Losses    ERA
1. Kershaw, C       26     LAD        12       2          1.76   
2. Sale, C              25     CWS       10        1         1.88   
3. Hernandez, F    28     SEA         11       2          1.99   
4. Wainwright, A  33     STL         12        5         2.02   
5. Cueto, J            28     CIN          11        6         2.08   
6. Kazmir, S          30     OAK        11        3         2.32   
7. Tanaka, M          26     NYY        12        4         2.51   
8. Beckett, J          34     LAD         6          5         2.52   
9. Lester, J             30    BOS         10        7         2.52   
10. Alvarez, H       24     MIA          7         5         2.62   
11. Richards, G     26     LAA         11        3         2.62   
12. Ross, T            27     SD             9       10        2.65   
13. Hudson, T        39     SF             8         7         2.65   
14. Gray, S             25     OAK        12        3         2.65   
15. Teheran, J        23     ATL          10        6         2.71   
16. Hamels, C       31      PHI           5         5         2.72   
17. Greinke, Z       31     LAD         12        6         2.74   
18. Kluber, C         28     CLE          10        6        2.77   
19. Samardzija, J    29    OAK          4         8         2.80   
20. Roark, T           28     WSH        10        6         2.82   
21. Simon, A          33     CIN          12        5         2.86   
22. Darvish, Y       28      TEX          9          6         2.92
Stats culled from MLB.com.

It was the first physically demanding session of the floating book shop in a while. The humidity sapped me. My thanks to one of our stellar porters, Pedro, who directed me to a bag of goods someone had discarded, which contained several marketable pictorials and children's books, and to Bob, who dropped off two novels on his way to a visit with his grandkids, and to the kind folks who purchased books today, especially the young man who bought a bag o' sci-fi paperbacks.

Bill Brown stopped by with a revised edition of his book: Words and Guitar: A History of Lou Reed's Music. When new works by the artist were released recently, he decided he had to go back to the drawing board. He opened it to the title page. He had given me a thanks, as he is grateful that I discovered about 20 errors in the text and that I encouraged him to make the book available in Kindle. His sale rankings at Amazon are a lot better than mine. Thanks, buddy.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/26 - Dysfunction

Tracy Letts was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his play August: Osage County. He did the screenplay for the 2013 screen adaptation. Having been disappointed by many modern plays, I let the DVD version sit next to the machine until there was a night when TV offered nothing of interest. A half hour into the story, I was not won over. Then it began to grow on me, despite it loathsomeness, as I saw it was more than just another jaundiced view of the American family and its hypocrisy. The family at the center of the piece is as about as dysfunctional as one gets. To the author’s credit, it is a portrait of individuals and not a blanket statement of life in the USA. It is grim and uncompromising, not for those who prefer pleasant fare. Ugly secrets are revealed throughout. Except for the many expletives, I was reminded of the works of Eugene O’Neill. It features as good a cast as ever assembled. Meryl Streep stars as the pill-popping, chain-smoking matriarch, another plum role in her amazing canon. Julia Roberts matches her, in complete command of the F-word, as the strongest of the three daughters. The others are played by Juliette Lewis and Julianne Nicolson, who I was unable to place until two-thirds of the film had unreeled. She was Detective Wheeler in 24 episodes of Law & Order Criminal Intent, her hair then short and red, not medium length and dark. I’m embarrassed to say I did not realize until the closing credits that it was Ewan MacGregor playing Roberts’ estranged husband. I continue to be amazed at how effortlessly Brits play Yanks. Benedict Cumberbatch is equally convincing as the sensitive nephew, a role so different from his turn as Sherlock. Chris Cooper is outstanding as the in-law. His character injects much needed decency into the proceedings, as does Misty Upham as the Native American housekeeper, although the latter smacks of political correctness. Cooper does it with his usual unpretentious brilliance. Also on hand, veterans Margo Martindale, whom any fan of TV or movies would recognize; Sam Shepard; Dermot Mulroney; and Abigail Breslin, who at the tender age of 18 has already amassed 36 credits. Surprisingly, given its grimness, the film was a modest success at the box office, earning 38 million in the USA alone on a budget of 24 million. It was directed by John Wells, who has worked mostly in TV. I'm never comfortable commenting on directing, as it is an art I don't understand. I'll say only that it looks like a movie and not a filmed play. Letts, a male, also wrote Killer Joe, a play adapted to the screen in 2011, which I didn’t like. 41,500+ contributors have rated August: Osage County at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 7.3 of ten. On a scale of five, I rate it four. There are, and there have been, many great American actresses. Does anyone, even Katherine Hepburn, come close to the number of significant roles Streep has portrayed? She is a national treasure.

PBS in NYC is running The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) tonight at nine. I chuckled at the description in the TV listings in the NY Post: “Three disparate lowlifes decide to team up to find Confederate treasure.” I wonder what Clint Eastwood would think of having his iconic Man with No Name described that way. Then again, it isn't far from the truth, a mega-anti-hero.

Monsie has had her eye on Close to the Edge for a couple of years. Today she finally bit. Thanks, my dear, and also to all the other buyers who made the floating book shop seem like a legitimate business this wonderful afternoon. My thanks also to whomever purchased A Truth Universally Acknowledged, available only on Kindle.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/25 - Multiples

I hadn't seen Herbie, one of my regular customers, all week. Knowing he'd had a heart attack several years, and that he lived alone, I was a little worried. He showed up today, having spent a couple of days in the hospital, replacing two stents and having another cleaned. He'd felt nauseous, and the doctors diagnosed it as a mild heart attack. Other than that the floating book shop went as expected today. All but two of the sales in Russian. Of the batch of 30 or so that were donated yesterday, only two remained. Michael's wife arrived just before closing with about 15 more. He passed away two weeks ago. Spasibo, madam, and thanks to all the other kind folks who made purchases, and to the gentleman who dropped off a bag o' romance novels.

