The Writer's Life 9/7 - All in a Day's Work

When I hit page three of William Hjortsberg's Falling Angel I faced a decision. I recognized the name Mr. Cyphre and realized it was the novel on which Angel Heart (1987) was based. I enjoyed its absurd fun, but since I still recalled the basics of the story, I considered putting the book aside. I chose to read a bit further, hoping there would be deviations from the script, as there almost always are in adaptations. The most important is location, NYC rather than New Orleans, a big plus. Although the work has a 1978 copyright, the author chose to set in 1959. News of Hawaii's statehood flash on the board in Times Square as the protagonist passes. Perhaps the author needed certain locations to fit the narrative. His knowledge of the city is impressive. In a blurb on the front cover of the paperback version, which must have been released well before the movie was planned, Stephen King wrote: "Terrific... As if Raymond Chandler had written The Exorcist..." That's a perfect description. The lively writing is the novel's best asset. Here are two examples: "The revelation hit me like an ice-water enema..." And: "... His companion was a kid in his twenties with a d.a. haircut and the wet, imploring eyes of a greeting card Jesus..." As for the story, of course it is more detailed than the picture, as any novel is. Since it's been so long since I've watched the film, I can't say which is better. I enjoyed both despite their absurdity. One aspect rankled. For anyone who hasn't seen the flick or read the book, this is a spoiler alert. While the private eye is certainly no angel or even a good person, he seems to have reformed a great deal from the evil he embraced in his past, which he has forgotten entirely after injury in WWII that required plastic surgery. Such evil seems innate. I doubt it could be quashed, although head injuries might change personality. This is Hjortsberg's most famous work, the fifth of his eight forays into fiction. He also wrote three original screenplays, the most notable being Legend (1985), a fantasy that starred Tom Cruise. He also did a bio of quirky author Richard Brautigan, perhaps a case of birds of a feather... 222 users at Amazon have rated Falling Angel, forging to a consensus of four on a scale of five. I wouldn't go nearly that high, but I respect the lively prose and dialogue enormously. The 242 pages read like considerably less. Here's a pic of Mickey Rourke in character as the shamus:

And here's a picture of Senator Corey Booker at yesterday's hearings on Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh:

I didn't make much money at the floating book shop today, but the effort was well worth it. My thanks to the young woman and the middle age gentleman who purchased four works of fiction between them. Marty, NYPD retired, stopped to chat. He really opened up. He hasn't had a drink in more than three years, citing the date exactly. He went cold turkey on his own. He doesn't know if he actually was/is an alcoholic or if his job led to his drinking. He also is on a watch list composed by Mt. Sinai Hospital for those who worked at ground zero. He thanked me for listening and hurried away, as it looked as if it was about to pour. It didn't, fortunately. Next up was a group of three young Hasids, barely into their 20's, asking male passersby if they were Jewish. They usually confine themselves to the area just outside the Sheepshead Bay Road train station, but today they were out in full force, groups passing continuously. The three set up shop beside me under the scaffold. I didn't mind, as there was space between us. They managed to persuade two men to go through a brief ceremony that seemed a reconfirmation of faith. The first was a young man wearing a Yankees cap. Around his arm they wrapped a long vinyl substance that looked a lot like videotape. They also placed similar tape around the top of his head and a yarmulke on top. The guy put the baseball cap over it and quietly recited a prayer written out on paper. In the meantime, his female companion was chowing down on a plate of chicken and rice from Waj's food truck. At the end of the ceremony, one of the three Hasids pulled out a little shofar and blew into it for several seconds. I repressed laughter. Later, a retiree also complied and took it all very seriously. That wasn't the end of the entertainment. A middle aged woman wearing a back pack and carrying a bag in one hand and satchel in the other smiled as she came jogging by. She had to stop to let traffic pass at the corner of E. 13th. That gave a short, snarling Asian man the opportunity to catch her and snatch the satchel, which, apparently, she had stolen. All in a day's work.

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The Writer's Life 9/6 - Tribute to a Movie Star

RIP Burt Reynolds, 82, who had one of the most impressive runs in Hollywood history. There are 187 titles listed under his name at IMDb, but that doesn't even begin to tell his story. He was as prolific on TV as he was in film. He appeared in 50 episodes of Gunsmoke, 20 of Riverboat, 17 of Hawk, 26 of Dan August, 12 of B. L. Stryker, and 98 of Evening Shade, of which he directed 35 episodes. He lent his distinctive voice to 95 episodes of Out of This World and narrated the six episodes of The History of Hollywood. He has 14 titles listed under his name as "Director." He received directorial credit on my favorite of his movies, the under-rated Sharkey's Machine (1981), although the best film in which he was involved is undoubtedly Deliverance (1972). Of course, his popularity is legendary. He was the number one box draw five years in a row, 1978-'82. He made it seem so easy - and fun. His work will live on long after him. He will be forever young. Here's a telling quote attributed to him: "All of the younger actors keep coming up to me and asking me where all of the land mines are because they know I've stepped on them all." What a life he had. Well done, sir. Thank you.

