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Saturday, October 7, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/7 - Games

Kenyon Martin played 15 years in the NBA, averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a Power-Forward, occasionally a Center. He was miffed by Brooklyn Nets Point Guard Jeremy Lin's new haircut, dubbing it "cultural appropriation." Here is Lin:



And here are tattoos on Martin's arm: 



RIP NBA Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins, 75. Born in Bed-Stuy, he was a playground legend and led Boys High to back to back NYC championships. While a freshman at Iowa in 1961, he was implicated in a point-shaving scandal. He was blackballed from the college game even though freshman were ineligible for varsity play at the time. The implication saw him banned from the NBA as well. He toured with the Harlem Globetrotters for four years. During that span he initiated a lawsuit against the NBA, which he won. He played two years in the ABA, showcasing his awesome talent, winning a championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968, named MVP of both the regular season and the playoffs. In 1969, when he was 27, the NBA came to its senses and lifted its ban. He was an all-star four times. In seven years he averaged 18.7 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Known as The Hawk, his athleticism was stunning, his style similar to that of Dr. J, Julius Erving, who entered the league in 1972. Well done, sir.



After placing second in 2016, Jake and Kirsten Barney of Lexington, Virginia, won this year's North American Wife Carrying Championship. The award for hauling the Mrs. on his back through water and jumping over logs? $630 and 12 cases of beer. Skoal.


My thanks to author Bill Brown, who purchased a John Le Carre thriller; to Monsey, who bought an Italian-English dictionary; to the gentleman who overpaid for young adult books by R. L. Stine and Jeff Kinney; to the gentleman who purchased two Jewish-themed works of non-fiction; and to the two ladies who did book swaps, one in Russian, one in English. Special thanks to whomever downloaded Five Cents to Kindle this week.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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Friday, October 6, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/6 - Turnabout

In an event rich with irony, the head of the Virginia chapter of the ACLU was shouted down during an address at the College of William and Mary by the student chapter of Black Lives Matter, which shouted: "...liberalism is white supremacy." One of them also said: "Where is the freedom of speech of the oppressed protected?" Right under your nose, obviously and, given the lyrics of some hip-hop records, just about everywhere.

How refreshing that women are attacking, for a change, a liberal icon, Harvey Weinstein, for sexual harassment. I'm shocked - shocked - that a powerful man would try to persuade women to have sex with him. Who ever heard of such a thing?

Sign of the times: There is 24/7 police presence at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, protecting the statue against vandalism.



NY Post film critic Sara Stewart has rated Blade Runner 2049 two stars. The large caption accompanying the review reads: "It's a Man's World." I didn't read it, as I don't want to know anything about a film until I view it. It's been a long time since I've been tempted to see a movie in a theater. The last one I saw, at the now defunct Kingsway, was Dick Tracy (1990), and that was only because a pretty young thing I was crazy about wanted to see it. 



The floating book shop sold a wide array of works today. My thanks to John Jay College professor of criminology Barry Spunt, who overpaid for Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer by Ann Rule; to the woman who purchased The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; to the one who bought a geography pictorial for her grandson; to the couple who selected The Man from St. Petersburg by Ken Follett and a Nora Roberts thriller; to the gentleman who purchased Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger; and to the old-timer who bought three 30 Rock DVDs donated by a gentleman only minutes earlier. My thanks also to the woman who donated a Russian literary translation of a Brazilian soap opera.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
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Thursday, October 5, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/5 - Mortal Sin

Here's an amusing item from the Weird But True column in today's NY Post, in my own words: NYC rats are showing genetic signs of diabetes and obesity attributed to a diet of fast food and other unhealthy delights discarded by residents. Researchers at CUNY and Fordham are on the case.



So far I've amended 100 pages of Present and Past, the novel I plan to self publish in January. I'm not spotting many errors. Most involved spacing. What are its possible drawbacks? It may be too talky for some readers. I'd guess it's 75% dialogue. I've added about a third of the notes I'd taken since March. Most of the narrative is episodic. I'm reminded of a term I learned in a college lit class - "picaresque," which is defined by Wiki as "a genre of prose fiction that depicts the adventures of a roguish hero/heroine of low social class who lives by his or her wits in a corrupt society." The two protagonist are of the lower middle class. There is a lot of sex, but it's not too explicit. Since I've decided not to do a memoir, I'm injecting parts of my life that are meaningful to me, and hope they'll be interesting to readers. For instance, Helena Leavy, a Catholic school classmate, spoke with a lovely Irish brogue. We, the boys mostly, were charmed by her pronunciation of "mortal sin" and tried vainly to imitate it. Her name popped up on classmates.com a couple of years ago. I sent her a note saying how fond I was of that memory, but she didn't respond. Perhaps she didn't remember me or was suspicious of my intent. Or maybe she recalled what a terrible student I was, particularly in the seventh grade. Whatever. For the rest of my life I'll feel a glow whenever I recall her pronunciation. I changed the character's name to the more common Leary. She was the only Leavy I'd ever heard of.

