The Writer's Life 6/12 - Threes Redux

The belief that celebrities die in threes usually covers a few days. Yesterday a trio of entertainers of different genres left this world on which they had a huge impact: wrestler Dusty Rhodes, 69, actor Christopher Lee, 93, and musician Ornette Coleman, 85. Coleman, a saxophonist, was at the center of the Free Jazz Movement, which I completely failed to grasp. Still, he was regarded with reverence by his peers and critics. Rhodes, real name Virgil Riley Reynolds, was a true character whose good ol' boy image eventually led to the moniker The American Dream. I laughed at his antics in and out of the ring. Forehead scarred and purplish, gut large, he was the antithesis of a leading man, and yet he captivated millions, a people's champion. The screaming during some of his appearances had to be heard to be believed. Lee has 278 credits listed under his name at IMDb. His appearances in the horror films of England's Hammer Studios catapulted his career. When he hosted SNL, he pointed out the diversity of his roles, saying something on the order of: "...and not all of them are on Channel Nine at 3 AM." Always a regal presence, he played Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, Sherlock Holmes, Bond nemesis The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Rochefort in The Three and Four Musketeers (1973, 1974), an arch-villain in two of the Star Wars series, and a corrupt wizard in two of The Lord of the Rings films. During WWI he served in the RAF and British Intelligence. He was a classically trained singer who loved opera. His mom was an Italian contessa related through marriage to the Borgias. In a weird but fitting coincidence, he shares the same birthday, 5/27, with Vincent Price! Here's a quote attributed to him: "One day, I hope somebody will sum up my career thus: 'He was different.' That would satisfy me." He certainly was -- and unique, as were the other two gentlemen. Thank you, sirs.

One man's misfortune is often another's luck. Such was the case today at the floating book shop. Mark's car broke down on the Belt Parkway. He parked on East 13th. Speaking on the cell phone, he came walking up the block. He stopped, eyes drawn to the stretch of Bensonhurst on the cover of Killing, which he purchased. Thank you, sir, and also to the woman who returned to complete a transaction she began a week ago for a set of science books geared toward kids, to Natalya, who stocked up on Russian books and DVDs, to the young man who took the massive Tom Clancy thriller, Executive Orders, off my hands, and to the other 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/