The Writer's Life 7/13 - Tinkering

Paul Harding hit a home run with his first novel, Tinkers, which won the Pulitzer in 2010. It is the story of three generations of an American family, told in non-linear style. It has no plot. It is ruminations on the bittersweet mystery of life. The title refers chiefly to the grandson, who is on his death bed after a long, productive life as a clock repairer. The great grandfather was a minister who tinkered with his sermons to the point they baffled his flock. The father was a salesman who rode his horse drawn cart to remote areas of New England, daydreaming, communing with nature ala Thoreau. The main theme is that all of life is one. Only 191 pages, it is not an easy read. For some reason, the author forgoes quotation marks. There are instances that lost me, particularly detailed descriptions of tinkering. There is a lot that is valuable, however, especially the following passage: “Howard resented the ache in his heart. He resented that it was there every morning when he woke up, that it remained at least until he had dressed and had some coffee, if not until he had taken stock of the goods in his cart…if not until his rounds were done, if not until he fell asleep that night, and if his dreams were not tormented by it. He resented equally the ache and the resentment itself. He resented his resentment because it was a sign of his own limitations of spirit and humility, no matter that he understood that such was each man’s burden. He resented the ache because it was uninvited, seemed imposed, a sentence, and, despite the encouragement he gave himself each morning, it baffled him because it was there whether the day was good or bad, whether he witnessed major kindness or major transgression, suffered sourceless grief or spontaneous joy.” Whenever I read something like that, I am reminded of the profound soliloquy at the end of James Joyce’s The Dead. 420 readers have rated Tinkers at Amazon, forging to a consensus of 3.5 of five, which seems right, maybe a tad high. It is still selling reasonably well, at last check 22,941st among the 13 million or so books listed at the site. He has followed it up with Enon, which focuses on the same family. He earned a MFA at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He was the drummer for grunge, alternative band Cold Water Flat, which released one album that went nowhere.

I’m self conscious about my participation at Twitter, as I know it is nothing more than than a vehicle for shameless free publicity. Yesterday I received an email confirming just how ridiculous my presence there is. Kim Kardashian is now following me. Although I have nothing against her, I’m not following back. I’ve never seen her show and doubt it is something I would like. I do enjoy seeing pictures of her, however. There are enough in the newspaper. I don't need to see any online.

And here's a shout out to two pro sportsmen. Kirk Nieuwenhuis has been a classic tweener so far in his baseball career: good at the triple A level, struggling in the majors. He was released twice this year, once by the Mets, next by another team. Reacquired by the Amazin‘s, batting .091 before yesterday’s game, he hit three home runs to provide the margin of victory. It is most likely a blip, but wouldn’t it be great if it built his confidence, got him over the hump, and led to a long stay in the bigs?
And what more can be said about golfer Jordan Spieth, who won yesterday in a playoff, his fourth victory of 2015 and preparation for next week’s third leg of golf’s grand slam, the British Open? He's on such a roll that completion of the feat actually seems possible.

My thanks to Alan who bought a thriller, and to the gentleman who donated three books.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 7/12 - Feast or Famine

Let’s start with the positive. Pro wrestlers frequently attract negative publicity. Their death rate is astonishing, due not only to steroid use but an outlaw lifestyle. John Cena of the WWE is the antithesis of the stereotype, a true role model. A graduate of Springfield College, where he played football, he is active in the Make-a-Wish foundation, which administers to children facing life-threatening diseases. He holds the record for granted wishes -- 460! Kudos, sir. (From Yahoo Sports)

And on the negative side, Florida St. head coach Jimbo Fisher has declared bars off-limits after two of his players assaulted women in separate incidents, one outdoors. Although alcohol often fuels idiotic behavior, I doubt the ban will do much good. The bad actors, always prepared to react violently to even a slight offense, are liable to go off anywhere.

