Sunday Medley

On my morning walk just after six AM, despite the darkness, a man recognized me as the guy who sells books on the street. I didn’t recognize him. He’d recently cleaned out an apartment where about 1000 books had been left behind. I told him I didn’t buy books, since people donated them constantly. I wouldn’t buy even if my inventory were reduced to zero. I’d just sell my own books. Anyway, among his cache is a copy of Mein Kampf in German. I said I would be surprised if it wasn’t worth hundreds and suggested he to try selling it on the web. As I walked away I realized I’d neglected to ask if it were hardcover or paperback — duh. At Abe’s Books a hardcover is listed at $4701.17 (I’m always amused that such a figure is not rounded off to the nearest dollar.) In the first five pages of Amazon’s listing, I spotted only one copy in German, price $80. In an article at thoughtco.com, Pamela Wiggins says: “Collectors wanting a copy can easily find a basic 1932 edition… for about $200.” I wouldn’t want one in my home. By the way, Hitler was a socialist.

This may be a much better buy: Toto & Coco tells the parallel wartime stories of two women of the fashion world and the divergent paths they took. Coco Chanel sucked up to the Nazis, while Toto Koopman risked her life fighting them. Unfortunately, at present it seems the book is available only in Kindle, ten bucks.

And this nypost.com headline announces another book: “The twisted sex lives of Nazis — and the women who loved them.” The title is: Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany by James Wyllie. Scheduled to be released 11/3, the hardcover is listed at $25.10 at Amazon, Kindle $15.

Here’s a great bit of trivia from NY Post sports media critic Phil Mushnick: “The Eagles were the first NFL team to install a police booking station and jail within their stadium.” Drunk brawlers necessitated it.

Alert to sci-fi writers, headline from foxnews.com: “Murder hornets vacuumed from Washington hive by space-suited bug pros.”

Here’s a sad though unsurprising headline from FN: “US opioid deaths rising amid coronavirus lockdowns.”

As I was preparing brunch before heading out to pick up my laundry and run the book shop, I had a standards music stream playing in the background. The rousing Tonight Medley from the original Broadway production of West Side Story aired. It features all the Sharks and Jets and Maria and Anita. I noticed a difference in the lyrics from the film version. In the latter Anita sings: “He’ll walk in hot and tired, poor dear/No matter if he’s tired, as long as he’s here.” In the play: “He’ll walk in hot and tired, so what?/ No matter if he’s tired, as long as he’s hot.” Given the license artists in all mediums enjoy these days, it’s hard to believe there was a time when that couplet was considered too racy for movie audiences. Then again, maybe Stephen Sondheim simply decided the rewrite sounded better.

RIP Jerry Jeff Walker, 78, country singer-songwriter, whose Mr. Bojangles has remained a crossover staple on radio. It has been recorded and performed by a number of greats, including Bob Dylan, Harry Belafonte, King Curtis, Dolly Parton, Nina Simone, Sammy Davis Jr. and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whose rendition hit #9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 ‘70-’71. Walker’s recording career spanned 51 years, 36 albums, including compilations. He was a mentor to Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffet, Guy Clark, Todd Snider and Lucinda Williams. Well done, sir, thank you.

My thanks to the ladies who combined to buy six books in Russian, and to young Bek, who purchased The Pocket Stoic by John Sellars; and to the only Asian buying books lately, who took home four Robert B. Parker mysteries; and to Mr. Conspiracy, aka Steve, who selected Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene and Robert Hand, an astrology text; and to the woman who donated several works of non-fiction.

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