Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/7

Tough day at the floating bookshop. None of my regulars showed and just about everyone else was indifferent except for a Latina who purchased four children's books for her daughter, who thanked me. No, senorita - gracias a usted. It doesn't figure to get any easier tomorrow, as the temperature is expected to be in the 90's.
In case you haven't heard, New York City congressman Anthony Weiner, whose district is in Queens, is in the throes of a sordid scandal. He twittered a crotch shot of himself in his underwear to a young woman and exchanged questionable dialogue with others. Weiner has been married for one year to a woman on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's staff. It had always been rumored that he is a ladies man. Many on both sides of the aisle are calling for his resignation. He is trying to hold on, still dreaming of becoming mayor. If his opposition was only Republicans, he would be a lock, but he would have to win his own party's nomination, and that is all but impossible now. It is futile to appeal to his sense of honor. If he'd had any, he wouldn't have done such a thing. He has never backed down, however, having learned the ropes from his mentor, the senior Senator from New York, Chuck Schumer. The sight of either makes me feel as if I need a bath, although Schumer has yet to be implicated in any scandal. In fact, if Schumer were ever found in a compromising sexual situation, I would be shocked. I think he lusts only for power. Then again, I believed the same of Eliot Spitzer. The three are quintessential politicians, ardent know-it-all leftists. Whether Weiner resigns is superfluous politically. New York City will remain a liberal bastion whether he stays or goes. Conservatives should stay out of the controversy. The press has done its work. There's no sense belaboring the issue. They should focus on the economy and find someone who can convince the electorate of their argument of the dangers of big government, of the entitlement mentality that so many embrace. I don't know how even die hard leftists can defend Weiner. His judgment is suspect. Conservative talk show host Steve Malzberg has pointed out that having such photos available leaves a politician vulnerable to blackmail. Weiner is now no doubt in line for his own talk show. Perhaps he can co-host with Spitzer as Slime and Slime. Both have merged the schlemiel (the person who spills the soup) and schlamazel (the person who has the soup spilled on him). I've always loved the explanation of those Hebrew terms. Language is a beautiful thing.
Here's the url to my alternate website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/ The links that show in both columns when the page opens are all live. It's pot luck once you scroll to the others. Sorry.

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/6

On this day in 1944 the allies launched an invasion along a 50-mile stretch of beaches in Normandy, France. It began shortly after midnight when 24,000 paratroopers landed behind enemy lines to try to secure bridges for the ground troops. At 6:30 AM a flotilla of 5000 ships, handled by 195,000 personnel, launched landing crafts filled with 160,000 men. Nearly 3000 of them gave their lives that day in defense of the freedom the western world holds so dear. Their courage was astounding. Those who landed early, especially at the area designated as Omaha, were cannon fodder. There is a snippet of archival footage of the event seared into my memory: a young man, thousand of miles from home, falling, wounded or killed. Darryl F. Zanuck's The Longest Day was the definitive Hollywood take on the invasion until Steven Spielberg's harrowing Saving Private Ryan was released. No film will ever capture the carnage better than that. I felt almost like a voyeur watching it. Curiously, Titanic had the same effect on me. I thought: here I am getting off on what were real events, real deaths, not fictional mayhem. Ken Burns' PBS series The War does a great job on that massive undertaking as well. Those men were truly our Greatest Generation. We contemporary folk whine that their our fabulous privileges aren't enough.
There were some awkward moments today at the floating bookshop. Frankie the Drunk stumbled by on his it-must-be-pay-day Monday jag. Fortunately, he bumped into me only twice and immediately staggered away without pausing for conversation. Later, Lawrence, who is by my guess mildly autistic and in his mid 30's, asked for advice on speaking to women. I told him to just say hi and be nice and, if they seem receptive, to talk about the weather or something non-threatening. I suspect most women will be afraid of him. I have no idea where he could go to meet females like himself. He is far from hopeless. He has a part-time job at a supermarket, although I wonder if he'd be able to handle more than that. He lives with his father, who must be a patient man. Lawrence asks a lot of questions. Whenever I see young men like Frankie and Lawrence, I always hear my mother's voice saying: "Povere mama," her stock comment on the troubled. Unfortunately, life will not let every parent escape the worst nightmares.
Thanks to the kind folks who purchased enough books today to enable me to order the full monty at Waz's gyro truck.
I'm getting closer to opening my alternate website. Until then many links will lead nowhere. Sorry.
http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/5