My thanks to the elderly woman who bought three books in Russian, and to the middle age one who purchased a paperback romance. I received another donation, only three books, two in Russian. The one in English is a massive medical dictionary weighing five pounds. One of the others seems a physiology textbook, parts of it underlined. I left those two in the lobby of our co-op. Another woman told me the third is about politics. Since it's a light-weight paperback, I put it among the inventory, although I'll be surprised if it sells.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/4 - Bread & Circuses

Here are two paragraphs from Michael Goodwin's op-ed piece in today's NY Post: "Chicago has an ongoing mass murder problem, even as it has among the nation’s strictest gun control laws, to little effect. Yet the Democratic media rarely mention the slaughter there or in Baltimore or Detroit, all of which take place under Democratic mayors with very restrictive gun laws... Murder carried out daily by illegal handguns, and involving mostly the death of black males living under liberal mayors, doesn’t motivate the national media. Could it be that there is no political advantage to be had, and thus no business interest in the carnage?"

Affluent New Yorkers are buying an artisanal bread at $20 a loaf. It must taste a lot better than it looks:



I wonder if California politicians are closely monitoring the secession attempt of the Catalonia region in Spain.



A blurb in the Post reports that the percentage of millionaires among white males has doubled (one in seven families) the past 25 years. Among blacks it remains frozen at two percent. I'm stuck halfway there and doubt I'll ever move higher. Fortunately, it's more than enough - barring catastrophic illness.

Anyone who watches Antiques Roadshow knows that the market for ancient items made in China is through the roof. At a Sotheby's auction yesterday, someone paid $37 million for a 900-year-old porcelain artist's brush bowl. The 20-minute bidding was intense. I think he/she may have paid a buck or two too much. Here it is: 



My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today, which made up a bit for yesterday's shutout. Early in the session, a woman approached and asked if I wanted books. I asked her to bring only ten. She brought about 40, 30 eminently marketable across a wide spectrum. I discarded a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula that had many pages missing, and left the most obscure of the lot and a few pamphlets on health in the lobby of our co-op. Fortunately, I was able to fit everything into the trunk and back seat of the old Hyundai.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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Tuesday, October 3, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/3 - Sore Loser

It's sad how so many people jump to conclusions before facts are verified. As great as Facebook is, it is ripe for misinformation from partisans and sick practical jokers, and the naive who share their posts.

Sign of the times: An article in today's NY Post details the opening of a Shake Shack in Manhattan's East Village. It will be entirely automated except for "hospitality champs," paid $15 per hour, who will assists customers with any problem that may arise. Cash will not be accepted. Payment will be by credit card or through apps on phones and tablets. I assume the cooks will be actual humans.

Also in the Post, from the Fast Takes column: Liberals cheered in 2003 when the naval bombers training site at Vieques Island was closed. If it had remained in operation, nearby Puerto Rico would have a lot more help right now.

There were no sales at the floating book shop today. My thanks to Herbie, who donated a paperback copy of Stephen King's It, the adaptation of which has been the most popular film by far in America the past month. Justin, a local porter, informed me of a cache in the backyard of the building he serves. Since business has been so slow, I didn't want to add more stock, even though I was sure the stuff would be eminently marketable. Not wanting to be an ingrate, I checked it out. I again have the full set of the Twilight series, of which I must have sold at least five the past few years. There were also a couple of novels each by R.L. Stine and Neil Gaiman, as well as a bunch of other attractive works geared toward children eight and up, including a huge pictorial. I left behind a quarter of what was there, although the books were appealing. I didn't recognize the authors. The trunk and back seat of the old Hyundai are again filled to the max. I have such a large inventory that I've been leaving the more obscure works stored in my apartment in the lobby. I set out four each morning, and they have all disappeared by the time I return in mid afternoon. Apparently, free is fine, paying a buck or two is not. I have to remind myself that I sold a copy of one of my novels Sunday. That is the primary purpose of the floating book shop, so I shouldn't be so bummed about today's goose egg. It's similar to the feeling I'd get after losing a sporting event, even the meaningless stickball games in the street or two-hand touch in the schoolyard. "Sore loser" was the term we used.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
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Monday, October 2, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/2 - Sad Day