Here's an excerpt from a short story, Threes, which was inspired by the superstition that the famous die in multiples of three. It is part of the A Hitch in Twilight collection, link below. The main character is a neurotic actress. I wouldn't describe writing as fun regarding the greater majority of my work. Engaging would be a better word. The speculative stuff that makes up ten percent of it, such as this, is more like play, at least during the first two drafts when creativity takes precedence over polish. The clip should take only a minute or two to read:

  She decided to take the subway, as the set was just outside a station. She would not risk getting stuck in traffic in a cab. Age was closing in on her. She dared not be difficult or late. She adopted her eccentric old woman look: kerchief, scarf, sunglasses, black gloves. Although she enjoyed the public's attention when she wasn't working, she did not want to be bothered when she was. And she hated when people asked if her real name were Starr. She took pains to be unpretentious, grounded -- and the press and public still asked her that. What actress in her right mind would take such a name?
   She left the sliding glass door open, although rain was in the forecast. Her chest tightened as she rode the elevator down. She feared it would get stuck – or worse. She was relieved no one else boarded, certain her distress was obvious. People in the building were the only ones liable to recognize her in her get up.
   Underground, as soon as she pushed through the turnstile, she felt panic rise within her. She skirted to her immediate right, sidling as far from the tracks as possible.
   "Are you all right, miss?" said a young man in a tailored suit.
   She looked away, ashamed. To her relief, he was the only commuter on the platform. She took a seat on a wooden bench and closed her eyes. She did not open them until a train stormed into the station. She stepped on quickly, leery of the narrow space between the car and the edge of the platform. When she reached her destination, she hurried, almost ran to the street.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/24 - Laughs

With nothing to my liking on TV last night between eight and ten PM, I turned to one of the comedy tapes I recorded in 80’s, a mixed bag from various sources. It ended with several clips of Eddie Murphy in his SNL days, which I believe is his best work. The bits are still funny. There were four: An ad for The Galactic Prophylactic -- "Guaranteed to last 50 years"; Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood - “Can you say ‘scum bucket,’ boys and girls?”; Velvet Jones’ Be a Ho infomercial; and Murphy as presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, apologizing in song for unfortunate comments -- Don't Let Me Down -- a hilarious stroke of genius. Here’s the clip. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, its quality is not top notch, but it is viewable:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNz5XnvZHhk&list=PLDBy_3QS13yNqZB9kslSYRZEDL7mQMPBX

I sat reading in my car, waiting for the alternate side regulation to expire at eleven, when Abdul the Friendly Porter's sidekick, whose name I don't know, approached and said he had a lot of books stored in the basement of the co-op complex he works. In one box I found Slick Willie's memoir, My Life, and George W. Bush's Decision Points. In another there were about 30 books in Russian, all but one on hardcover, in excellent condition. I carried them out to my nook and set up the floating book shop, knowing it would be a Can't Miss session. Sure enough, I sold eleven of the Russian books, My Life, and a Best of Arlo Guthrie CD. Thanks, folks. As soon as I'd put out Clinton's book, a gentleman commented that Willie was always smiling. I couldn't resist saying: "You'd be too if you'd gotten away with what he has." Prior to leaving the apartment, I heard WOR-AM radio host Mark Simone discussing the latest nugget involving that good ol' boy -- Hillary's contention that he was abused by his mother as a child. She would not elaborate on exactly how, a rare show of taste from those political animals. Simone noted the contrast between news about the Clintons and the Bushes, how the latter men faded into the background after leaving public service and never generate a hint of scandal. They were not good presidents, but they are good people. The same cannot be said for the Clintons.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/23 - Complaint Dept.

I set up the floating book shop an hour late today. I'd accompanied a friend to a dentist appointment at Coney Island Hospital, which is just nine blocks from our building. To my surprise, it went smoothly and we were out of there just after ten AM. She was a bit distracted while driving home and let expletives fly when those behind us beeped to get her moving. After brunch, we headed home and she sniffed when she saw our stellar porter, Frankie, whom she accused of being a snitch while her law suit against the co-op was in progress, as if surprised his loyalty should have been to her and not to those who paid his salary. She has not forgiven him, although she complains that one of the board members has not return her calls since she settled the case. She is surprised at his hard feelings, as if the suit was just business as usual.

Once I set up shop, the complaints about the heat began, although so far it has not been nearly as hot as past summers. Estelle, 89, said she was telling her doctor today would be her last physical therapy session. It hasn't relieved her hip pain a bit. I'm sure it all gets charged to Medicare. Doctors know there's no cure for old age, but they're not about to turn down easy money. Her daughter, Shelley, is suffering tendinitis in each arm and also made a trip to a doctor. The other Shelley remarked how glad she was that workers were repaving the sidewalk in front of her building, where she took a header a few years ago and fractured her kneecap. Barbara was pissed about the red blotches on her white khakis, which she hadn't noticed until well after she'd left Sephora, where she bought makeup. Rosemary is in the process of pulling up all the rugs in her apartment, and finding other problems, like beetles and termites. A retired postal worker related how his ground floor apartment, pre-Sandy, suffered sewage backups at least once a month. Since the entire flat flooded during the storm and had to be repaired, management, Lefrak, finally addressed the problem. He is scheduled to move back in on the first. The funniest moment of the day came when a cranky old woman pushing her stroller got into it with two of the maintenance crew from our complex, Atlantic Towers. They were seated on the ledge of the garden of the Lefrak building, yukking it up as always, speaking Spanish, when the woman snapped: "Speak English!" as she often does to Russians. Eddie began shouting "Orale! Orale!" like wrestling fans did for the late Eddie Guerrero, and the poor woman went into an ugly rant. I couldn't help chuckling. She is old and probably in a lot of pain, but she makes the worst of her situation. Whenever a bus is late or the driver fails to deploy the handicap ramp to her satisfaction, she goes off. 