How do I say this without coming off cold-hearted? PBS is into the fifth season of Vera, starring the great Brenda Blethyn as a frumpy master detective in the Northumberland section of England. It is fine drama. Last night I noticed that one of the new members of the crew, a computer expert, is a midget, or is the proper term "dwarf" these days? Anyway, I chuckled, not at her affliction but at what seems political correctness. She is solid and her presence is a positive. I’m not forgetting that Peter Dinklage is the star of Game of Thrones, which I’ve never seen and which seems fantasy, while Vera is grounded in gritty realism. Another of the BBC series, New Tricks, has also made a concession to PC, as one of the new detectives has a bright daughter who is wheelchair-bound. It remains entertaining, despite an almost complete turnover in cast. Sometimes PC is good, even when it is obvious. I am amazed at how many mysteries the BBC produces. Apparently, it is an English passion. So far, the all-time concession to PC I've witnessed in TV is from the U.S.. The police captain in The Flash has mentioned going on his honeymoon with his husband and other comments, none of which had relevance to the stories -- pure politics.

The recent pattern of feast or famine continued at the floating book shop today -- not a single sale despite books by James Patterson, Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel prominently displayed. The session wasn't a total loss, however, as Lorraine donated a highly marketable batch. My thanks.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 7/11 - Hot Blooded

RIP Omar Sharif, 83. Born in Egypt, of Lebanese and Syrian extraction, he has 117 credits listed at IMDb. Blessed with a natural screen presence, he was a star in Egyptian films, then broke internationally with his performance in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). His best role was the lead in Dr. Zhivago (1965). He spoke five languages, was a master bridge player, wrote a syndicated column about it, and also created a game for the computer, Omar Sharif Bridge. Another of his passions was gambling. He accepted dubious parts in an effort to pay his debts, but still ran into trouble with the law. He had a run-in with an American parking attendant who wouldn’t accept foreign currency, and he head-butted a French policeman during a dispute in a casino. His celebrity is probably what kept him out of jail. His autobiography is titled The Eternal Male. Here is a quote attributed to him: “I’ve lived very humbly, in fear. I accepted roles they wanted me to do and even films I didn’t want to do and don’t like because I was afraid of saying no.”

I have little interest in Native American issues, so I was baffled when Winter in the Blood (2013) arrived from Netflix and I read the summary on the disc's sleeve. Why had I rented it? I must have read somewhere that it transcends the usual issues. It does for the most part, although the displacement suffered by indians remains a main theme. It is the story of a young man dealing with the death of his father, who froze to death, drunk in a field, and brother, struck by an automobile. The man, drinking and living aimlessly, is played effectively by Chaske Spenser, one of the stars of the Twilight series. TV and screen vets David Morse and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson lend support. The rest of the significant roles seem to be filled by actors with at least partial native ancestry. The action is set in a remote corner of Montana, near the Canadian border. Based on the novel of the same name by James Welch, a Blackfeet Indian, it is not easy viewing. It is geared toward those who prefer serious subject matter and are not turned off by the downbeat. It was co-directed and co-written by Alex and Andrew J. Smith, their second stint at the helm of a full length work. It constantly travels between the present and past, which is confusing at first. It runs an hour-and-forty-five minutes. 116 users at IMDb have rated it, forging to a consensus of 6.2 of ten, maybe a tad low. It’s a daring film, one to respect rather than like.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought and donated books today on Bay Parkway, especially lovely young Meka, who gave me five bucks for a copy in only fair condition of Sandra Brown's Envy. I was so touched by her generosity I asked if she would like a copy of one of my books, and she happily accepted A Hitch in Twilight.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

 

The Writer's Life 7/10 - Pro & Prose

RIP Kenny “The Snake” Stabler, 69, who succumbed to colon cancer. As QB of the Oakland Raiders he was the NFL MVP in 1974. He led the black and silver to a Super Bowl victory in 1977. He was named All-Pro four times. None of today’s obits mentioned his alleged ties to gamblers. I had to dig deep to find a page on Google from a book by Stanley H. Teitelbaum, Sports Heroes, Fallen Idols, that offered details. Stabler was investigated by the league, which found no conclusive evidence that he had engaged in any hanky-panky. Still, commissioner Pete Rozelle issued a stern, general warning to players that was believed to be aimed chiefly at Stabler. I remember a pass against the NY Jets in 1981, when he led Houston, that he seemed to throw right at DB Ken Schroy, who returned it for a touchdown that tied the game, which the Jets won on a FG in OT. Schroy insists he'd merely anticipated a tendency he'd seen in films. The next day accusations flew. Rumor had it a friend would have been killed had the Oilers not covered the spread. In Stabler’s defense, he did, like fellow Alabama legend Joe Willie Namath, have a propensity for interceptions, throwing many more than TDs in his career. In 15 seasons he had 194 TD passes and 222 ints. He filed defamation lawsuits vs. NBC and the NY Times. The former settled, the latter was exonerated, the case thrown out of court. It is not surprising that Stabler isn’t in the Hall of Fame. Still, he was a colorful figure loved by Raiders’ fans.