It had to happen. A golf course in North Dakota has adopted modern technology in the delivery of refreshments anywhere on its grounds, brought to duffers by drones. The continuing advances never cease to fascinate. I wonder how many months are conducive to golf in ND. Then again, I bet the courses are lush and beautiful. It'd be a great place to spend summer, but I'd never be able to live there year round. I can barely hack a NYC winter.

My thanks to Wolf, who bought four books in Russian, and to the gentleman who purchased another; and to Cabbie, who pulled his hack over and made a swap and buy, driving away with Ira Levin's Sliver; and to the burly guy who selected Robert Ludlum's The Scorpio Illusion; and to the dude in the mechanized wheelchair, who I suspected would buy Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, as he seems to prefer black authors. I'd found it in a box left curbside during my morning walk. I took three other familiar titles as well, and left several attractive books behind. I'm taking only those I know will sell quickly.   

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The Writer's Life 9/5 - Holes

From the NY Post, edited by yours truly: Screenwriters must be salivating over this story. A hole found in the International Space Station may have been the work of a psychologically disturbed astronaut, leaving the spacemen aboard eying each other nervously. The small but potentially deadly hole was discovered last week and initially was believed to have been caused by a tiny meteorite. Russian officials now say it may have been sabotage, and was even possibly drilled by a loopy space cadet who wanted to go home early. There are three Americans, two Russians and a German on board. A drop in pressure was noticed. The hole was patched with a rubber filling made from duct tape (LOL!), gauze and a vacuum-proof sealant. It is not surprising that something like this would eventually happen. Psych tests are not fool proof.

In other news involving space, a new film is stirring controversy. First Man stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong. The movie does not show the hero planting the American flag on the moon. This continues Hollywood a-holes' anti-American trend, another example being the dropping of the phrase "Truth, justice and the American way" from the recent Superman movies. Reviews of First Man will have to be awfully good for me to watch it when it gets to DVD. In the meantime:

I firmly believe that Washington D.C. is a swamp filled with venomous snakes. I've doubted that there is an organized deep state working behind the scenes. Today's news may change my opinion on that. There is an anonymous editorial in the NY Times by an a-hole megalomaniac on President's staff stating that he and others have been working to undermine Trump's agenda. That seems to prove that there is indeed a deep state. Imagine if an insider had made such an admission during the Obama administration. Meanwhile, Bob Woodward of Watergate fame is promoting his latest book, more Trump-bashing, a rehash of the same stuff heard daily in the a-hole mainstream media. At present it's an effort to affect the November elections, but it will probably continue until the democrats are fully back in charge, perish the thought.

Conditions were fine under the scaffold, despite the heat, which is supposed to last one more day. Unfortunately, business was bad. My thanks to the gentleman who rolled up on his bike and purchased a large print edition of W. E. B. Griffin's Men at War. As I was buying my dinner at Waj's food truck, he volunteered that business was slow for him too. It wasn't much consolation. I felt like an a-hole out there today.
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The Writer's Life 9/4 - Odds & Ends

Here's the pic of the day, a dream apartment in St. Louis that has a combined kitchen/bathroom:

Nike has hired Colin Kaepernick as a spokesman. I have at least one item with its logo, a yellow T-shirt. I'm retiring it, turning it into cleaning rags. It will be interesting to see how sales go. Here's how other folks are reacting:

Academic insanity continues. According to the Fast Takes column in today's NY Post, all new faculty applicants to UCLA will have to document their contributions to "equality, diversity and inclusion." I have one thing to say: Document this.

It seems the Decades channel has bitten the dust. In its place is Start. Last night's prime time lineup featured reruns of The Division, a cop show, and Family Law, each dominated by female casts, and The Profiler, which seems to be about a woman with a gift for analysis of criminal behavior. According to the website, it will air the same lineup seven days a week. Unfortunately, the one show on its roster in which I'm interested, Early Edition, will air in off hours. I will miss switching to The Best of Ed Sullivan during ad breaks in whatever else I'm watching.

Conditions were tougher today at the floating book shop but still nothing like last week's brutal heat. My thanks to the sweet elderly woman who bought Sandra Brown's Texas Chase, and to the gentleman who purchased a book in Russian. I had to hold back risqué comments that popped into my adolescent mind during a visit from Nell and Barb, as the conversation turned to the mattresses each recently purchased. It is astonishing how many people, especially women, are living alone in Sheepshead Bay. I can think of five others off the top of my head: three Shelleys, Marie and Eve. All seven are American born. It seems all the Russian-born adults are married. Does this have any meaning? I have no idea, but it is interesting.