As far as sales go, it was a dismal session, but, watching the two men taking sledgehammers to concrete in the hot sun, I didn't dare complain. I had only one sale and it was because I spoke up. One of my regulars, a middle age black woman, is married to a white man. I suggested Anne L. Watson's Pacific Avenue, which I recently finished. I'm curious to hear her opinion on how the author handled the inter-racial relationship at the novel's core. I thought it was enlightening, but what do I know. I went on one date with a black girl and, if it was any indication of what such couples experience daily, more power to them. I doubt I'd be able to take such abuse regularly, although I expect attitudes have moderated since the late '70's. Thank you, ma'am. I love that she doesn't get insulted when I suggest a book on the basis of race. The first time I did I prefaced it by saying: "Please don't be insulted," which I do with others. She said something like: "You never have to worry about that with me." Some people take offense.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/22 - Demand

I had difficulty choosing a novel to read from the donations I’d received. Most were too long or seemed too pat. I suspected Pacific Avenue by Anne L. Watson of being a self-published/Print on Demand book. Since Close to the Edge is in that same category, I told myself I shouldn’t allow the possibility to prejudice me against it. I didn’t research the work until I was finished. It is self-published through an imprint run by her husband. I’m pleased to report the book is worthy of publication, the subject interesting, the writing solid and virtually free of errors. I spotted perhaps two or three, which is on a par with books issued by big houses. Its 320 pages glide by. Published in 2008, it is a story of an inter-racial relationship, set in Louisiana and California, mid ‘70’s, when such relationships were rare, especially in the south. It is told from alternating points of view, that of the young white female protagonist and the middle age black co-worker who serves as a surrogate mother to her. The author, who is white, delves into the difficulties realistically, without pulling punches. She did not leave it at that. The young man is a troubled Vietnam veteran, which I thought detracted from the central, more interesting theme. The narrative promotes diversity, inclusiveness and forgiveness, but not from a pulpit. The title refers to a street in a town outside L.A., ironically titled, as it is in a seedy neighborhood. 163 contributors have rated it at Amazon, forging to a consensus of four stars out of five. On a scale of five, I rate it 3.2. Watson has lately published two other novels, the Kindle versions of which are free. She has also written books on soap and lotion-making, and baking. She is a retired architectural consultant who once lived in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and San Pedro, the places where the novel is set. Today she resides in Olympia, Washington.

I noticed a review in today’s NY Post of an off-Broadway show, Here Comes the Night, about a songwriter whose name, Bert Berns, was unfamiliar, I'm embarrassed to admit. A Bronx boy, he contracted rheumatic fever as a child and was affected by it the rest of his life, which ended in heart failure at 38, but not before he wrote 51 songs that cracked the charts. Frank Scheck gave the show only two stars. It may fade away, but the music will live on. Here’s a list of his biggest hits, culled from Wiki, and the artists who recorded them:
A Little Bit of Soap - The Jarmels (1961)
Twist and Shout - The Top Notes (1961) / The Isley Brothers (1962) / The Beatles (1963)
Cry to Me - Solomon Burke (1962)
Tell Him - The Exciters (1962)
Cry Baby - Garnet Mimms (1963) / Janis Joplin (1971)
One Way Love - The Drifters (1963) / Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (1964)
I Don't Want To Go On Without You - The Drifters (1964) / The Moody Blues (1965)
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love - Solomon Burke (1964) / Wilson Pickett (1967)
Baby Let Me Take You Home - The Animals (1964)
Here Comes the Night - Lulu (1964) / Them (1965)
I Want Candy - The Strangeloves (1965) / Bow Wow Wow (1982)
Hang on Sloopy - The McCoys (1965)
Down in the Valley - Solomon Burke (1964) Otis Redding (1965)
I'll Take Good Care Of You - Garnet Mimms (1967)
Are You Lonely For Me Baby - Freddie Scott (1967)
Piece of My Heart - Erma Franklin (1967) / Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin (1968) / Dusty Springfield (1968)[4]
Twenty Five Miles - Edwin Starr (1968)
RIP, sir. Thank you.


My thanks to the woman who donated eleven books, seven of them in Russian. Without her, the floating book shop would have had no sales today. A gentleman bought five of them. Spasibo, sir. My thanks also to Amazon, which deposited royalties for the sale of two Kindle books into my checking account.

Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/21 - Maverick

RIP James Garner, 86, one of Hollywood's classiest leading men. He was as likeable and charismatic a screen presence as any actor ever. Reruns of his late 1950's breakout show, Maverick, run every Saturday night on Cozi-TV from eight until eleven. They still hold up. He did 60 episodes, 122 of The Rockford Files, 24 of Nichols, and scores of others in series that did not fare well. He starred or co-starred in dozens of popular films. He did 300 Polaroid ads with the lovely Mariette Hartley. They were so convincing as a married couple that Hartley had a T-shirt made up that read: "I Am Not James Garner's Wife." He was nicknamed "Slick" by high school friends, and he certainly lived up to the designation in his craft. He always made it look easy. He was awarded two Purple Hearts for his service in the Korean War. He is a member of the the Hall of Great Western Performers and the Television Hall of Fame. He won Emmy and Golden Globe awards, but not an Oscar, for which he was nominated only once: Murphy's Romance (1986). A gym teacher recommended him for a modeling job, and Garner is quoting as saying: "I made 25 bucks an hour! That's why I quit school. I was making more money than the teachers. I never finished the ninth grade." Asked if he would ever do a nude scene, he replied in his signature self-deprecating style: "I don't do horror films." His work will live on. Kudos, sir, and thank you. (Facts culled from Wiki & IMDb.)

Since Park Slope is considered by many the most literate neighborhood in Brooklyn, I expect to sell my most literary wares whenever I take the floating book shop there. My thanks to the elderly gentleman who purchased a biography of poet Wilford Owen, killed in WWI, by Guy Cuthbertson; the middle aged woman who bought A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell; the young woman who pounced on The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides; and the eager grandma who jumped on a compilation of Knock-Knock jokes. And I didn't have to work that hard there for a change. I found a parking spot about 100 yards from the corner of 4th Street and 7th Avenue, where I was in the shade of John Jay High School for most of the session, and that of a little tree for the rest.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/20 - Camp