The weather was as good as it gets today, but business at the floating book shop was almost as bad as it gets. My thanks to Alan, who bought the Jonathan Kellerman thriller The Web, to the elderly woman who gave me a flower, and to Madeline, who donated a couple of books. Ira stopped by and laid a couple of his corny jokes on me. For some reason, the following made me laugh: "Why'd the guy stuff dollar bills in his ear? Cash-ear." The jovial Russian retiree who spends most summer days at the beach gave me the mamasita report: "They make you crazy," he said. A crew put in a new telephone pole at the corner. To my surprise, they refilled the hole with dirt, not concrete, then put a couple of bags of that black pebbly stuff at the surface. Since they do this every day, I guess its sturdy enough to hold the pole upright.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 7/9 - Extracurricular

Three professional athletes were injured recently while participating in extracurricular activities. The world’s top-ranked golfer, Rory McIlroy, ruptured a ligament in his left ankle playing soccer with friends. He will be unable to defend his British Open championship next week. NY Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who is in contract negotiations, had his right index finger amputated after a July 4th fireworks snafu. And Tampa Bay Buccaneers DB C.J. Wilson lost two fingers in a similar incident. Accidents happen. Athletes should not be expected to sit idle in fear of injury. Unless alcohol was involved, the press should cease their attacks on the trio. On the other hand, no one should criticize Giants’ management if it takes a harder line in negotiations with JPP. 

I hadn't seen Mountain Man in a while. He showed today and his doom and gloom has not abated. He got to talking about tickets he's received through the years. He was once seated at the wheel of his car, eating, when an agent began filling out a citation. He tried a Passover defense, which failed. Later, he entered a shop nearby, where the agent was engaged in friendly conversation with the owner. As he was leaving, the agent hailed him from behind. The shop was owned by a friend. The guy changed the one on the ticket to a four and told MM to fight it, which of course he did.

Political Man also visited. He delivered his usual rant against Republicans. He was unusually cranky. He'd been awakened at five AM by a group of cricketers playing in the park near his building. He dialed 911 and was told to call 311, which provided no help. He said he would lodge a complaint at the office of the local representative. As I take my morning walk on Sundays, I pass that park about 6:30 and see the men playing, and it doesn't seem very loud even when the bat strikes the tennis ball being used. It is the only ball-playing, beside soccer, I see these days. At one time in the 50's and 60's, every block would have some type of game going: stickball, punchball, wiffleball, Chinese handball, football, boxball, slapball. And the schoolyards would have a softball game in progress or multiple games of mushball going. I miss that. 

I've sold several cook books to Mira, a young mom frequently out and about pushing a stroller. Today she bought Rising Star -- after having researched it at Amazon. My thanks, and to the other kind folks who purchased wares at today's session of the floating book shop. It was yet another example of how important effort is in the endeavor. The forecast was for rain. It was very overcast. I was sure I wouldn't be out there long. All these hours later it has yet to rain.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 7/8 - Lest We Forget

The bodies of 36 US Marines have been found on a remote Pacific island more than 70 years after they died in a bloody WW II battle. The remains were discovered after a four-month excavation on Betio Island in Kiribati. The men were killed during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943. While the remains have not been formally identified, they almost certainly include those of Lieutenant Alexander Bonnyman, who posthumously received America's highest military accolade, the Medal of Honor, for conspicuous gallantry. Bonnyman led a series of assaults when Marines stormed the island, finally falling when he attacked a bomb-proof installation that was hampering the advance. A statement on History Flight's website said Bonnyman’s daughters have decided to have his remains interred in a family plot in Knoxville, Tennessee, next to his parents, with a public funeral service planned. Overall, more than 1,000 Americans died at Tarawa, while the entire Japanese garrison of 4,800 was wiped out. The remains will be repatriated this month and identified using a combination of dental records and DNA comparison with surviving relatives. The bodies of several hundred American soldiers still lay in makeshift, unrecorded graves where they were buried after the battle. Efforts will continue to ensure that the bodies are returned home. (From Yahoo News, edited by yours truly.)