A young woman bought a children's book out of nostalgia today at the floating bookshop on Bay Parkway, which is again showing signs of becoming a dead zone. She had it when she was a little girl.
If you haven't heard, there has been a deadly outbreak of e coli bacteria in Europe, traced to vegetable sprouts grown on an organic farm in German. The death toll has climbed to at least 22 dead and more than 2,200 sickened. I've always wondered about the safety of foods grown organically and have stayed away from them, not only because of such concerns but as a protest against the green mafia. I know they mean well and that we should be looking for alternative means that are cost effective, but the movement often seems characterized by paranoia. Life expectancy is approaching 80. The air is infinitely cleaner in Brooklyn than it was in the '70's, as are the waters. I'm sure it is almost everywhere in America. The environmentalists are to be commended for that. Unfortunately, too many have become tyrannical, insisting on measures that would damage the economy even more than compliance does presently. In the hands of leftist politicians, the movement is a only ploy for the redistribution of wealth.
By the way, it is recommended that the cloth "green" bags, used by so many at grocery stores, be washed after each use, as they may may harvest e coli.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/ Note: many of the links will lead nowhere. The problem is being addressed. Sorry.

The floating bookshop was derailed by chores today.
We've all marveled at pre-adolescent singers and musical prodigies. Check out this kid, featured in today's New York Post. Unbelievable!

While most kids her age are busy playing with Elmo and Dora, Aelita Andre is spending her time giving Andy Warhol a run for his money.
The 4-year-old Australian girl has become an international art-world sensation, producing a formidable collection of abstract paintings that have sold at shows from Italy to Hong Kong for tens of thousands of dollars and earned her comparisons to the greats, like Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso.
Aelita has now come to New York with a show starting today that is expected to set the city's art world on fire.

Nikka Kalashnikova

COLORFUL DEBUT: Aelita Andre, of Australia, is exhibiting her paintings at a gallery in Chelsea.

"She's an amazingly talented painter," said Angela Di Bello, owner of the Agora Gallery in Chelsea, where Aelita's show will run until June 25. "Her mind works in the way an established artist or an art critic's would. She is highly intellectual. She just feels everything."
Some of her works for the show have already sold. An Italian collector bought three paintings -- including one called "Asteroid" -- for a total of $27,000. Her most expensive work was one sold in Hong Kong for $24,000.
"She's very excited for her opening . . . She will probably be running around making friends with everyone and singing," said her mom, Nikka Kalashnikova.
Kalashnikova and daddy Michael Andre admit their daughter's visit to New York may be turning her into a bit of an art diva.
"We took her to MoMA yesterday, and she was so upset that we were taking her to see other artists' work instead of going to her own exhibition," Kalashnikova said.
Aelita's inspiration ranges from dinosaurs to the solar system.
"I just do this and this and this but with many colors," she said, waving her hands in circles. "My favorite color is yellow."

Read Vic's stories, free: http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/ Half the links will lead nowhere. The problem is being addressed. Sorry.

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/3

This beautiful day was made even more glorious when I returned home to find the third edition of the Skyline Review anthology in my mailbox. My story, The Unknowable is included. I'm privileged to share space with another author who has had a book, The Greer Agency, published by All Things That Matter Press - Harris Tobias, who contributed The Last Robin. The cover art by Pamela DelliColli is stunning. Also included in the parcel was Desert Moon, the Lost Poetry of Victoria Valentine, our beloved publisher at Water Forest Press. Check it out here: http://www.waterforestpress.com/
On a sad note, I just read of the passing of actor James Arness, 88. He is a television legend, creating the character of Marshall Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, in a record 20 year run on CBS ('55-'75), a feat recently tied by Kelsey Grammer, who needed two shows, Cheers and Fraser, to do it. Arness was a hero in real life as well, wounded in the invasion at Anzio, Italy in 1944. He spent a year in the hospital and walked with a limp for some time. On Gunsmoke, it was Dillon's frequent deputy, Chester, played by Dennis Weaver, who limped. Weaver also had at least two other notable roles: his bizarro turn as the Motel Night Manager in Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) and as the beleaguered driver in Steven Spielberg's breakthrough, which was actually a TV movie of the week, Duel (1971). Arness also starred in the sci-fi classic The Thing (1951) - as the thing! Rest in Peace, Mister Dillon. My dad loved your show. Thanks.
And thanks to the nice lady who purchased the Ed McBain 87th Precinct short story collection, and the gentleman who purchased two CDs today at the floating bookshop.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/ Note: several of the links will lead nowhere. The problem is being addressed.