The second Sharknado flick is about to air, which prompted the following article by Reed Tucker in today's NY Post. I edited it and added thoughts in parentheses:
The 10 Most Entertainingly Terrible Movies
1: They Live (1988). It’s got magic sunglasses and stars a wrestler, Rowdy Roddy Piper, who was famous for wearing a kilt. This sci-fi film, about a construction worker who discovers that aliens disguised as humans run the world, has something that keeps viewers coming back. (Directed by John Carpenter, who did the original Halloween (1978) and one of my all-time favorite horror films, his remake of The Thing (1982). They Live pales next to those, but it's entertaining. Carpenter may be the king of the  So Bad It's Good flicks.)
2: Phantom of the Paradise (1974) This movie, getting a Blu-ray release in August, has its fans, among them Bret Easton Ellis and the guys in Daft Punk. That doesn’t make it any less ridiculous. Loosely based on The Phantom of the Opera and Faust, the movie stars Paul Williams as a record producer haunted by a disfigured singer in a cape, shiny leather suit and silver helmet. This rock opera from Brian De Palma manages to outcamp even The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (I tried to watch it once, hated it.)
3: The Room (2003) Writer, director and star Tommy Wiseau set out to make an emotional drama about a group of California friends. What he ended up with is an amateurish mess, full of dead-end subplots and unintentionally funny acting — the chief offender being the oddly accented Wiseau, who can’t even deliver a line like, “Oh, hi, Mark,” without launching a million snickering YouTube views. (I don't recall having ever heard of it.)
4: Spider-Man (1977) This early attempt to produce a live-action story of the superhero is not pretty. Spidey’s costume looks like it was sewn in a home-ec class, while the wall-crawling effect involves camera trickery so basic audiences will see right through it. (I haven't seen it, but I love the first Tobey Maguire version.)
5: Troll 2 (1990) So awful it spawned a documentary, Best Worst Movie (2009), which attempts to explain how things went wrong. It started when filmmaker Claudio Fragasso set out to make a sequel to Troll (1986). Only the two movies had no connection, and the follow-up didn’t even feature a troll. Instead, it was about a family terrorized by killer goblins. Most of the actors were amateur Americans, the crew Italians who didn’t speak English. You can imagine how that went. (I've never seen it.)
6: Reefer Madness (1936) The heavy-handed propaganda film tells the story of teenagers led down the path of  “enslavement” by marijuana — the “burning weed with its roots in hell!” (I've never seen it or any of the Cheech and Chong flicks.)
7: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952). While stuck on an island, two comedians, Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo, imitating Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, mingle with the natives and run afoul of a mad scientist, Lugosi,  who cooks up a potion that turns Mitchell into a gorilla. (I doubt I'd be able to sit through something like this at this stage of my life, even Plan Nine from Outer Space, which also starred Mr. Lugosi, who died mid-production.)
8: Cobra (1986) As a cop versus a murderous cult, Sylvester Stallone is a tough guy with mirrored sunglasses and a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. It’s like an action movie parody, with such one-liners as: “You’re a disease, and I’m the cure.” I've seen only parts of it. I can take only small doses of Stallone.
9: Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) You’ve got to laugh out loud as this story of a family stumbling upon a satanic cult unspools. Lighting that looks like it depended on two AA batteries? Check. Corny dialogue? Check. An incongruous jazz score? Check. Available on YouTube, if you dare. (It's the first I've heard of it.)
10: Road House (1989) The story of a bouncer, Patrick Swayze, working at a Missouri bar hardly gets more magical than the scene in which he visits a doctor to get patched up and is asked if he wants an anesthetic. When the tough guy refuses, the doctor asks if he enjoys pain. “Pain don’t hurt,” Swayze replies. (I was miffed when Swayse beat up Terry Funk, one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. Then I thought: "You know, he is in a lot better shape than the man from the Double Cross Ranch.")

Here's a stat that should not surprise anyone: In the first decade of the new millennium, revenue for tattoo removal has been 75.5 million. I wish there were some way of investing in a stock for it. In my corner of Brooklyn alone, there are thousands of unsightly toos on display every day. I wouldn't be surprised if 25% were removed in time.



Ten years ago, Rory McIroy's dad, Gerry, and three friends, bet 400 pounds that his son would win the British Open before he turned 26. Today Rory finished his wire to wire victory, going 17-under, to win his third major title. He lacks only the Masters' green jacket to complete the Grand Slam, which only a handful of golfers have earned. The bet will pay off $340,000 American, 85 grand per man.


My thanks to the kind folks who purchased items today on Bay Parkway.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/19 - Thief

I’ve watched five of the nominees for the 2013 Best Picture Oscar on DVD, courtesy of Netflix. I am not gaga about any. The Book Thief  received only one nomination, for Musical Score, but I enjoyed it infinitely more than the others. Although it is yet another WWII story, it takes a refreshing course, concentrating on character, relationships and suspense, not atrocities and action. A ten-year-old girl is taken from her mother, a communist, and sent to live with a foster family in a small town during the time of the Third Reich’s madness. The indomitable Liesel is played wonderfully by pre-teen Sophie Nelisse, a Canadian who, despite her tender age, already had six credits when she took the part. She has the great fortune of landing loving foster parents, played by the brilliant Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. Although illiterate at the start of the narrative, Liesel pilfers a gravedigger’s manual at the site of her little brother’s burial. Taught to read by her step-dad, she later “borrows” classics from the mayor’s wife, who spotted her taking one from a stack burned by the Nazis. I haven’t been as touched by a movie in a while. Is it flawless? Of course not. Several contributors at IMDb were annoyed by the use of mixed language, English with splashes of German. I thought it was fine. One was insulted that the Nazi speeches were entirely in German. Although I understand the point, there’s no denying that Germany sparked savage carnage, so I must disagree that the film is biased. WWII is a part of its history its citizens must accept and admit. The events in the film were not as predictable as I’d expected, which is a major plus for such a work. It was directed by Brian Percival, who did several episodes of the wildly popular Downton Abbey and other BBC productions. Michael Petroni adapted the screenplay from the novel, which I have not read, by Markus Zuzak, an Australian. It spent 230 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and won several awards. 53,000+ users at IMDb have rated the film, forging to a consensus of 7.6 of ten. I rate it 4.5 of five. Perhaps it brought out the sentimental old fool in me. It runs 131 minutes. I did not pause it once. As the closing credits were rolling, I heard the fireworks going off in Coney Island. Late in the story, Liesel and her best friend, Rudy, stand at the foot of an isolated dock and shout: “I hate Hitler!” He was a monster like Islamist terrorists or the savages that shot down the Malaysian plane. Not even children are safe from them. 