Here's an amusing item from the Odd News section at Yahoo. A Canadian parachuted from a flying lawn chair powered by helium balloons. He tied more than 100 to the device, strapped a parachute on his back and set sail over Calgary in a publicity stunt intended to advertise a cleaning-products company. He intend to steer the improvised aerial device over the Calgary Stampede, the city's annual rodeo and festival that attracts over a million visitors, with an eye to parachuting onto the grounds. He was blown off course and jumped into a field nearly 1.2 miles west of his intended destination. He was met by police and arrested. "It was the most fun thing I've ever done," he said. He used a lawn chair purchased at a hardware store and balloons bought online.

Unable to find parking near my usual nook, I again set up shop on Bay Parkway, this time between 83rd & 84th, where the Alternate Side regulation was coming to an end as I arrived. I was able to build the display right beside my car, in case it rained. And I was under a tree, in case the sun re-appeared. It was good strategy, but paid only a small dividend. My thanks to Conspiracy Guy, who bought a thick cook book, the only sale of the session.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

The Writer's Life 7/7 - History Lesson

Rich Lowry has written a brilliant op-ed piece, which appears in today's NY Post. Here are highlights, whittled down, edited by yours truly:
"Justice Clarence Thomas set off a controversy in his dissent in the Supreme Court’s gay-marriage decision by reciting core American beliefs about the innate dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their circumstances or the injustices done to them... He wrote that even people held in slavery, even people interned during World War II, retained their dignity because it is impossible to erase what is woven into our very nature... In a TV interview, George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu, called Thomas 'a clown in black face.' Amid a backlash over this insult, he doubled-down: 'I feel Justice Thomas has abdicated and abandoned his African American heritage by claiming that slavery did not strip dignity from human beings.'"
Lowry then cites comments by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams that support Thomas' beliefs. His best defense comes in the following:
"Frederick Douglass was once held in bondage. He reportedly said of his appalling enslavement: 'They cannot degrade Frederick Douglass. The soul that is within me no man can degrade. I am not the one that is being degraded on account of this treatment, but those who are inflicting it upon me.' (Quick — someone ask George Takei if Frederick Douglass was truly black.)... The reaction to the Thomas dissent is, in part, about the historical and philosophical illiteracy of his critics. But they also have a profoundly different worldview. The Founders believed we have innate rights that must be protected from government... As Thomas writes, 'Our Constitution — like the Declaration of Independence before it — was predicated on a simple truth: One’s liberty, not to mention one’s dignity, was something to be shielded from — not provided by — the State.' This notion is anathema to a left that identifies the state with progress, and that defines freedom much more loosely (not to say nonsensically) as including what government gives us, in an ever-expanding palette of benefits."
Kudos. Lowry's article should be nominated for a Pulitzer.

A former commodities broker who worked the NYMEX trading floor has written a book about his experiences. I did not know Russell Andresen, as he worked in the energy markets, while I worked in metals. Unlike my novel, Exchanges, this is an insider's non-fiction perspective. Although I worked data entry at the Exchange for nearly 25 years and made many friends, traders amongst them, I always felt like an outsider, and that is reflected in the protagonist of my book. While my works are about the average Joe trying to live decently in a world where there is temptation at every turn, A Crude World is for anyone interested in the point of view of someone who was in the thick of that fascinating life in the fast lane. Best of luck, sir. Here's a link to the book's page at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Crude-World-Russell-Andresen/dp/1681395789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436272996&sr=1-1&keywords=russell+andresen

Ramirez's cartoons are syndicated in the Post. He offers a beauty today. The caption reads: Bernie Sanders for President -- of Greece. Kudos, sir.

My timing was impeccable this afternoon. I packed up the floating book shop a few minutes ahead of schedule, as dark clouds advanced. As soon as I pulled my car away, raindrops began hitting the windshield. My thanks to the woman who bought two books in Russian.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/