Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/7 - Ray of Light

Ray Bradbury, 91, lived a productive life. He was the author of more than 500 works - short stories, novels, plays, TV scripts and screenplays. His most popular are The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man and Fahrenheit 451, all of which were adapted to the small or large screen. At present the latter seems to be his most enduring. The title refers to the temperature at which paper will burn. The novel is a cautionary tale, a portrait of a society so dumbed down it begins burning books. Fortunately, that hasn't happened, although in an op-ed piece in today's NY Post Michael A. Walsh likened such a purge to the PC mentality of busy bodies who would gut literary classics of terms and passages deemed offensive. Although I think they're fools, I believe the digital world will save books and free speech from disappearing. The internet is a marvel whose pluses far outweigh its minuses. Even an imagination as fertile as Bradbury's had not foreseen it. He did not go to college, an inspiration to all who did not attend. He taught himself his craft by reading the work of masters in public libraries. Well done, sir. Thank you. Rest in peace.
Just whose side is he on? Bill Clinton claims we are in recession and called for an extension of the Bush tax cuts, heresy to most Democrats. This just hours after he appeared at several NYC fundraisers with the President. One pundit - I don't remember who - suggested Slick Willie, in appearing with Obama, was receiving payment in the forgiveness of Hilary's campaign debt. Heaven forbid the Clintons should dig into their own millions to pay a marker. They are consummate politicians - and that is not a compliment.
The pattern continued - good day followed by slow day at the floating bookshop. My thanks to the gentleman who opted for non-fiction: William Manchester's portrait of General Douglas MacArthur, American Caesar, and a collection of essays by Murray Kempton; and the one who bought a couple of books for his daughter and an Anne Perry thriller for himself.
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Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/6 D-Day

The results of the Wisconsin recall election have to be encouraging for those of us who wish to see the tide toward socialism reversed. By a margin of 53 to 46%, voters decided to retain Governor Scott Walker, whose reforms seem to be working. It's great to see that a majority of citizens refuse to let unions bankrupt them. The most satisfying aspect of the event is the thought of how the left must be eating their collective hearts out. Donations and volunteers from around the country poured into the Badger state. Unions burned through millions, but will no doubt steal and shake down the weak to refill the coffers for future battles. Since Wisconsinites no longer have dues automatically deducted from their checks, many have abandoned their brothers and sisters. Membership is down drastically. It's always about the money. How refreshing to see that adults are in charge, at least temporarily. One discouraging note: exit polls show voters prefer Obama to Romney by a margin of 53 to 42%. Socialism has a strong foothold in this country that will not easily be reversed.
Today is the anniversary of D-Day. In a cemetery near what was dubbed Omaha Beach, there are 9387 Americans buried, a lot of them kids thousands of miles from home who gave their lives to preserve the freedom vital to mankind's happiness and prosperity. Thank you.
I continue to find it so ironic that President Obama's only real success is in the prosecution of the War on Terror. Guantanamo is still open and monsters are still being offed. Yesterday another Al Qaeda big shot, in Pakistan, was taken out by a drone. What happened to the war's protestors? Why aren't rock stars and film makers doing works titled "Kill List" or "Drone, Baby, Drone"? Several pundits have pointed out that the targeted assassinations eliminate the need to incarcerate those enemy combatants at the left's most hated prison. Continued success in this department, Mr. President.
There was a great cartoon by Sean Delonas on Page Six of the NY Post today. And here it is:

Moses dropped off a book donation that included several psychology texts. Minutes later Kofi, who works in the psych department at Coney Island Hospital, visited the floating bookshop and purchased all of them. Thank you, sirs, and to all the other kind folks who bought today.
Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://membershttp://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 Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/5 - Grace

I was rooting around with the remote last night and stumbled into yet another great music documentary on a PBS station. I didn't think there were any significant artists from the early rock era I didn't at least know by name. Charlie Gracie (Graci) was born in Philadelphia in 1936. His dad encouraged him to play guitar, and he began winning talent contests in his early teens. In 1956 he was the first artist to sign with the fledgling home town Cameo label. He played the Brooklyn Paramount as part of an Alan Freed show, and appeared on Ed Sullivan and in the 1957 film Jamboree, which also featured Chuck Berry. His song Butterfly hit #5 on the Billboard charts, selling three million copies, ensuring the label's financial health. His follow up, Fabulous, hit #16. Two others cracked the Top 100. Cameo went on to issue hit records by Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, the Dovells, the Orlons and Dee Dee Sharp. Gracie sued the company for unpaid royalties, which hurt his career, as powerful forces prevented his subsequent work from getting radio play. He was undaunted, playing small venues, which he does to this day. He is loved in England and is a member of the British Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He was the second Yank to bring rock n roll to the UK. He toured with, among others, Eddie Cochran (Summertime Blues, Come on, Everybody), who became a great friend and who, tragically, was killed in an accident at the age of 21. In viewing the piece, I was taken by Gracie's positive attitude, which he attributes to his family. He does not appear to harbor any bitterness. He has been married to the same woman for almost 50 years. In 2011 Al Kooper produced a new Gracie CD, For the Love of Charlie, which features guest appearances by Graham Nash, Peter Noone and others. Unfortunately, there are no clips from the doc on youtube, but an enterprising chap did record Gracie in concert banging out Boogie Woogie on his Guild guitar, the same he has been using throughout his career. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqqqLtaerl4&feature=related  And here's a pic of the artist as a young man:

It was a quiet day at the floating book shop. I left with about 35 more books than when I'd arrived, courtesy of two donations. My car is crammed. It's beyond ridiculous. My thanks to the young man who purchased the pictorial on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the woman who bought the VHS of River Dance.
Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://membershttp://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 Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/4 - Tears

Here's another money-making idea that will have most people wondering: Why didn't I think of that? Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, a cheeky store affiliated with the Ministry of Stories in the UK, has launched its newest product: salt made from human tears. According to the Monster Supplies website, the product "combines centuries-old craft with the freshest human tears, which are gently boiled, released into shallow crystallization tanks, then harvested by hand and finally rinsed in brine." The flavors/emotions include: Salt Made From Tears of Anger, Salt Made From Tears Shed While Chopping Onions, Salt Made From Tears Shed While Sneezing, Salt Made From Tears of Laughter, Salt Made From Tears of Sorrow. Expert tear harvester Halen Mon produced the salt with the help of Studio Weave. Is the product really made from actual tears? Know this - Halen Mon specializes in sea salt. The novelty salts are available for purchase online, but human tears don't come cheap. They range from $11 to $47. A portion of the sales supports the Ministry of Stories children's writing center. The satirical monster supply store, which makes fake products and sells them for charity, has many other options available beyond salt. I wonder if they can do anything with snot or phlegm.

After an off-season chock full of bad news, the Mets had an unbelievable weekend: Johan Santana's no-hitter, Johnny Franco's induction into the team's Hall of Fame, and three straight wins vs. the world champion Cardinals, vaulting them into a first place tie in the division. And now they've thrown all the positives away, announcing that Bill Maher (tears of a clown?) has become a part owner of the franchise. To me, this is as bad as when the team acquired slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado, who refused to stand for the National Anthem as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. By the way, they lost today. Ugh!

Since it was raining, I went to Plan B: Russian books only at the viaduct on Avenue Z & East 15th. Fortunately, the rain stopped after a lonely hour-and-a-half, and I returned to my usual nook. By then, it seemed I'd missed any of my regulars. Then an old-timer who'd purchased a bunch of books last month appeared. He'd asked if I sold any music. I told him I sometimes burned best of Sinatra and Jazz CDs. I'd kept them in my glove compartment since then. We walked to my car, which was on the corner of East 13th, and I popped the discs into the player to show him the quality. He purchased them and five books. Dumb luck is the best luck of all (tears of joy). Thank you, sir.
Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
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Vic’s 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic’s 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/3 - Hall of Fame

This is a great day for alumni of Lafayette High School. Tonight in pre-game ceremonies at Citi Field, one of our own, John Franco, will be inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Johnny Boy spent 21 years in the big leagues, 14 with the Amazin's. He recorded 424 saves, the most ever by a lefty, 276 as a Met, the most by any pitcher wearing the orange and blue. He also had 90 wins. I do not know John well, although I coached several of his contemporaries at our alma mater, but I knew his reputation. Johnny could very well have excelled on the gridiron, but he wisely chose to focus on baseball. There was a neat symmetry between the Redmen football and baseball teams in 1977. Dave, our QB, was the center fielder, Roger, our FB, was the catcher, and Danny, a DE/TE was the first baseman. It was a great group. We all hope that John will one day join our most famous alum, Sandy Koufax, in the MLB Hall of Fame. Way to go, Johnny Boy. You make us proud.

Last night I watched Cause for Alarm (1951), courtesy of Netflix. There were two notable aspects. Loretta Young was outstanding as the panic-stricken spouse of a mentally ill husband. Young is under-rated, rarely mentioned among her great contemporaries, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, and Katherine Hepburn. The film was directed by Tay Garnett, who did a lot of good work, particularly The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), starring John Garfield and the bodacious Lana Turner. While researching the cast of Cause for Alarm at IMDb, I noted that Irving Bacon played the garrulous, complaining postman. One of my great joys working at the Exchange was discussing old movies with my friend and co-worker, Dougie. I remember him mentioning Bacon, and I, for once, was clueless. Bacon was a true chameleon, racking up an astonishing 523 film and TV appearances in a career that spanned from 1923-1965. He supplants George Chandler, who had a paltry 446, as the credits champion. Unbelievable. I wonder who else I've overlooked.
I thank the customers who purchased books today on 24th Avenue & 86th Street, outside the Dolphin Gym, which is owned by another kid I coached, Andrew, who also graduated in the same class as John Franco and earned a football scholarship to Rutgers. Love those guys.
Visit Vic’s sites:
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Vic’s Website: http://membershttp://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 Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/2