There are several people I look forward to seeing while I'm running the floating book shop. Some I've never even spoken with, such as the tall, lean blonde who lives in the apartment building at the corner of 84th Street and Bay Parkway. What fascinates me, aside from her fashion model good looks, is the tattoo of the snake with its fangs bared on her upper right arm. I wonder what the story behind it is. Of course, it may be nothing more than the foolishness of youth.

My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/18 - Kings

PBS has been running a terrific BBC mini-series under its Great Performances banner, titled The Hollow Crown, which refers to the awesome responsibility of rule, so beautifully explained in the immortal quote: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown..." The arc consists of four of Shakespeare's historical plays: Richard II, Henry IV Part One & Two (from which the quote comes), and Henry V. I'm least familiar with the first, although I believe I wrote a paper on it in college, which manifests my mediocre performance in the academic world. Last night I watched Henry IV Part Two, which was covered in that same course. I'd never seen a production of it, so it was a treat. It may be the Bard's most accessible work, especially for those who are pained by the difficulty of the language. What makes it so is frequent comic relief and the relationship between the monarch and his rebellious son, to which many parents in the modern world can relate. Fortunately, almost all rebels reform and go on to lead productive lives, as does Prince Hal, or Hotspur, as he is dubbed. He spends his days drinking, carousing and committing petty crimes in the company of a band of miscreants and his most faithful partner in crime, Sir John Fallstaff, one of the most famous figures in literary history ("The better part of valor is discretion..." Part I). When the King falls ill, his son reforms. The three lead roles must be in capable hands in order for the play to shine, and Jeremy Irons as the King, Tom Hiddleston as Hal, and Simon Russell Beale as Fallstaff are brilliant. Film buffs are familiar with the talents of Irons,who won an Oscar in 1990 for Reversal of Fortune. Hiddleston looked familiar but I was unable to place his face. He played one of Kenneth Brannagh's assistants in the BBC production of the Wallander crime series. I recognized Beale immediately as the Home Secretary of MI5, one of my favorite shows of all-time. 442 contributors at IMDb have rated the mini-series, forging to a consensus of 8.3 of ten. The title is taken from a line in Richard II: "…for within the hollow crown that rounds the mortal temples of a king keeps death his court…" Shakespeare died in 1616. The king of literary men, his work continues to resonate across the globe, translated into practically every known language. Whether a person realizes it or not, everyone, even haters of his work, uses phrases he coined. In the interest of fairness, I'll cite a contrary opinion on rule rendered by Mel Brooks as Louis XVI in The History of the World Part I (1981): "It's good to be the king."

My thanks to all the donors and buyers who contributed to the floating book shop on this glorious summer day.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/17 - Miller Time

I accompanied a friend to a doctor's appointment today. It turned into a marathon, so I didn't have the chance to open the floating book shop. In the meantime, here's a short story in its entirety, about 1300 words, which should require less than ten-minutes to read. It's about one of my pet peeves -- conspiracy theories. The title is Miller's Time:

He turned left from the elevator and immediately spotted a note taped to the door of his apartment just below the large UFT decal. He scanned the message, crumpled and threw it to the floor.
“I will not be bought,” he muttered indignantly.
His bushy beard and what remained of the hair on his head were largely gray. He was of average height, about 50 pounds overweight. He wore wire-rimmed glasses.
“Mr. Miller! Mr. Miller!” someone called.
Miller recognized the voice and sneered as he let go of the doorknob and turned to the middle age man in a suit. “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Costas.”
“Have you seen our latest offer?”
“I’m not joining the plot to rid Manhattan of the middle class, to make it a playground of the rich.”
“We’ll give you a studio right here in the building.”
“The maintenance fee would be more than my current rent. What kind of deal is that?”
“But you’d own the apartment and you’d be able to sell whenever you want. You have a nice pension and great benefits. You’d have no trouble keeping up.”
Miller eyed him with suspicion, seething. “How’d you find out about my finances?” No doubt the banks were in cahoots with real estate agents and building owners.
“Please, sir. You’re alone. You don’t need five rooms.”
“What if my wife comes back? Take a hike. I’d never trust someone like you.”
He entered the apartment and set one of the three locks. The interior was in the middle stages of disarray. Ashtrays filled to the brim were everywhere. His wife had always seen to the upkeep. He hadn’t the time or patience for it. It’d been a year since she walked out and moved to Florida. He was surprised she was able to live outside of Manhattan. Both had been born and always lived in the borough. They’d spent their entire married life, raised their children in this rent-controlled flat. He’d expected they would die here. He felt betrayed.
Without removing his coat, he lit a cigarette and sat at his cluttered desk, on which there were several books, a few open. He scanned a paragraph in one, closed it and returned it to its proper place on the top shelf of the case, which held books on the Kennedy assassination. The second was devoted to 9/11, the third to the McCarthy era. All were alphabetized.
Deep in thought, he was startled by the ring of the telephone. He lifted the receiver and listened for a click, a bugging device. He heard none and chalked it up to the sophistication of modern technology.
 “Dad?”
“Oh, Mark -- it’s you. How are you?”
“Fine, and you?”
“I’m really on to something.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Benghazi was all about Khadafy’s gold, a massive amount -- stolen”
“So what if it was? What’s it to you?”
“How can you not care about the crimes your government perpetrates?” he said, exasperated. “That’s not how we raised you.”
“Dad, I love you, but you’ve got to get off this unhealthy track you’re on.”
“I can’t look away while our freedoms are threatened. The NSA is probably listening to us.”
“You’re nobody to them, Dad, a harmless crank, a retired teacher. Get your ego in check.”
“You should be ashamed. Here’s something else, perfect for someone like you who likes warmongering pop novels. You find nothing curious about the deaths of Vince Flynn and Tom Clancy, two relatively young men by modern standards -- rich men who could have paid doctors forever to keep them alive? They died within weeks of each other. That doesn’t seem like more than a coincidence to you?”
“Why would the government kill them?”
“Because they knew too much.”
“Nonsense.”
“Fact.”
“People die, Dad. It’s the first rule of life. You told me that a long time when Uncle Morty died.”
A heavy silence followed. All these years later, he still could not believe his younger brother was dead.
“I spoke to mom.”
Miller did not reply. He felt a pang as he gazed toward an end table and the picture that stood atop it.
“She asked how you were.”
“If she cared, she’d be here.”
“You drove her away with your obsessions.”
“She used to be so interested in politics.”
“She still is. She’s involved in the retirement community. You should be down there with her.”
“I’d go out of my mind.”
“I’m afraid you will if you keep obsessing about conspiracies.”
“I seek the truth.”
Again silence came between them.
“Have you heard from Sue?”
“Your sister is busy doing good. Unlike you she isn’t a corporate sell-out.”
“Yes, those evil corporations who provide millions of jobs and benefits, who pay enormous taxes and provide goods and services to the public.”
“Who avoid paying taxes, more like it -- and overcharge for things we all could do without.”
“Whatever. Mom quit smoking. You should too.”
Miller scoffed. “Don’t send me anymore of those infernal electronic cigarettes.”
“They can’t be as bad for you as tobacco. When’s the last time you had a check up?”
“Doctors can’t be trusted anymore. They’re shills for the drug conglomerates.”
“Listen to yourself, for God’s sake. We have a liberal president and senate, and you’re more mistrustful than ever.”
“Because it’s a one-party system of the rich. They should all be jailed, many of them shot.”
“I’m worried about you, Dad.”
“Worry about your country. I’m fine.”
“I understand Costas made you another offer.”
Miller smirked. “So that’s why you called. You’ve been talking to that slime behind my back, eager for a cut of the proceeds. You‘ve been infected with the greed of your contemporaries.”
“I don’t need your money, Dad.”
Miller hung up, miffed that he was no longer able to trust even his own son. He glanced at his watch. He had plenty of time to get to the library downtown. Each day he visited a different branch. He kept a chart of those he used to make sure he did not leave a traceable pattern. He communicated by computer with fellow travelers, sharing evidence and hypotheses. He no longer had a cell phone or his own computer, which left a trail. He was eager to hear more about a contributor’s belief that Gene Vincent, and Buddy Holly and everyone aboard that plane had been murdered by the CIA in an effort to kill rock and roll in its infancy.
He was so excited, moving so fast, his breath grew short.
As soon as he was outside he lit a cigarette. There was a tightness in his chest he attributed to the biting cold and his anger at his wife, son, Costas and the government. He stopped outside a new pizzeria and finished his smoke. He loved pizza, ate it almost every day. He entered the shop and ordered a pepperoni slice and large root beer. Halfway through the meal he felt light-headed and flushed. Perspiration broke out on his brow. He removed his heavy coat. It didn’t help. He felt worse, an acute pain in his chest unlike any he had ever suffered. He sniffed at his drink, certain it’d been poisoned. He looked to the counter, where a man was smiling at him. Was he working for the government or Costas?
Bastards got me, he thought, keeling over, falling to the floor.
Efforts to revive him were futile.
An autopsy was performed. The doctor told Mark his father had suffered a massive heart attack. The procedure also found malignancies in the lungs. Untreated, they would have proved fatal in a year. Even an immediate operation might have failed.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/16 - Surprises

While channel hopping last night I came upon a PBS documentary that provided information about WWII that surprised me. Cities of the Underworld had a three-season run. The particular episode I came across was titled New York: Secret Societies, first broadcast in 2007. The host mentioned attacks on New York. Not having recalled ever hearing of any, I ran a search and found an article written in 2006 by Brian John Murphy for a magazine titled America in WWII. Here's the closing summary, edited a bit by yours truly: "The U-boats had scored the most one-sided and damaging victory against the United States of any foreign naval power. Germany had sunk 233 ships off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico and killed no fewer than 5,000 seamen and passengers. In Operation Drumbeat, German subs destroyed 3.5 percent of the tanker fleet. The operation caused major disruptions in war-material production and in the shipping of supplies to the war fronts. This was Germany’s first strategic victory that directly impacted America." I don't believe this has been covered in any movie on WWII. Perhaps it's time. The program showed graphics of mines laid in the East River outside Fort Totten, which was first built in 1862 and which is now an area of Queens, specifically the neighborhoods Bay Terrace, Bayside, Beechhurst and Whitestone. Had an enemy ship approached, the devices would have been detonated manually by servicemen inside the facility.

The floating book shop has always had unpredictable results, and the past three sessions manifested this. Despite the oppressive humidity on Monday and Tuesday, I had several sales each day. Today the weather was ideal, cool and dry, and I would have had zero sales had I not run into Susan after I'd packed up and headed to Waj's gyro stand. She thanked me for recommending Alison McGhee's Shadow Baby, which she just finished. I'm happy to have had my love of the book validated by an avid reader. This time I recommended Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders, which she bought. My thanks, and to the FedEx guy, who donated three books, to Herbie, who donated the final part of E.L. James' 50 Shades trilogy, and to the woman who donated eight books in Russian.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/15 - Endorphins

In an article in today's NY Post, Diane Herbst cites how the ancient practice of acupuncture is being used to treat modern ailments. The pinpricks release endorphins, which is a natural pain reliever produced by the body. They are also triggered by exercise. The pleasant post-workout feeling is directly attributable to them. Acupuncture is now being used to relieve the effects of chemotherapy, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and addiction to painkillers, with promising results. I've never used it, and was tempted only once, when I had severe hip pain, which subsided, thankfully. I countered it with exercise. Whether it was that or time that healed it, I'll never know, but I still do those exercises every day. I dread the thought of going through that again.

24 ended its season with another Pyrrhic victory for Jack Bauer. He thwarted all America's enemies at a deep personal price. The body count was high, the action as crisp as always, but the final hour's best moment was one of quiet emotional violence, as President Heller, wonderfully played by William Devane, addresses the Brit PM, saying that Alzheimer's will soon wipe his memory clean of the horrific events of the day. The action scenes at times stretched credulity, but that is to be expected in such fare. The only part that annoyed me was Chloe's escape from the hardcore Chinese villains. That was a bit too much. Still, it was an exciting arc, and it involved America's three main threats: Islamist fanatics, Russia and China. Will the show return? I hope so. I wonder if endorphins are released by the visceral satisfaction of watching Bauer dispatch monsters.