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The Writer's Life 9/3 - Labors of Love

Last night on Movies!, channel 5-2 on my over the air antenna, I watched Gilda (1946), a love-hate saga starring Glenn Ford and the smokin' hot Rita Hayworth. In researching the cast, I came upon a new leader in my unofficial list of all-time appearances in films and TV. Bess Flowers compiled an astonishing 913! This blows away the members of the 600 club, Frank O'Connor (650) and Jack Mower (620). I know many (most?) of the spots were non-speaking roles in which she was simply in the background, but still... Along her Hollywood journey, she appeared in five Best Picture winners and was in 20 other nominees. In 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, edited by Steven Jay Schneider, she is listed in 33, more than any other artist. Born in Texas in 1898, her career spanned from 1923 to 1964, many of her parts listed as "uncredited" at IMDb. She also made multiple appearances on TV shows such as Perry Mason, on which she appeared 13 times. She also did commercials for Chevy. Fittingly, she was known as "Queen of the Hollywood Extras." She passed away at 85 in 1984. Here's a quote attributed to her: "I made a good living. I'm lazy, from the South, so I never took anything that was hard." Are you kidding me - how many appearances would she have made had she worked hard? Awesome, madam. She is a perfect poster child for Labor Day. Here's a pic:

And as for the labor of love that is the floating book shop - day one of the latest heat wave was a snap, as the shade of the scaffold and breeze along Avenue Z made conditions pleasant. My thanks to all the folks who stopped to chat, and to Bus Driver, who bought two more thrillers - Jonathan Kellerman's Mystery and James Patterson's When the Wind Blows.

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The Writer's Life 9/2 - Key Points

Seemed like a good idea at the time. According to Yahoo's Odd News, a man in central Mexico, who spotted keys in the ignition, was unable to resist the temptation to steal a hearse. He had no idea a body was in the back. He was apprehended quickly, no damage to the vehicle or the deceased.

According to yesterday's Fast Takes column in the NY Post, from January 2000 to July 2016, the state of New York lost a net 14.1% of its population, the largest exodus in the USA. I wonder how many are the conservatives Governor Cuomo doesn't want living in his progressive paradise, and how much tax revenue went with them.

Two observations about college football: New Mexico St. has yet to play a game in September and the Aggies are already 0-2... Will Jim Harbaugh, Michigan alum, former starting QB for the Wolverines, last the entire season as its head coach? Although his record is a solid 28-12 at the school, he has yet to beat archrival Ohio St. in three tries, and is 1-2 vs. Michigan St.. After last night's loss to Notre Dame, the Maize and Blue has lost four straight dating back to last season.

Authors relish a book title that captures attention. Here's one that fills the bill, although it seems confirmation of the argument of today's lower standards. Apparently, Ike didn't play well with other kids, a fault of many geniuses.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today, and to Monsey, who donated an interesting mix of fiction and non.
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The Writer's Life 9/1 - Mystique

There are many talented actresses working in films and on stage and TV. Only a few are blessed with extraordinary mystique. It doesn't seem that it can be acquired. It seems natural. The late Gloria Grahame had it. Although she was descended from British royalty, on screen she seemed a woman who could not get on the right side of the tracks. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1947 for Crossfire, and won for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Her personal life was a mess. She married four times, the last to her former step son Anthony Ray, 15 years her junior, the son of Nicholas Ray, who directed her in one of Bogie's best, In a Lonely Place (1950). Last night I watched Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017), adapted from the memoir of the same title by Peter Turner. Almost three decades younger than Grahame, he was her lover in her final years. Her life was cut short at 57 in 1981. Turner has had a modest career, 15 titles on the big and small screen listed under his name at IMDb as an actor, five TV episodes and one full length feature as a writer, and one documentary as a director. Annette Bening is solid in the difficult role of the insecure and enigmatic star. Jamie Bell is outstanding as Turner, as is Julie Walters as his mum, who graciously allows the ill Grahame a place in her home. Old pros Vanessa Redgrave and Frances Barber are terrific in their one extended scene, the former as Grahame's mom, whose memory is failing, and latter as her resentful, bitchy sister. The story is told in non-linear style, backed by a great soundtrack of familiar songs. Peter McGuigan directed. He has also been at the helm of four episodes of Sherlock, which I love although it is usually over my head. Matt Greenhalgh adapted the screenplay. 4400+ users at IMDb have rated the film, forging to a consensus of 6.7 on a scale of ten. On a scale of five, I rate it 2.5. I wasn't as moved as I expected to be given my fascination with Grahame. Something is missing. Maybe Grahame was too much of a mystery to get right. The film did not fare well at the box office, apparently in limited release. It received no Oscar nominations. I'd guess its appeal is restricted to Grahame's fans. It runs 1:45. Here are pics of the star in her heyday and Bening in character: 

Last night Council Bluffs Jefferson beat Sioux City North 99-81, the highest-scoring game in the history of Iowa high school football. Jefferson had 749 yards rushing on 67 carries. One RB had 358 yards and eight touchdowns, another 209 yards and two touchdowns. The Sioux City North QB threw for 310 yards and nine touchdowns. Neither team punted.

My thanks to the kind folks who today bought and swapped a variety of books in Russian and English.

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