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/2

It was a glorious day, temperature in the 70's, a stiff breeze taking any heat out of the air. The only drawback was the pollen flying around. Everyone, including me, was sneezing or trying to hack the nasty bits out of the windpipe. I got a donation of four pristine hardcover thrillers and at least ten paperbacks from a kind Russian woman. She wanted to bring more, but it was already too much to carry back to the car. Spasiba, madam. Simone stopped and told me how much she enjoyed the Lisa Jackson and Patricia Cornwell mysteries. She bought them Monday. She plans to read Dean Koontz's Icebound over the weekend. Other than that, it was a demoralizing opening two and a half hours at the floating bookshop. Since I'm overstocked, I'm selling all books for a dollar apiece (except mine, of course) - and no one so much as paused, despite the best sellers on display. Herb finally broke the drought, as he has so many times, purchasing Julie Garwood's Sizzle. I learned he had a heart attack several years ago. Fortunately, his Blue Cross insurance picked up the entire tab, $40,000.
Minutes later a young man bought Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic, Dune, and a book in the Dean Koontz Frankenstein series, which has nothing to do with the monster of the same name. Soon lovely 13-year-old Mariana was approaching on her way home from school. She often seems sad. I gathered Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Maugham's Of Human Bondage, and Dumas' The Man in the Iron Mask and asked her to choose one. As I anticipated, she chose the latter and smiled and thanked me. I love that such a young girl is interested in serious books and wonder if she will one day take a shot at writing.
I spotted mailman extraordinaire, Mr. Chou, and waved. I knew he would take Suze Orman's Nine Steps to Financial Freedom. He has agreed to give me a commission if he ever gets rich as a result of all the books he has purchased from me. He said his mom used to make him stay home and read to keep him out of trouble. He is a martial arts master, and gun owner.
As I was packing up, an energetic, elderly semi-regular appeared and chose a Jonathan Kellerman thriller. My mood had lightened considerably. I found a parking spot for tomorrow's alternate side at the far corner of East 13th. I walked up to Avenue Y and gazed along it. Sure enough, as I'd hoped, Uncle Charlie Grizzly Bear was making his way toward me. For some reason, he uses that route at times. I've been holding a bag of Ed McBain 87th Precinct novels for him, which Joanne donated last Sunday. He took ten, which I let him have for half price. I'll hold the rest for whenever he's ready.
Thanks, everyone.
Please remember that for the time being many of the links at my website will come a cropper (crapper?):
http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/1

My friend, actor-singer extraordinaire Johnny Feets, is in the process of moving, that high anxiety process everyone goes through at some point. Friends have described me as a minimalist, but it didn't feel that way those times I moved. It's amazing how much is accumulated along the way. John is giving things away right now. He approached the floating bookshop with two bags of books, including novels by Stephen King, Dan Brown and Ann Rice, and a huge coffee table book (at least twice the size of the usual) designed by Calvin Klein that features beautiful pictures of pop stars. It was bought immediately by Steve, a goombah and employee of Coney Island Hospital, who has treated me well in the past. He also took a Gin Blossoms CD. Thanks, guys.
Feets is relocating to Bath Beach, about a mile from where I grew up, so I probably won't see him any more, unless he gets the silly notion to visit me at my Sunday spot on Bay Parkway. We had our usual long conversation on the arts. I'll miss him. He is a nice, old-fashion kid.
It was a rather dull day. Fortunately, Esther stopped by to alleviate the boredom. She also lives in the Atlantic Towers complex. She is suffering anxiety because of the bed bug problem. She received letters from management threatening her with eviction if she doesn't allow the fumigators into her apartment. I assured her the process is no big whup. She has no health issues that might be compromised by the toxins.
Another woman, energetic despite her age, told me how successful she was selling books on the street in Manhattan. She gave me several of tips, none of which I can use unless I want to argue with police officers. Even though she helped kill time, I wish she hadn't stopped. I got to feeling glum about the whole book-selling process, despite yesterday's success. What have you done for me lately.
The move of my stories to fictionaut.com has generated early returns. Numb and Number drew two positive responses. Thanks, Tim and Maryanne. If you visit my website, many of the links will lead to nowhere. It will be a few more days before I begin posting the url to my alternate site. I want to get most of the links up to snuff. For now: http://vicfortezza.homestead.com/