Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 4/22

A dreary day was made glorious by the generosity of the public. I wasn't even two-thirds set up when a young man started pulling books from the first crate, addressing me in Russian, not an unreasonable assumption in the neighborhood. He bought Stieg Laarsen's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, and a Patricia Cornwell thriller. A while later a Russian woman bought a Sandra Brown and accepted my recommendation of Sue Grafton and Robin Cook. Spasiba, folks.
I quickly had more than enough dough for a couple of slices at Delmar. Then the fun really started. A young man wearing an Israeli Army hat stopped, drawn by three hard cover books I had on display about that country. He scoffed at the one by Jimmy Carter. I laughed. He introduced himself as Mark, a Special Ed. teacher at Sheepshead Bay H.S., which has gone steadily downhill for years. He said 75% of his students are there to disrupt the 25% who want to learn, and he gets no support from his superiors in terms of disciplining the malefactors, which is no surprise in this age of coddling. He's working on a Master's in nutrition, hoping to stay in the system because of its great salary and benefits, but in another capacity. He asked my position on Israel. "I am a staunch supporter," I said, the truth. There's no doubt in my mind who the villains are, and it's not the little hole in the wall democracy surrounded by despotic states eager for its destruction. Anyway, Mark was kind enough to purchase A Hitch in Twilight and chose the other two books on Israel as his gift. Hang in there, sir, and thanks.
Soon my friend, actor-singer Johnny Feets, appeared, as promised. Last time I saw him he asked if I'd ever written a play. I had - for an old friend, John, and his acting company, The Willow Cabin Theatre, which had modest success in '80's, doing plays in the tiny theaters on 42nd Street below 8th Avenue. The work, originally titled Glimpses of Two Families, changed to The Pace of Time, was never produced. It stretches out over decades and doesn't have the tight focus of successful plays. While rummaging I also found a TV script I'd completely forgotten, done for a Fox anthology that involved Martin Scorsese. The show, surprisingly, was terrible and was canceled quickly. The teleplay, Not So Black and White, deals with race relations. It was returned to me unopened. If I recall correctly, it was because work was accepted only through agents. I suggested to Feets that he look at a story of mine available online, One Billionth of a Lifetime. I've always believed it could easily be transformed into a 20-25 minute teleplay. I also think it may be the best thing I've ever written. I gave Feets copies of the works and a link to the story. Good luck, buddy.
And my own luck was not done. Marin, a middle-aged Romanian gentleman, purchased Close to the Edge and asked if I'd be interested in reading something he wrote. I was hesitant and hoped he wasn't insulted. My immediate thought was: Suppose I don't like it? I encouraged him to take a shot, said he had nothing to lose and everything to gain, my usual spiel to writers just starting out. I told him not to be discouraged by criticism, as some of the most successful writers in the world are scoffed at by reviewers. He asked if I'd look at a couple of chapters. I agreed, but I hope he gets cold feet. Good luck, sir, and thanks.
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Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 4/20

The forecast was wrong. We had no rain, and the sun broke through. I risked not going to the shelter of the viaduct, and it paid off immediately, as a gentleman purchased two DVDs, W and War, Inc., films that delighted leftists and the rest of the public ignored. They were amongst the CDs Marie donated. I suppose some conservatives would label me a traitor for disseminating such fare, but free speech shouldn't be quashed, especially if there's a profit to be made on it. A while later a young woman was disappointed that she didn't have ten bucks for A Hitch in Twilight, but she bought in bulk any way - five thrillers at my recommendation, two by Sandra Brown, a Lisa Scottoline, Daniel Silva and Nora Roberts. Readers love those authors. That's where the recommendation came from, not me. And to top it off, an elderly woman, wearing those thick sunglasses seniors sport, purchased another Sandra Brown thriller. "Enjoy," I said. "Oh, I will, I will," she returned. "She's so good." Thanks, folks.
I occasionally wonder if I should go down in price for one of my books. The Sicilian in me just won't let me do it. The other day a woman offered me six dollars for Close to the Edge. I wouldn't do it. I offer gift copies of other books to those who take the chance on one of mine at ten bucks. Buyers often refuse the gifts or limit themselves to one. Many authors give copies away as promotion, which falls in line with the theory that one must spend money in order to make money. It is my belief that that would work only with hundreds of copies. I'm in no position to do that. I also like the challenge of trying to turn a profit on the copies I buy. I turned positive on Close to the Edge long ago, and I'm more than halfway there on Adjustments, and just about there on A Hitch in Twilight. And if I factor in all the other books, CDs and DVDs I sell, which are donated to me, I'm way ahead.
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