The Writer's Life 4/29 - As Seen on TV

RIP Philip Kives, 87. Who? He was the founder of K-Tel International, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its ads have been running, "As Seen on TV," since the '60's, hawking music compilations and devices such as the Veg-O-Matic and Mood Ring. Its biggest seller, 28 million, was the Miracle Brush. It has sold a half billion albums in several genres. Kudos, sir.

Speaking of TV, The Blacklist is floundering badly. Last night's episode was dull and slow. I wouldn't say the series is television at its finest -- "Must See TV," in NBC's own words -- but it had provided fast-paced diversion. I sense the writers are trying to figure out where to take the story line now that Megan Boone, who is pregnant in real life, is gone. The past two episodes have deviated from the hunting/elimination of the evil men on the list.

From Yahoo News: An Indiana University student has been named the Indianapolis 500's first official poet since the early 20th century. Adam Henze beat out more than 200 people who submitted Indy 500-themed poems for a contest co-sponsored by Indiana Humanities. It has revived a tradition from the 1920s, when an official poem was included in the race day program. Henze, an educator and doctoral candidate, receives a $1,000 prize and two tickets to the 100th running of the race on May 29. His poem is titled For Those Who Love Fast, Loud Things. It will appear in the official race program, and he will read it at the Speedway during qualification weekend.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books and DVDs on this unseasonably cool day. Occupy Jack stopped by. He and his cronies are devising a petition demanding a recount of the New York Democratic Primary results, which they believe was stolen by the Clinton machine. Good luck with that, guys. My thanks also to Luis, the porter of the building that towers above my book nook. He provided a bunch of marketable books, fiction and non, hardcover and paperback by authors such as Gay Talese, David Baldacci, Faye Kellerman and George Eliot, and bios of Rush Limbaugh, Leona Hemsley and Shirley Maclaine,

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/