After 51 years, a span of 8019 games, the New York Mets finally have a no-hitter to their credit. Johan Santana, who had shoulder surgery more than a year ago, accomplished what no other pitcher wearing the orange, which honors the departed NY Giants, and blue, which honors the Brooklyn Dodgers, has been able to do, but many ex-Mets have. Nolan Ryan threw an astounding seven. Tom Seaver, who took three into the ninth as a Met, got his as a member of the Reds. David Cone and Dwight Gooden, the dirty dogs, did it with the Skanks. I’ll never forgive them. And just five weeks ago Phillip Humber pitched a perfect game for the White Sox. Of course, the Mets being the Mets, management and fans now wait with baited breath to see if Santana has been overtaxed and re-injured. He threw 134 pitches. I’d bet many fans, at least those who don’t fork over the cash for high-priced tickets, would be happy with the trade-off. After all, they don’t pay his enormous salary, and the lack of a no-hitter was a source of great frustration to many. Muy bien, Johan.
Here’s proof that A Hitch in Twilight is popular with a diverse audience:

My thanks to Marie and her sagacious feline Simba. Thanks also to the woman who purchased the huge Wolves of Calla, part of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I am thrilled not to have to carry it any more. She also overpaid for James Patterson’s Seventh Heaven, part of the Women’s Murder Club series, another of his co-writes with Maxine Paetro. Whenever a book has been co-authored, my suspicion is the more popular writer had little or nothing to do with it. I also thank my best customer, Jack, employee of Chase, who purchased two thrillers, including one at my recommendation, Tami Hoag’s A Thin Dark Line, which is the best mystery by far I’ve read, which probably means most fans wouldn’t like it. In adhering to its theme throughout the novel, it transcended the genre.
Visit Vic’s sites:
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Vic’s 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic’s 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 6/1

Earlier in the year I was using the remote, desperate to find something interesting to watch, when I stumbled onto Reel Faith on the National Evangelical Television network. The show reviews films from a Christian viewpoint in a style similar to what Siskel and Ebert did on Sneak Previews. This particular episode focused on the best films of 2011. One showed up on each of the reviewers’ list, The Mill and the Cross, directed by Lech Majewski, a Pole. With my Netflix list growing short, I reluctantly added it, wary of being preached to. It is only remotely about religion. It is a challenging film completely out of the mainstream, almost too intelligent for its own good. It brings viewers into a painting by Breugel, The Way to Calvary, and shows how his ideas may have come about. The cinematography by Majewski and Adam Sikora is stunning. Dialogue is sparse. Most is assigned to Michael York, who plays a banker, the benefactor of the artist, played by Rutger Hauer. Without those words, the film may have been even a greater mystery than it is. I watched a 44-minute short in the special features to understand it better. The year is 1564 and the Flemish population of Flanders is under Spanish rule, and the conquerors are persecuting those they dub heretics. One of the themes is how the routines of life trump even monumental events. In the painting the crucifixion is almost lost amid 500 inhabitants, adults going about their business, children playing. The viewer has to know where to look to find it. It is as challenging as the film is. I almost nodded off a couple of times. Charlotte Rampling plays an inhabitant of the work, Mary, the mother of Christ. It seems Rampling will always be with me. The final scene of Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict (1982), in which Paul Newman stars as an alcoholic lawyer who finds redemption, still haunts me. In the final scene Rampling, who has betrayed Newman, desperately tries to reach him on the phone, drink in hand, their roles reversed. It was odd to seeing her in the role of a saint, especially given her role in The Night Porter (1974) and other racy films. Hey, that’s why they call it acting. The Mill and the Cross was adapted from a book by Michael Francis Gibson, who collaborated on the screenplay with Majewski. I don’t know how to rate a film like this. It requires patience and concentration. The folks at IMDb rated it 6.7 out of ten. Here’s a pic of the painting. Click to enlarge:

The last thing I expected to be on June 1st is cold. As soon as the clouds rolled in, the wind was no longer pleasant. Fortunately, lovely young Laura happened by to warm things up. Two years ago, the first time I set up the floating book shop on Avenue Z, she bought both Close to the Edge and A Hitch in Twilight. The next time I saw her she told me how much she liked Edge. She holds a special place in my heart. I hope she likes Killing as much. She recently took an exam to try to qualify for medical school. I know one thing – she would have a great bedside manner. What a sweetheart. Thank you, Laura, and also to Herbie and Madeline for their purchases, and to the local home attendant, whose ward sent her to me with a donation of about 20 books.
Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://membershttp://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 Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f