My thanks to Mother Nature, which held off the rain until two PM, allowing me to earn a few dollars at the floating book shop.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/14 - Breathe Deep

Here's something from gawker.com, edited by yours truly, that may blow you away -- literally and figuratively. "Can smelling farts cure cancer? Maybe. Scientists at the University of Exeter have found that fart smell can potentially offer health benefits in a range of issues, like cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart attacks and dementia. Dr. Mark Wood wrote in a release from the university, via Time: 'Although hydrogen sulfide is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases.' Although farts are toxic in large doses, small amounts can help protect cells by preserving mitochondria: 'When cells become stressed by disease, they draw in enzymes to generate minute quantities of hydrogen sulfide. This keeps the mitochondria ticking over and allows cells to live. If this doesn't happen, the cells die and lose the ability to regulate survival and control inflammation.' Researchers have created a compound called AP39 to exploit this process and slowly deliver the gas to mitochondria, according to a study published in the journal Medicinal Chemistry Communications. Professor Matt Whiteman writes: 'Our results indicate that if stressed cells are treated with AP39, mitochondria are protected and cells stay alive.' The study doesn't specify how many farts you have to smell in order to live forever." This is great news for me and, I imagine, others my age whose bodies have given over to uncanny flatulence. Suggestions: Keep the covers pulled over your head in order to reap these benefits while sleeping, linger in the bathroom after a particularly robust dump of number two and, if you're at a party, encourage everyone to retire to the den post meal, or at half-time of the Super Bowl.

Here's something I hope to see more often: according to an article at Yahoo Sports, the top high school guard in the nation has decided to forgo his scholarship to SMU and turn pro overseas. Emmanuel Mudiay, six-five, is doing what all those who plan a one-and-done at college should do. Coach Larry Brown claims this is a hardship move that has nothing to do with a failure to qualify academically. Whatever. The young man was born in Zaire. His family escaped the war torn Congo and settled in Dallas. If he has no designs on a degree, he should go pro rather than participate in the farce college basketball has become.

RIP Michael, who was so generous to the floating book shop, even when it was obvious that cancer was ravaging him. Condolences to his wife and children. He fled the Soviet Union with nothing and built a life in America. I once remarked at his loss of weight, and it was obvious he did not want to talk about it, and I didn't dare press. Thank you, sir. If there is a heaven, I know it will welcome you.

Given the forecast, I didn't dare venture to Park Slope. I set up at my usual nook expecting a short stay, but the rain held off and I did modest business. My thanks to the buyers, especially the woman who got off the bus a stop early.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/13 - Punks & Hunks

RIP Tommy Ramone, 65, drummer of the seminal punk band The Ramones. He was the last surviving member of the original lineup. The band formed in Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Despite achieving only limited commercial success, it was a major influence on the punk movement in the U.S. and, perhaps to a greater extent, the U. K.. All its members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname "Ramone," although none were related. They performed 2,263 concerts, touring virtually nonstop for 22 years. In 1996, after completion of the Lollapalooza music festival, the band played a farewell concert and disbanded. As is common knowledge, the rock n roll life span is often brutally short. Lead singer Joey Ramone died at 49, guitarist Johnny Ramone at 55, bassist Dee Dee Ramone at 50. Despite limited commercial success, recognition of the band's importance built over the years, and they are now mentioned in many assessments of all-time great rock music, such as the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 2002 the Ramones were ranked the second-greatest band of all time by Spin magazine, trailing only the Beatles (Holy cow!). On March 18th 2002 the three founders and drummers Tommy and Marky Ramone were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011 the group was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. I saw them perform at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park, circa 1980, a fun show. I vividly remember two young women dancing barefoot in the aisle, their feet as dirty as a homeless person's. The woman beside me remarked: "You've come a long way to see this concert." Puzzled, I replied: "I'm from Brooklyn." I later realized I was wearing the Kalamazoo Central Maroon Giants T-shirt my friend Judy, who attended the school, sent me as a gag. I coached football at crosstown  rival Loy Norrix. They are the schools I used as models in Adjustments. Here's a clip from a 1977 Ramones performance at CBGB. The ad can be skipped after a few seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kmUfWPeIRE (Facts culled from Wiki.)

Thankfully, the public will be spared the prolonged circus that occurred several years ago when Lebron James was deciding which team to take his talents to.

Congratulations to Mo Martin, 31, who won the Women's British Open, her first victory ever. The UCLA grad had not won in 63 tries on the LPGA tour. She did it in style, hitting the flag stick with a three wood from 240 yards on the final hole, setting up a six-foot birdie putt. She then waited as the leaders imploded in the windy conditions. Her previous cumulative earnings had been $599,760. Today she made $474,575.

My thanks to the young man who purchased six works of non-fiction, and to the woman who bought a book on dinosaurs in Russian.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/12 - This n That

In the steady move toward the legalization of marijuana, it seems the pluses are far exceeding the minuses thus far. In fact, I haven't heard of any down side, although I'd expect most of the media would ignore it. Is it possible that this is something even politicians can't screw up?

Have the NY Mets' prospects taken a turn for the better, or are they experiencing a temporary surge? Two of management's most recent moves, the choice of Lucas Duda over Ike Davis, who was traded to Pittsburgh, at first base, and the demotion and recall of catcher Travis D'Arnaud, whose hitting has improved, seemed to have been wise. And talented pitchers Zach Wheeler and Jacob DeGrom have pitched well lately. Even much maligned shortstop Ruben Tejada has contributed, his on base percentage, .351, 110 points higher than his batting average, .241. 

