A Legend Passes
RIP Brooklyn born Pete Hamill, 85, journalist, novelist, essayist, editor, educator, son of Irish immigrants, quintessential New Yorker. He left school at 15 to work as an apprentice sheet metal worker in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 59 years later he was awarded an honorary diploma by Regis High School. At one time or another he wrote pieces for the New York Post, the Saturday Evening Post, the New York Herald Tribune, New York Daily News, the Village Voice, New York Newsday, New York, The New Yorker, Esquire, Playboy, and Rolling Stone. He wrote the liner notes for Bob Dyan’s Blood on the Tracks, which won him a Grammy. Two collections of his selected journalism have been published: Irrational Ravings and Piecework. He also wrote fiction, producing ten novels and two collections of short stories. He wrote two memoirs A Drinking Life, chronicling his journey from childhood into his thirties, his embrace of drinking and the decision to abandon it; and Downtown: My Manhattan, which includes his reporting on 9/11. He also wrote several works of non-fiction, including a bio of Diego Rivera. IMDb lists 17 titles under his name, several of them adaptations of his literary works, some original, mostly for TV. He acted in six films and appeared in several documentaries, lending his thoughts. Awesome, sir. Thank you. (Facts from Wiki & IMDb)
Here’s an interesting headline from nypost.com: “Biden’s campaign knocked on zero doors this week — while Trump’s hit one million.” The Dems’ strategy is so interesting: running a faux moderate whose mental faculties are questionable, defense of rioters and looters, and a radical economic agenda. And it may work!
Here’s a fascinating excerpt from an article by Hannah Sparks at NYP: “A comprehensive analysis of findings from previous studies has revealed that regions where the public drinking water contains a high level of naturally occurring lithium — a mineral used most often for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder — also boast a lower rate of suicide than other areas.” How long before someone suggests adding it, as was done with fluoride back in the day?
My thanks to The Quiet Man, who bought four DVDs, and to the gentleman who purchased Vivian Maier: A Photographer’s Life and Afterlife by Pamela Bannos; and to my constant benefactress, who insisted on paying for Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy by A.N. Wilson; and Crazy Joe, scourge of talk radio hosts, who selected a book on introversion and Introduction to Veterinary Science by James Lawhead and MeeCee Baker. I spotted him across the street, hunched over, cane in hand, unsure if it were him. 73, he looked like he was in his eighties. He hadn’t shaved for days. His shirt was completely open. It was not a pretty sight. He may have a slipped disc. He received an epidural yesterday and it offered only a bit of relief. He went on a rant about how uncaring modern folks are, even those in the medical profession. As usual, I let him vent. Then he disclosed personal information. Shy, he was 35 when he had his first girlfriend. He paused as if he expected ridicule. I’m the last person to cast aspersions in that regard. I’ve always been alone. He married and had a son and has grandkids. He did not marry the woman in question. They’d been dating a month when she became pregnant. She had an abortion and broke off the relationship. Joe was devastated and sought counseling. Later, he was warned not to marry, as his bride to be was deemed disturbed, which, he claims, turned out to be the case. I neglected to ask how long the marriage lasted.
Here are examples of Vivian Maier’s work:
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts
Read Vic’s Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