What a sad day for America. We awoke to the news of the mass murder in Vegas, then found out Tom Petty, 66, had succumbed to cardiac arrest. I won't comment on the former, as it will dominate the media for several days. I've been a fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers since the late '70's when I first heard I Need to Know, 2:27 of kick-ass rock n roll. His career spanned 40 years. As a member of the band and as a solo artist, he is responsible for the sale of more than 80 million records. He did 13 albums with the band, two with the Traveling Wilburys, which included George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne of ELO; and two with Mudcrutch, the final two discs he released, the name a tribute to his first group way back when. He dabbled in acting, appearing in two films and lending his voice to TV's King of the Hill animation series. IMDb lists 133 movie and show titles in which his music is heard. He won three Grammys and was nominated for 15 others. He was nominated for ten MTV Video Music Awards, winning three. He and the Heartbreakers are members of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He was honored by Billboard magazine with its Century Award and by Radio Music Awards Legend designation. Well done, sir.



Lately I'd grown frustrated with Movies!, channel 113 on Cablevision in NYC, as it kept repeating the same flicks over and over again in prime time. Last night it began a new series - Sunday Night Noir, black and white crime films. First up was one I'd never seen, Cry of the City (1948), not the best of the genre but solid. It was helmed by a director who specialized in such fare, Robert Siodmak, who two years earlier had made one of the all-time best noirs, The Killers, an expansion of Ernest Hemingway's short story starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner. Cry of the City is the story of an unrepentant criminal, played by Richard Conte, and the by-the-book cop determined to take him down, played by Victor Mature. Also in the stellar cast: Shelley Winters, Fred Clark, Betty Garde (the maid in The Honeymooners), Debra Paget, and Hope Emerson, scary as a hardcore predator. She was six-two, 230 pounds, according to her bio at IMDb. Her most famous role is the nasty prison matron of Caged (1950), starring Eleanor Parker. I enjoyed that Conte's character preferred crime, even when it led to killing, to ordinary life. In my next novel, one of the two main characters lives the same way. I also loved hearing Italian spoken in the film. Here's a still of the negotiation between the characters of Conte and Emerson:



My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today, especially the ever gregarious Carmine, who would brighten anyone's day.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
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Sunday, October 1, 2017

The Writer's Life 10/1 - Dear World

The world has a new Anne Frank - Bela Alabed, a seven-year-old Syrian caught in the horror occurring in Aleppo. She is profiled today in an article in the NY Post by Stefanie Cohen. Taught English by her mom, she has written a book, Dear World, that will be released shortly. She also uses Twitter, where she has 360,000 followers. Here are two of her Tweets: “The tooth fairy is afraid of the bombing here, it run away to its hole. When the war finishes, it will come.” And: "I couldn’t play the rest of the day — all I could do was see Yasmin and all the blood on her in my mind." And here's a pic of the young wunderkind:



It's October 1st. I resumed work on the novel I plan to self-publish in January. I will proof the manuscript and add the notes I've amassed the past few months. It should take a week. Then I will let it sit until November 1st, when I'll do another wash, and I'll do the same on December 1st. If I'm satisfied then, I'll submit it to Create Space and order a proof copy.

RIP Monte Hall, 96, host one of the all-time fun games shows, Let's Make a Deal. "Will it be Door Number, Door Number Two or Door Number Three?"



It looked like it would be a day of bleak returns for the floating book shop, then three buyers showed in the final minutes of operation. Before that, my only customer was a man lured in by his three granddaughters. He bought The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan for the eldest and Yay, You! : Moving Up and Moving On by Sandra Boynton for the other two. A long wait ensued. Then a middle aged gentleman spotted what he dubbed "a real find," - Just Enough Liebling: Classic Work by the Legendary New Yorker Writer by A. J. Liebling and David Remnick. He also purchased a Jonathan Kellerman thriller for a friend, then asked which of my books I'd most recommend. I suggested Killing - if he was not not offended by political incorrectness. He said he was offended by its opposite, which was music to my ears. Then a young man, a repeat customer, came along and bought Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk and a small hardcover collection of classical love poems. Simultaneously, another young man asked about the huge Reader's Digest Complete Do It Yourself Manual, and jumped on it when I said two bucks. My thanks, gentlemen.

On the way home I stopped here:



It's run by Gene, a former Exchange employee who had to reinvent himself in 2012 when electronic training finally drove him from the commodity business. I got the boot in late 2007. At first Gene had a city job "fixing" election machines. For five months he did nothing. He couldn't stand it. He ran into an old friend who owned the shop and, with no experience in the business, took a chance and bought a quarter share. He manages it, putting in long hours, but he loves it because the people who patronize the place are happy to be there. He had the eating area remodeled and moved the oven back a bit, and business has been good. I wanted to pay him back for being one of the first trading floor people to buy my first novel, Close to the Edge, but he wouldn't hear of it. I left with a free meatball hero, which was delicious. Best of luck, sir.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
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