When the World Cup Soccer tournament began, Barry Spunt, author of Heroin and Music in New York City, sniffed at my lack of interest. Yesterday he approached and said the final pairing, Germany vs. Argentina, is a nightmare for Jews, including himself. I'd forgotten that several Nazis had fled to South America. The hardcover edition of Barry's book, which is normal sized, without photographs, sells for $85. Even more outrageous is the Kindle price: $76. Not surprisingly, the sales ranking of both is dismal. The publisher, MacMillan, recoups its printing costs through library sales.

Without guaranteed sales to libraries or a presence in physical stores, I choose to take to the street rather than wait for online sales to occur. My thanks to Andrew, a retired restauranteur, who bought Killing today. He lamented no longer owning the place he had in midtown, which was patronized by celebrities who might have been able to help me. I still appreciate his business and chuckled when he said his elderly mom would read the novel. He laughed when I showed him the glossary of Brooklyn Sicilian, which I bookmark for easy reference. My thanks also to whomever purchased the Kindle version of Adjustments, and to the other two people who bought books today on Bay Parkway.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/10 - Slavery

I had the DVD of 12 Years a Slave (2013) beside my player for about a week. I dreaded viewing it, certain it would be a politically correct, one note take on the issue. Despite solid production values and stellar performances, this proved to be the case. It was two hours of inhumanity and vileness, followed by 15 minutes of visceral family reunion. It brings nothing new to the table. What is its message? Slavery is evil? Whites should feel guilty about the behavior of slave-owners who lived more than 150 years before them? I've said this before. Issues such as slavery and the Holocaust rarely make good drama. When one faction is so egregiously wrong, it virtually eradicates the conflicts that create the most compelling stories. The film is based on the memoir of its main character, Solomon Northup, who dictated the book to David Wilson in 1853. It was adapted for the screen by John Ridley, who an Oscar. The film received nine nominations, winning also for Best Picture and the heartbreaking performance of supporting actress Lupita N'Yongo, who is matched by the lead, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Their work is the movie's strength. There are appearances by many familiar faces: Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender and Alfre Woodard. It was the third full length feature of Steve McQueen, a Brit, who will be getting more opportunities, as it was a financial as well as critical success, made for 20 million, grossing more than 56 million in the U.S. alone. At IMDb, 222,000+ contributors have rated it 8.2 out of ten. On a scale of five, I rate it three.
Here's an excerpt from a Thomas Sowell article of 2005, Ending Slavery:
"The anti-slavery movement was spearheaded by people who would today be called 'the religious right' and its organization was created by conservative businessmen. Moreover, what destroyed slavery in the non-Western world was Western imperialism. Nothing could be more jolting and discordant with the vision of today's intellectuals than the fact that it was businessmen, devout religious leaders and Western imperialists who together destroyed slavery around the world. And if it doesn't fit their vision, it is the same to them as if it never happened. As anti-slavery ideas eventually spread throughout Western civilization, a worldwide struggle pitted the West against Africans, Arabs, Asians and virtually the entire non-Western world, which still saw nothing wrong with slavery. But Western imperialists had gunpowder weapons first and that enabled the West to stamp out slavery in other societies as well as in its own. The New York Times tried to suggest that the ban against the international slave trade somehow served British self-interest. But John Stuart Mill, who lived in those times, said that the British 'for the last half-century have spent annual sums equal to the revenue of a small kingdom in blockading the Africa coast, for a cause in which we not only had no interest, but which was contrary to our pecuniary interest.' It was a worldwide epic struggle, full of dramatic and sometimes violent episodes, along with inspiring stories of courage and dedication. But do not expect Hollywood to make a movie about anything so contrary to their vision of the world."

My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books today, especially the Russian woman who overpaid for two Danielle Steele hardcover romances.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
  

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 7/10 - Wonders

I'm always impressed by novelists who portray past eras convincingly. Such is the case in Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague. It is set in a small village in England in 1665-66, based on actual events that occurred in Eyam. It is not the era of the Black Death, which occurred from 1346-53, killing anywhere from 75-200 million worldwide. The story is a first person account of a young mother of humble means who loses her entire family. The town heroically cuts itself off, instituting a self-imposed quarantine, which prevents the spread of the contagion but decimates its own population of 300 by two-thirds. Not all die from the disease. Fear incites atrocities. Although death is a constant throughout the narrative, there is an underlying hope at play, emanating largely from the pluck of the two female leads. Circumstances force action and lead to knowledge. The prose is smooth, the dialogue authentic but eminently readable. Two pejoratives of modern vernacular are used sparingly. I can't say whether they are out of place, but they do not harm the work at all. Feminism is one of the themes. Fortunately, it is not done obnoxiously. My only quibble is that the horrors get to be a bit too much through the 304 pages, although they are always plausible. Like so many authors, Brooks, an Australian, began as a journalist, working such hellholes as Bosnia and Somalia. In 2005 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Literature for March, which follows the absent father of Louisa May Alcott's classic, Little Women, as he serves in the Civil War. Published in 2001, Year of Wonders was Brooks' first novel, a stunning debut after two works of non-fiction. More than a decade later, it is still selling. At last check it was ranked 13,380 in Kindle sales and 4522 in print at Amazon, where there are more than 11 million books listed. The 732 contributors who have rated the book forge to a consensus of four stars out of five, which seems about right. Kudos, madam.
Here's some fascinating related info on that period, culled from Wiki: "According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known written usage of the Latin phrase Annus Mirabilis is as the title of a poem composed by English poet John Dryden about the events of 1666. The phrase translates as 'wonderful year' or 'year of miracles.' In fact, the year was beset by great calamity for England, including the Great Fire of London, but Dryden chose to interpret the absence of greater disaster as miraculous intervention by God, as 666 is the Number of the Beast and the year was expected by some to be particularly disastrous. In addition to this, the English fleet defeated a Dutch fleet in the St James' Day Battle. Isaac Newton made revolutionary inventions and discoveries in calculus, motion, optics and gravitation. He was afforded the time to work on his theories due to the closure of Cambridge University by an outbreak of plague."

It wasn't quite wonders for the floating book shop today, but business was decent. My thanks to those who bought, particularly to Kinesha, aka Mrs. Eclectic, who chose nine books across the literary spectrum, and to the woman who donated a romance novel and a canvas bag that will come in handy.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx