The Ellison Bulletin Board

Comments Archive - 02/10/97 to 06/03/97

Phillip
- Tuesday, June 03, 1997 at 14:37:38 (CDT)

*DTS* I know what you're saying. I agree with you about the absense of common courtesy in younger generations. Neglecting to look up Donald Westlake's last name wasn't a lack of courtesy though. I wasn't at home when I posted my message, so I didn't have SLIPPAGE handy to look up his last name. And besides, this isn't an article I'm writing here; it's casual conversation. If I don't know someone's last name, I'll say "what-his-name," no disrepect intended... Now I was going to say something about SLIPPAGE, but I forgot. Later.

Phillip: Not to worry, I wouldn't be put off by any "backlash." The (subtle?)point I was trying to make with my last entry to you was that my assumption about your age (or maturity) stemmed from the fact that most younger people tend to have a cavalier attitude toward people (in this case, a writer) they don't know (and before anyone starts a big discussion about this statement, I'll say that it is MY opinion -- an informed opinion brought about by years of observing humans, but my opinion nonetheless). Now, since your reference to Westlake didn't even do him the courtesy of using his proper last name (when you have the book so readily available), I naturally assumed you were just behaving like most young (between the ages of 10 and...oh, 22 or so) people do nowadays. Otherwise, if you were older and still hadn't learned old-fashioned courtesy or just didn't care, then it would have been impertinent of you. This, regardless of what you knew of Westlake's background as a writer. Now, I know (from some of the responses I seen on this board -- to myself and to others) that there are a LOT of "sensitive" folks out there. And I hope this long-winded explanation doesn't offend you, Phillip. But I just wanted to clear up the matter, make sure my original point was taken. And I really don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings (but you have to admit, common courtesy, the kind I was used to showing and receiving when I was kid, is a pretty rare commodity these days). Okay, that's definitely all. Next time I post, it'll be with useful info for Ellison readers and collectors, or not at all. Out here -- DTS.

Corrections: very well READ, and LETTERING not letter.

A few things: I've read the Donald Westlake story ("Nackles") from SLIPPAGE. I enjoyed his writing, enough to check him out the next time I'm browsing my bookstore. This isn't a backlash to *DTS* at all; it's a thought: I don't think never having heard of Donald Westlake before SLIPPAGE makes me wet behind the ears. Unless you're an SF fan who has read something a little older than most of the crap that's out there now, Book 7 in Drangon Lance series, Han Solo Does The West End, etc., there's a very good chance you've never heard of such writers as, let's say, HARLAN ELLISON. Most of the English professors I've met in the past 8 years have never heard of Harlan Ellison, and those who have have never read anything beyond "Repent Harlequin" which is the only HE story I've ever seen in an unversity-level anthology. It's easy to be very well and not have heard of writers like Donald Westlake and Harlan Ellison... Anyway, the SLIPPAGE cover: It's not the typical HE SF-looking cover, but I think it's okay. What I don't like is the letter on the spine. Close up you can that the letters are metallic, but from a distance when I look at the book on my shelf, the lettering looks kind of cartoonish. Not a really good look. I like the book, but as far as the overall material contruction, it's not as good as the Edgeworks books. What I don't like about the Edgeworks books is the small-case letter. Harlan's name doesn't stand out. The design isn't visually distinctive from a distance. The design of the 1980's Ace Paperback reissues were very distinctive. When I see that font on any other book, I immediately think of HE. I think those were the best covers and overall design of any HE book I've seen except THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON... The Lost World: 2 points for the scenes with the Velocoraptors, especially when the girl was about the stick her head outside the shed. That was the first jump I got. Maybe one more after that, and that was it. So 1 point for each jump. And I agree, that's generous.

DTS, you may be right: I probably am off my trolley, since we haven't had 'em in Salt Lake for years. Funny, though, that whenever someone says "no offense," you can bet that something offensive will follow immediately thereafter. Also, I wonder why people keep doing things they hate. Whenever folks tell me, "I hate to say this," they always go right ahead and spew it out anyway--and usually with such pleasure. Anyway, I'm generally an admirer of the lady's artwork, but everyone to whom I shown this SLIPPAGE cover has had the same independent reaction: Yuch. So it ain't me alone who's tumbled off that old trolley car. PHILLIP, I've got to agree with you about Lost World. I think you're being too generous, even, in rating it a "2." Now maybe if HE had written the screenplay.... -- Billy D.

FYI: oops. In case art lovers out there are interested in them, the series of books published by Underwood Books are entitled Spectrum:1 (or #,2,3 or 4) the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. They are published in a trade paper format, and therefore pretty affordable to the average joe. The first book in the series was even dedicated to Harlan Ellison (knew I could make a valid connection to this page), who has always patronized artists of every sort. Just wanted to make sure the titles of the books were correctly noted. Out here, DTS.

BILL: No offense, but I think yer off yer trolley! The SLIPPAGE cover by Jill Bauman is gorgeous (she's a dynamite artist). Now that I've gotten that off my keyboard, FYI: for serious Ellison collectors, Underwood Books (P.O. Box 1609, Grass Valley, CA 95945) will be publishing an "art book" (that's their specialty -- check out the Full Spectrum [vols. 1-4] line of books sometime) which will be illustrated by Rick Berry(another terrific artist), entitled "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktock Man." Ellison is also credited, so it's probably safe to assume that the text of his story (or an adaptation, ala the "Dream Corridor" stories) will be included. They will be printing a trade version ($17 -- ISBN# 1-887-7424-35-0) and a limited version ($60 -- SBN# 1-887-7424-36-9). The trade version will be available at any chain store and most of the independents. Gotta special order the limited if you want it. Out here, DTS.

First, for those who E-mail me privately, please note my new address in the header. Okay, I received my copy of the Ziesing Slippage this weekend and my first reaction was, "Holy Shiite, what a god-awful cover!" It's enough to make an atheist like myself believe in God--I mean, come on, no mere human could produce art so hideous without a heapin' helpin' of some divine inspiration. I was also angered by the list of stories included. It's probably just my own faulted reasoning, but I had mistakenly come to the notion that "previously uncollected" meant that the stories had not been in ANY collection to date. But "Columbus Ashore" was in the "Best Stories" collection. And "Mefisto" had a book release all its own. I thought I was spending my $75 for stories I hadn't yet read. Ah well, mea culpa I guess. DOC, about my favorite HE stories, I'd have to say that that "Susan" touched me the most--stung me in the tear ducts. I've only cried at the end of two stories in my life, and that was one of them; like a verbal tear-gas cannister HE had plunked in my lap. Knowing HE's life from all y'all's comments here in Webderland and how close to autobiographical the story was (though HE denies it!), I couldn't help but be moved. The other HE piece that touched me was his introduction in the volume that contains "Jeffty." This one got me dead-on in the old Adam's Apple, making me gulp (and believe me that's saying something, because the size of this bobbing protrusion on my neck has been known to attract passing hummingbirds). Maybe the introduction had special significance to me because the incident occurred in Salt Lake City, and I know the constrained mores around here by which people live. But when HE said he'd wished his mother would simply die, and then a woman called in to the radio station to say, basically, "I feel the same way, and until now I'd always thought I was alone." Wow, my throat went dry. I've never felt so "unalone" myself, in all my life. There, I've rambled on too long, as usual. -- Billy D.

PEAUX -- I guess there are those who will say that step-daddying doesn't count, but anyone who's had to do any sort of parenting on any level will assure you, that's a crock; at least, if they're doing the job with any conscience about it. Which is all to remind you that, Once 'Pon a Time, back in the early 1960's, HE was step-daddikins. In fact, unless I am completely outta my gourd, the lady (with whom HE parted amicably) and the lad (of whom HE speaks in glowing terms, even though I think the kid was making his approach to adolescence) were they who made that much-storied trip West with Harlan. Would HE have dealt any differently with the Fruit o' His Loins? (now is not the time for YELLOWBEARD references) I doubt it; and I hope not. I kinda like the Harlan we have, and I doubt he or his work would be improved or made more effective by any soft, rounded edges. Furthermore, I think it's a disservice to both man and his work to pigeon-hole either as "miscogenistic." HE has always drawn a pretty clear line between his hopes and his expectations: his hopes for Humanity are what keep him broadcasting the Word, but time and experience keep his expectations nice and low, and, therefore, the knife out of his wrist. I, by comparison, am an optimistic sap, and am disappointed by people ALL the time. Perhaps, when I am Harlan's age (if?), I will be so "miscogenistic". And, if you're interested, the term is "bellicose." If you don't believe me, ask HE -- go on, I double dog dare ya! SUE -- out beagling in the sunshine, were we? The bike must be feeling better. Yeah, your four have flown the nest -- but I'm surprised you didn't mention the boomerang effect....

WOW - take a little time off to ride the bike in the first decent weather of Spring - and miss the *snork* twitch of Webderland awakening from a deeeep sleep.. *DTS* Thanks for the helpful e-mail - came just at the right time - when I was running out of steam.. And I can understand *PHILLIP's* first re-actions completely. I'm no spring chicken, and I often have exactly the same type of reaction on first reading of a HE work (though rarely with his non-fiction) - and *usually* have to reread HE works to "get" them. I find of lot of what HE writes to be a bit more cerebral than what's common in the marketplace, so when a *new* HE work falls into my grubby little hands accustomed to the "quick read", I've got to gear back up to a higher level of "reader" skill that HE usually requires. I also find that stories which *did* connect immediately with non-cerebral emotionalism are rarely the ones I remember and treasure. Had to read Croatoan twice. *LOVE* that story. Like it better with every re-read - but it got a gut level "Huh?" on the first blinding race-through.. On the other hand, I can't remember the first HE story I read in a magazine that got this whole thing started.. I appreciate *PHILLIP* giving me the off-the-cuff innitial response of Slippage. Lets me know ahead of time what to expect, and allot time for reading accordingly.. Has whetted my lust to get a copy, not killed it. *DOC* (hugs) CROATOAN - a story I sloshed right through the first read, but nagged me.. So I read it again, and it got me in the Mommyspot, and nagged some more.. It's been claiming a little piece here and there with every re-read. Delves into the whole concept of "Who is my brother?", family, responsibility - the meat of where my life is - and asks a lot of leading questions that *make* me think.. What IS it that defines our humanity. If it is a given that we will screw-up for all the "right" reasons, what are the consequences and responsibility for those mistakes?? How far do those responsibilities go? Can a major mis-step be corrected? How does one deal with guilt? Somehow, I *don't* think THAT story is ever gonna get *old*... *PEAUX* I have four grown and flown children - and if there were any question about HE being a stunted, crippled person for lack of a child his own - I strongly reccommend you read CROATOAN.. Can't think of a more eloquent and sensitive story about children than that one.. *ALL* I'll *try* to drop in more regularly - though no promises, it is Riding Season *giggle*... Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

This is all very interesting...I have been a reader of HE for more than 12 years although my interest has waned abit after having children...no time or money to go searching for books anymore.... I wanted to put forth a comment: I wonder if it is a good thing that HE has never had kids... children are (among other things) harbingers of the future and they contain an innocence that pulls out optimism from even the most ardent nay-sayer... it seems to me that HE might have found his outlook a trifle less mysanthropic if he had produced progeny. Ever since i had children, i found my world view changing and my hope for mankind uplifted.... how would HE had responded to such a burden also? Children take a lot without tangible payback..... lastly, Children are not the little auto-mommies/daddies that their parents (even the most liberal of them) expect them to be.... can you imagine our esteemed autor trying to talk to his teenaged son? hehehe...... well, since some of you say you like IRC come by my DALnet chan #poetry_zone sometime!

Phillip: Mea Culpa. I typed the note after a long night at the keyboard (in the wee hours of the morning), and I guess I wasn't thinking straight (it's just that, when you referred to Westlake, a writer who has won 4 Edgar Awards, an oscar nomination,a Grandmaster from the Mystery Writers of America, and an upcoming Lifetime Achievment Award at the Boucheron Conventtion in October...when you referred to him as "Donald Whatshisname, I automatically decided you had to be wet behind the ears, cause no one who has written as well and as long as Westlake has written deserves any disrespect -- so I assumed you just didn't know any better, and weren't really showing impertinence). In any case, my apologies. I'll be quiet, now. -- DTS

*DTS*: First of all, I haven't been critiquing the contents of SLIPPAGE. I've been banging out my first initial responses to the stories. That's it. No in depth analysis, nothing fancy, just my initial impressions of the stories: I liked them or I didn't like them, they did something for me or they didn't. To give you an idea of what kind of stories do something for me, here's a list of some of my favourites: "The Other Eye of Polyphemus," "Jeffty is Five," "Ernest and the Machine God," "One Life Furnish in Early Poverty," "Punky and the Yale Men," and "Paladin of the Lost Hour." I'll argue it right down to the ground that these are some of the best stories Harlan has ever written. Except for certain portions of "She's a Young Thing..." none of the stories I've read from SLIPPAGE so far have been on the same level as any of the above. That's my opinion based on my gut reaction to the stories, not my intellectual critical response. As far as the level of my reading maturity and my not "getting it," I've been reading HE long enough to recognize the subtleties in his stories like a blow to the head. I get plenty. This is just a bulletin board and I don't have the time to fart around to express myself in a refined and "mature" manner. I spend enough of my time as it is writing academic and critical papers---things like this bulletin board are a relief for me. I let it fly and I don't care what hits the fan. I haven't read the original "Nackles" short story yet, but can you tell me what profound subtleties I'm missing from the teleplay? I believe as far as the teleplay is concerned, I GOT IT---but what I got ain't nothing to write home about. And when I say that I didn't get it, that's what I mean. I realise that the off-the-cuff manner in which I express myself sometimes gives the impression of my being much younger than I am, but try not to mistake that for ignorance and inexperience. To put it politely, your message was just a *tad* patronizing. Respectfully, Phillip. Anyhow, I just read the first version of the essay (which I've read before off the net), "The Pale Silver Dollar Pays Its Way and Makes Change," and thought it was excellent---as with most of HE's non-fiction. The second version though wasn't really necessary.

PHILLIP -- I'll try to do this *without* sounding pompous, pedantic, or patronizing. I can understand your disappointment with the direction of the ending. How many of us have ever been faced with the choice of going to live with the Cannibal Monsters to remain with the person we love? If you substitute Los Angeles for the Cannibal Monsters, it might put it a bit closer to your heart, and -- believe me! -- the comparison is not that far off the mark. Many people consider L.A. synonymous with Cannibal Monsters. If you doubt *my* word, try reading Nathaniel West. And don't give up the ship -- there have been stories, HE's among them, that just didn't snag me the first time through. I re-read them later 'cause I forgot what they were about, or even that I HAD read them. I've discovered whole different stories, that way. What a clever man HE is, hiding stories like that. Sort of "time release" things, like those cold capsuals. -- SO -- no-one wants to pursue my proposed topic? Or are we just taking time to chew on it? Ooh! BTW -- anybody out there ever heard of "Journal Wired?" I know there's a 'zine on the stands at a market near you called "Wired," but I don't know if it's the same thing. This one I'm talking about was put together by Andy Watson and our ever-lovin' Mark Ziesing, kicked off with issue 1 back in Winter '89. Is it still going? A friend gave me some old magazines, and I found the first 2 issues among them -- very swell. Anyone know? Cheers, Doc

Phillip: Couldn't help but notice your ongoing critique of the contents of SLIPPAGE (ltd ed.). Especially how all of the comments seem to end with, "I didn't get it," or something to that effect. When I was younger (between 10 and 21), and I found that I often didn't "get it"(either the subtle theme of a story, or an unexplained twist) when reading stories by writers who were very good at their craft. That was because (I believe) the writer expected his (or her) audience to have attained a certain level of maturity before sitting down with that particular piece of fiction. Now, if a younger (less mature)reader picked up that particular story or book and was entertained, that was great too. (cause that's prime reason behind any story or book). And if the young reader actually understood any subtle points in the story as well, serendipity! But if the reader came to the story came to the story before his (or her) level of maturity had reached that point where light bulbs suddenly came on, then it was up that reader to go back (later on) and reread the tale -- discover the buried treasure. THe point of all this rambling is just to say that I think you might want to revisit these Ellison tales later on in life (quite a bit later, if you are as young as you sound in print). You'll appreciate them more -- and you'll more than likely "get" the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) points behind stories and teleplays like "Pulling Hard Time, "Midnight In the Sunken Cathedral," "The Function of Dream Sleep (think you mentioned this one in another, much earlier, post)," "'Nackles," "The Man WHo Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore," and on and on. Speaking from experience, if I were you I'd just sit back, enjoy the story, forget the analysis, and not worry too much if an epiphany doesn't take place. You've got time on your side. Out here, DTS (just another old fogey).

Does anyone get The Discovery Channel (maybe just in Canada)? I got an email from someone saying they saw a show on Discovery celebrating the 20th anniverisy of Star Wars with a bit where HE says he wouldn't trade the worst five minutes of Raiders of the Lost Ark for the entire Star Wars trilogy. Anyone see that show? I also saw Lost World: Jurassic Park. I give it a 2 out of 10.

Anybody who wants to be my neighbor can feel free to phone me. My number is in the book, but of the two listed there mine is the one NOT in Russian Hill.

I got around to reading the "Nackles" teleplay from SLIPPAGE. (I have yet to read the orignal story by Donald Whathisname.) I thought it was a very well written teleplay (usually I can't be bothered with HE's teleplays; I still haven't read the "Flint" teleplay from THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON)---but this was a short teleplay and read just as well as a short story, very easy to read and follow. I could visualize all of it, no problem. It that sense---the visual sense---I thought it was very well written, extremely well written. But there was no story to it. I could summarize the whole thing in 3 sentences. I didn't see what the big deal. With special effects and spooky music, just the right kind of lighting all all that, it could stir up some feeling---in the visual medium. But on paper, there didn't seem to be much to it. Next. Does anybody know if quoting the first 3 paragraphs from "She's a Young Thing..." would infringe on some copyright laws? I love the opening to the story so much that the next day I printed the first 3 paragraphs and kinda put it in my scrapbook. I have those 3 paragraphs on disk, so it would be no problem to post them to the page here. DOC, I find certain portions of the story to be very intimate and personal and honest, at least the way he wrote it, that's how it sounds (that verisimilitude HE's has often talked about)---but that sense of verisimilitude isn't there once he gets into the family of cannibals stuff, Sawney Beane, whatever. Anyway, I'd still love to quote those first 3 paragraphs.

SUE -- easy on them breasties, kiddo. PHILLIP -- if it's any consolation to you, HE wasn't especially impressed with "Chatting With Anubis," either. If I remember correctly, HE said he knocked it out in a couple hours; this, while other stories, for which he sweat bullets, get a "Hmm. Very nice, Harlan. Carry on." I know what you mean about "She's A Young Thing,..." though. I think it's a fine story, but it doesn't seem as intimate, as personal, as some of his other work. FYI, I thought it interesting that HE would go for that particular premise, since Sawney Beane et al were debunked mucho many years ago as THE original 'urban legend.' Meanwhile, he's Ellison, and I'm just a furshtugginer nebbish who's waiting to hear back from F&SF on his first submitted story to that magazine. Big kisses -- Doc

Pay no attention to that little man behind the curtain! I AM OZ! Aw, the hell with it, found out is found out, and that's what I is. Dang. Yes'm, that IS what makes HE one hell of a writer -- his work, across the board, hits everybody someplace, to some extent. What I'm talking about, though, are the stories that hit you mid-sip and make milk come outta yer nose; or give you funny dreams; or are hard to finish in the first place, let alone re-read, because they carve so goddamn close to the bone, and you can't give it words yourself. Those stories that REALLY say, "You are not alone." It's great to "see" all of you again. Things are pretty grim for me, right now (the snail-mail cometh, Sue), so please, humor me and show a few soft spots, guys -- 'kay? KEVIN KIRBY: we might be neighbors. Can I look you up in The Book, maybe get together for coffee and genuine conversation? Sue can assure you, I'm no axe-murderer. I'll try to make it back soon, gang. Play nice -- Doc

OOOPS!!! *ALEX* not allen *ALEX* not allen (bad fingers..) sorry

DOC!!!! *hug, hug* 'scuse me... sorry for the outburst.. Gee, sure wish I knew who that fogged faced incognito guy was... (;-) ... and as for that question which HE stories tug at what parts of my anatomy - so far, he's had a story for darn near every bit, from the happiest and silliest, to the saddest and most painful.. That's why I consider him a great writer. I can agree with Phillip that not every story hits home - but I'm not sure that we agree on the percentages.. Most stories "hit" something to some degree. And the few that don't... well, put it down to having several "differences in body parts"... (;-) ... *DTS* thanks for the EW3 info. Gives me something to do to keep me out of trouble until Slippage: the cheapie affordable Trad Edition comes out. *grin* *ALLEN* gotta agree with you - while the window idea sounds good (appeals to the curiousity - how *does* HE DO that??) - the reality of an IRC type forum is that they are geared for short and shallow. If anyone else tried to follow HE's online chat from that Con a while ago, it was pretty obvious that what HE had to say takes too long for the short-attention-span crowd, and things quickly side-tracked into abusive harassment (both ways - HE gives at LEAST as good as he takes.. heh heh), that the point HE was making... well, what was it?? I read the transcript several times - and *still* am confused... Somehow, I don't see HE creating literature in an environment where he couldn't even have a civil conversation.. And other than that - how was the show Mrs. Lincoln?? And *PHILLIP* keep up the good deed, sharing your Slippage experience with your poorer buddies.. It's really whetting the appetite..

Mr. Kirby: You know, I like the idea, but I fear it would, in practice, turn into something like a scene from George Alec Effinger's "What Entropy Means To Me". Failing that, perhaps something like the Monty Python skit in which thousands gather to watch Thomas Hardy write. First, you would need one hell of a thick-skinned author; would YOU suffer the feeble comments of some newbie looking for #teensex? Even the incisive, intelligent comments could grow grating after a while. Next, you'd have to reconfigure IRC so that the author's keystrokes ran herd over all of the incessant "Hi, AwThor1!"s to which even the most intelligent IRC channel is heir. Lastly, I would have to nix this suggestion for the reason that I KNOW it cannot work: Were it not for my own IRC addiction, I'm fairly certain that I'd have finished my novel by now. As it is, I've only set 60,000 words to paper and need to yank the rest from my head. All things aside, it WOULD be a nice, if generally unproductive, ego boost for whichever author is chosen ... Hmmm ... maybe I should announce my OWN contention in time for the next novel ... Heh.

Let me just say that I'm glad Harlan didn't cancel this web page, and from all available evidence he appears able to tolerate its continued presence in the electronic matrix. While engaged in "conversation" with some of the SF authors who appear regularly in Martha Soukup's Head Space forum, I forwarded the idea of a live writing session along the lines of the legendary store-front appearances of Mr. Ellison, but actually occuring on a moderated IRC channel. Then, of course, we thought "wouldn't it be great if Harlan himself did something along those lines?" Imagine a site where you could see a great author writing a story before your very eyes, and even send comments while it occurred. Why isn't somebody already doing this, I wonder? Hey, mention this to Harlan. It would be a great show; especially if it went on daily for years and years.

FYI: meant to add this earlier: Donald E. Westlake has a new novel that is just out in the stores (those folks who bought the limited edition of SLIPPAGE will know that Westlake is the guy who wrote the story entitled "Nackles," which was turned into an equally brilliant teleplay by Mr. Ellison). Westlake's new book is THE AX, a brilliant satire on the corporate world and the increasingly desperate American workforce (for those who think in Hollywood tersm: think "Network" meets "Psycho"). That's definitely all! -- DTS.

FYI: found EDGEWORKS: VOl. 3 in a Barnes & Noble today (ISBN# 1-56504-962-4 for those of you who need to have your local bookstores order a copy). If your local store hasn't got a copy yet, don't be surprised. The publicity person at White WOlf didn't even know it was out yet (he was still waiting to see a copy). Apparently, they are still suffering a few SNAFUs since the recent reorganization. That's it. -- DTS.

Y'know, it's good to be back, if only for a drop-in visit. Who am I? Well, that's for you to guess. The Old Crowd shouldn't have much trouble, and no fair looking in the archives to check syntax! Good to see that so many of the old participants are still, um, participanting: Barney, Bill, WolfMistress, Sue, and Phillip (you still have those rocketship underoos? Sorry -- you were waxing a little pedantic, and I couldn't resist). Feh. I don't feel very terrific. That's the thing about e-mail, though: it's faster than letter-writing, cheaper than telephones, and less demanding than Suicide Hotline. Anyway, kiddles, here's a little something to keep you busy contemplating -- especially since no-one mentioned Unca Harlan's birthday. Phillsie said that when HE nails it, he nails it good: so what does that mean to you? For me, HE hits all my sore spots, my sweet spots, my open wounds. Not every story, but after 40 years, there's a prodigious number of stories that DO. "Jefty," "On the Downhill Side," most of ANGRY CANDY, "All the Lies That Are My Life." You know what they are and what they tweak. That's my challenge: where does the Maestro touch you and why? Please feel free to indicate the body-part in question. Muchas Smooches

Still reading SLIPPAGE, a little bit at a time. I think I'm going to re-read "She's a Young Thing and Cannot Leave Her Mother." I read the first couple pages of it again today and could tell I didn't get it all the first time. I just finished "Chatting with Anubis" (from a Dream Corridor, I believe); I don't know what's so hot about that story. I suppose there's some profound idea behind it, but I don't get it. Harlan writes many different kinds of stories. Some of them are works of art, but others fit into the category I READ IT BECAUSE IT'S A HARLAN ELLISON STORY, BUT I PROBABLY WON'T READ IT AGAIN. I also read "Pulling Hard Time." I didn't think much of that one either, although I got more from it than "Chatting with Anubis." If I was a science fiction fan, I probably would have thought it was great. Here's the highlight from P.I. the other night... HARLAN: I'll tell you something. I was in O'Hare airport recently. And I washed my hands, I did my thing. Next to me was a guy who whipped his wand and then he started walking out. [ Laughter ] And so I said to him, "Hey, hey, hey!" And he goes, "What, what?" And I said, "Would you like to wash your hands instead of spreading germs?" He says, you know, "screw you" is basically what he told me. [ Laughter ] So I said, "Hey, king of the pig people, come back and wash your [ bleep bleep ] hands!" [ Laughter ] He walks out. I followed him down the [ bleep ] aisle. "This man did not wash his hands! Don't shake hands with this man!" [ Applause ]

Hey *ALL* - found this nifty URL with the entire transcript of that PI I missed with HE on it ...http://www.abc.com/pi/word/970521.html.... Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Okay, I've been reading more from SLIPPAGE. I've noticed that almost half of the stories were taken from the Dream Corridor comic books, so I've skipped over those for now. For me, the best thing I've read so far is the introduction. After that (as far as the fiction is concerned), the short story "She's a Young Thing and Cannot Leave Her Mother," not for the story as a whole but just for the opening pargraphs, which I love would to quote right now in their entirety to show anyone not familiar with HE why they should go out and buy SLIPPAGE as soon as it's out, but posting the first three paragraphs (a full page) from the story would probably infringe on some copyright crap---but let me tell you, folks, those 3 paragraphs were worth the $85 Canadian (HERC price) I paid for my deluxe limited editon of SLIPPAGE... Ah, screw it. Here's just a bit of it from the second paragraph to give you a taste: "I lay there and listened to the music, trying to snare just a wisp, even a scintilla, of the dream. It was the memory of something I was certain I'd lost among the ruins of the years that lay strewn behind me. Years in which Camilla and I had fled from place to place, neither citizens of a certain land nor citizens of the world: simply refugees whose most prominent baggage was fear." Now, that sounds alright, but you have to read it within context to really feel the full force or it. After awhile he flies off in a direction I didn't find very interesting, but in those opening paragraph, man, he nailed it. I think the main entry in the book is "Mefisto in Onyx," which I've already read twice from its Omni publication. I thought the teleplay to "Crazy as a Soup Sandwich" was kinda silly, more or less what I thought of the original Twilight Zone episode. As with most of Harlan's writing, I've enjoyed the non-ficiton essays the most: the intro ("The Fault in My Lines"), "The Deadly Nackles Affair," and "The Pale Silver Dollar," but there's not much point in commenting on any of this; I kinda have the feeling I'm talking to myself here. I'll see you all later when the book comes out.

Haven't had much to say lately, and I was also dissapointed that I didn't see the Politically Incorrect show on Wednesday. I have watched it at times, but that evening, sleep won out. Did Harlan Ellison make comment on Norman Mailer's new book about Jesus told in the first person narrative? I think this would have been an interesting topic for a writer. Do you think Mailer will be on some fanatics hit list? As for EW3, I have has my local Waldenbook store order it for me, because they did not have it on their regular list!!! I asked to order "Slippage", but they tell me I have to wait until it is officially released, so I will have to pester them until it arrives. Since I finished my class, I have been rereading the first two EW books, and have enjoyed the tomes one more time. Have to go now, JJCB

Don't believe 'em, Sue. With all due respect to keegen, the show was lame. And if you think 1 a.m. is bad, in the most easterly part of the continent where I'm living, P.I. comes on at 2:30 in the bloody morning.

I don't wanna talk about... :-( ... I *really* don't want to talk about it... PI was scheduled for !* 1AM *! our time, and I waited, and waited... and when I woke up, there was a test pattern where HE was supposed to be.... And NOW I hear it was a GREAT show... {:-( ... still.. Good to hear from you Keegan!! Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe (and don't forget to set the alarm clock..)

Harlan made me laugh several times during last night's PI. I especially loved the story about when HE noticed the guy next to him in the airport can didn't wash his hands after finishing his business. Harlan asked him about it; he ignored Harlan. Harlan then proceeded to follow him through the airport warning folks not to shake hands with the unsanitary one! That's our HE: ever on the forefront in the battle for good hygiene!

Well, you didn't miss much. I'm still watching the tape of P.I. as I'm writing this, about halfway through the last segement. So far HE hasn't really said much, but neither has anyone else. And, yes, he plugged SLIPPAGE and E.W.#3 and his Babylon 5 "book" (?).

Dagnabit felching hell! I just read that Harlan was going to be on P.I. just now, here, mere minutes after the end of the show. Of course, I was doing something few seem to be doing these days -- reading. God, if only to save our children (and provide a reasonably large market for my almost-finished book, hahah), we have GOT to start to return this country to a mindset where "reading" translates as "entertainment". Hell, had I known it was to be this bad, I would have ditched the dreams of being an author that I've had since I was three and gone into a more fertile job field -- television evangelism, perhaps; I don't know. Well, back to the editing (Summer or bust!) ...

Dave- Nope, different FemiNazi. This is a new show taped this afternoon. I havent seen it yet but Maher was on Snyder the other night saying that his first day off will be in two weeks, New FemiNazi, new attacks. I wonder if HE's plugging Slippage or Edgeworks 3? By the way, any1 got info ew3?

Well, it's 11:28 pm edt here, and I'm waiting for Harlan to appear on Politically Incorrect, assuming our host's news is accurate. Harlan commented on his appearance on that pathetic show and the reson it was a total fraud back at I-Con - I had assumed it had aired long ago. Finale is supposedly Harlan going after said (literal)FemNazi when she denounces a victim of McCarthyism, then says she read none of the guy's works, just the fax about subjects to be discussed on the show that night she had received the day before. VCR, get thy wheels in gear!

Has anyone been reading SLIPPAGE? I haven't had much time for it since I recieved it, but so far I've read the intro, the "Nackles" essay and "She's a Young Thing and Cannot Leave Her Mother"---I love the beginning and certain passages throughout, but I didn't like the way it turned in the end; it didn't do anything for me. I found the beginning of the story very compelling, one of the best openings to any story I've read in a long time (flowing prose reminiscent of "Susan"), but about halfway through it, the narrative takes off in a different direction with a different feeling, and then he lost me; I didn't care what happened after that. Something about some cannibalistic family in Scotland. I know most of Harlan's SF/Fantasy audience loves that kind of stuff ("cannibals, man; cool"), but I prefer it when he keeps it simple. I think Harlan's best stories are his most straight forward ones, the ones which are not so obviously fare for SF/fantasy publications.

Harlan appears in the most recent edition of HARPER'S. It's only an excerpt from the intro "The City on the Edge of Forever," but there it is.

TV ALERT! Harlan will appear on Bill Maher's TV show Politically Incorrect on Wednesday, May 21st. Maher's other guests will be motivational guru Tony Robbins, comedian Harry Anderson, and right-wing idealogue Heather Higgins (who will no doubt piss HE off greatly). Check your local listings for channel and time.

I don't have muh to say but the newest comment was from Thursday so I figured I may as well. According to BARNES AND NOBLE and BORDERS, edgeworks 3 should be out any time now and when I was Ellison at the Motor City Con he said it was sent to the press that week I figure it will be out Tuesday. ANyone with news? Also, anyone have any info on Dream Corridor Quarterly 2?

It was Nietzsche who said, "I love only what a man writes in his own blood." And Alan Watts once expounded, "Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your teeth." When it comes to the genius of Ellison my hands come away dripping of blood and I can hear the cracking of his enamel. He is a true unadulterated resevior of brillance, and I hope the well never runs dry.

Holy Mackinaw Joe. SLIPPAGE has arrived. (I have #536.) Just finished reading the introduction. Talk about nailing it. I'm speechless. Won't be getting much homework done tonight. Later.

Holy Mackinaw Joe. SLIPPAGE has arrived. (I have #536.) Just finished reading the introduction. Talk about nailing it. I'm speechless. Won't be getting much homework done tonight. Later.

Does anyone here know if HE will attend the Chicago ComiCon this July? He's not on the guest list, but Tony Isabella is. I'm told that's a good sign.

One problem might be the name. Hydrox sounds like the name of a detergent or something, not a rich, chocolaty treat.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I'm having a GREAT one - still in my bathrobe at 8:40 pm... Doesn't get any better'n THAT!!

I know all about cookies! Hydrox may certainly be found at the grocery store, but one should bear in mind how supermarkets divvy up shelf space. Companies pay money to place their products in the most advantageous position on the shelf to stimulate consumer impulse buying. A big company like Nabisco can afford to buy the space at eye level and fill the space with many, many types of their product. Something like Hydrox (made by the smaller Sunshine company, I believe) is likely to end up on a lower (or a way high) shelf where it doesn't attract as much consumer attention, primarily because the small company can't outbid the larger company for prime shelf space. So... if you're looking for a Hydrox, don't forget to look high and low because you probably won't find it in the middle. (By the way: I ate another confection associated with HE the other day: A Zero bar. Remember? They sponsored Mike Hodel's Hour 25. It was delicious, but no Clark bar, fer sure!). -/;>)

Ben -- grocery store?

Ben -- grocery store?

Ben -- grocery store?

News: Ozone hole is causing death of plankton. Science fear cascade effect. Increased UV radiation causing deformities in amphibians. Sharp decline in their populations has been found on large scale.

Had Hydrox cookies the other day. Delicious. Hard to find, though. Found them in a vending machine in Las Vegas of all places, but haven't bean able to find them since. Where does Harlan find his favorite cookie? Could he tell me?

PHILLIP (notice I used two L's this time): I read your previous post with interest; I think we might have similar views, but from different angles. Though I've been an SF fan for years (lifelong Asimov's subscriber), I was mostly one of those dolts whom HE is wont to berate: didn't notice author's name; never read much beyond the surface of a story; missed the nuances. Then in 1993 I read a story in Omni magazine's usually unbearable fiction section that simply floored me. "Mefisto in Onyx." I flipped back to page one to check out the author. Harlan Ellison. Oh yeah, isn't he the guy whose "I, Robot" script was published in Asimov's a few years ago? I began actively seeking HE's works, scouring libraries for his collections, etc. After a while I stopped counting the number of times I'd pick up a HE story and halfway into the first sentence think, "Hey, I remember reading this thing years ago in some magazine and it was great." "Count the Clock..." "Laugh Track" "Paladin..." "I Have no Mouth..." On and on. Most SF stories I forget immediately. But it seems like many many of the tales that made the greatest impact on me were by HE. So when HE nails it, it's one big mother of a nail, I'll tell you that. Anyway, thanks in large part to HE's work, I made the big step in life from simply BEING a dolt to actually REALIZING I'm a dolt. Who knows what leaps I might one day make if I keep guzzling his work--perhaps even leave doltdom behind. -- Billy D.

*SUE* I'm glad you're enjoying THE BEAST. I was sorting through all my books last week and discovered that I sold you my *only* hard-cover edition. But that's okay, I've got plenty to make me happy; I'm not a collector anyway. As long as I have a readable copy, good enough. And except for "A Boy and His Dog," I don't much care for that collection. SHATTERDAY-, STRANGE WINE - and LOVE AIN'T NOTHING BUT SEX MISSPELLED-like stories are more up my alley. Re: ANGRY CANDY. I'm not reading it at the moment. I listen to my "Paladin of the Lost Hour" cd from time to time, and occasionally my tape of "Prince Myshkin, and Hold the Relish," which makes me laugh (I didn't pick up on the humour when I first read it in ANGRY CANDY). Re: favourites. It's easy to pick my favourites from any collection because they're the one's I remember. It's been a few years since I've read ANGRY CANDY, and looking at the table of contents right now, there are only 4 stories which I can immediately recall: "Paladin," "Prince Myshkin," "Laugh Track," and "Stuffing." I wasn't very impressed by most of the stories in the collection. According to the little markings here in my book, the last 5 stories, in my opinion a few years ago, were a waste of time. I heard Harlan say a while back, when asked what were his favourite stories, he said something like, "The one's I haven't written yet. I've been doing this for 40 years, and I think now I'm just starting to get good at it." (Then I think he mentioned a few stories that he was particularly proud of; "Paladin" was one of them.) Maybe he was half-joking when he said that, but I more or less agree with him. When I look through all of HE's collections, none of them are really packed with great stories. For me, there are usually one or two that are outstanding (for instance, "Jeffty if Five," and "The Other Eye of Polyphemus," from SHATTERDAY; "Paladin," and I guess, "Laugh Track," from ANGRY CANDY; "Ernest and the Machine God," from OVER THE EDGE; "A Boy and His Dog," from THE BEAST; "Punky and the Yale Men," from LOVE... ---just off the top of my head), but most of the stories are pretty much forgettable, slightly entertaining perhaps, but ten minutes later completely forgotten, nothing in the initial experience of reading the story which would impel me to want to read it again. No doubt about it the man can write, but only occasionally does he really nail it. The rest of the time I think he's just getting by, appeasing the audience because they're easy to satisfy. I don't think I have overly-high standards. In his intro to DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH, Harlan recalls a quotation from Kafka: "I believe that we should only read those books that bite and sting us. If a book we are reading does not rouse us with a blow to the head, then why read it?" I always have a hard time recommending a HE book to someone who hasn't read him before. I can say read this story or that story, but the whole book? Well...? I've loaned out several of my HE books over the years, and I don't think I've turned a single person onto his writing. I'll say, "Did you read *this* story, or that one?" and the usual response is, "No. I read about half the stories and then gave up." I have heard this SO MANY times, it's depressing. I'll buy anything with Harlan's name on it, but nobody seems to understand why. And I can understand that. But I know better. I know that when Harlan DOES nail it, when he really shines, it's something you NEVER forget. And it's well worth the price of admission (my expensive limited edition of SLIPPAGE should be arriving by the end of the week).

LAUGH TRACK - loved it. Somehow, I feel so *cheap*, so _fickle_, so indecisive.. My favorite story (heck, favorite collection) of Ellison seems to be strongly anchored in whatever was the most recent read.. Changes with every read. *PHILLIP* Glad to hear from ya - and I can't understand how you can be so sure of an order of favorites.. A male thing?? A little obsessive thing kicking?? ... ];-p... It's only when I _haven't_ read any HE for a while that I can begin to guess favorites - simply by what comes to memory first.. You reading Angry Candy?? *KEEGAN* (aka Coogan, 5'3", small scars on wrists, works as teacher for cover) You're ALIVE!! *ALL* I'm re-reading The Beast (thanks again, Phillip). And I mean multiple readings of each story. Trying to do a review for Webderland that seemed like a good idea at the time.. (me an my Big Mouth - what? SUuuree.. I can do that.. ooooo.. welllll.. ummmmm.. maybe I can't...). Just wondering if anyone else who volunteered for a review is finding it as tough as I am to find insightful, intelligent things to say.. Is it just me, or is there a Whole Lot of any HE story that doesn't want to fit nicely into a synopsis?? And resents and resists being labelled and analyzed in a commentary?? And could this _possibly_ explain why there are so few reviews of HE works published (and quoted on the dust jackets)?? Or am I just a moron?? I keep having little "HE's Watching" flashbacks.. Am I going crazy?? ...or worse... turning into a FanBoy?? Sure would appreciate a little "you are not alone" here.. At the very least, for the company on the funny farm.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Just wanted to thank Mr. Ellison for his wonderful rant on the Rancho Santa Fe tragedy. His words gave me hope in a time of madness. How strange is it that the Sci-Fi channel has to air promos denouncing the tragedy, as if they were responsible for mass suicide and genital mutilation. Mr. Ellison was right on the money in saying that these sad disturbed people had no idea of the value of human life. Thank you Mr. Ellison PS Loved your Sinatra story on Tom Snyder

I loved "Laugh Track", too. I've always been fascinated by the different types of laughs on laugh tracks. When I was a kid, I swore that they used the same canned laughter on "Gilligan's Island" and some other show, I can't remember now. It was a big deal and I used to tell my sister, "No, listen! Don't you hear? Those are the same voices!" Maybe one of 'em was the aunt. Anyway, I just really loved that story. It was so creative (like, uh, DUH!).

"Laugh Track" is my second favourite story from ANGRY CANDY, "Paladin of the Lost Hour" being #1. After that I'd pick "Stuffing," because, as with "Laugh Track," the idea of the story is *so* cool, ya gotta love it. (And the writing ain't too bad either.)

Hey all. Quit with the fighting or I'll stop this car right now. Anyway, I see my Guest Rant has passed on. Thanks all for the support while it had it's moment or two. Maybe some time soon I'll get another done. (Nah?) Anyhoo, the sequel to my latest Guest Rant will probably be found in TCV's 100th Installment Collector's Edition. For more info you know where to find me. Until next time...

While browsing in the bookstore yesterday, I saw a series entitled something like "Best Fantasy of the Century," in which each volume is devided by decade, like "Best Fantasy of the 1990's" etc. In the 1980's decade, HE's "Laugh Track" is one of the stories. Strange, though, is that the cover appears to be from an Octavia Butler book, yet I saw no Butler story in the contents. Enjoy -- Billy D.

Unless, of course, you're talking about THIS PARTICULAR COMMENTS PAGE, in which case please send me a tag you consider more appropriate and I will take your suggestion under advisement. This has been a paid political announcement.

Andy, the yellow on black you decry is actually an exact copy, resolution allowing, of the page colors on "The Essential Ellison". You probably either have your desktop set to 16 or 256 colors or you have some cheap-ass Samsung monitor. In any event, if you've got a better background, I'll be happy to try it out. I can receive binaries encoded Mime, BinHex, or UUencode.

I've enjoyed discovering the Ellison homepage et al, as I am a long time fan of the mans' writing, but for god's sake, YELLOW on BlACK??!! Are you trying to make us poor nearsighted bookworms go blind? (or blinder than we already are...) Consider this a vote for a more readable colour scheme. Thanks.

Yeh, my SLIPPAGE is on the way. Just got my bill from Ziesing today. $85 Canadian, but what the hell---how often does HE release a new collection, once every 7 or 8 years? I think I can afford that.

DTS -- I will try not to make any excuses, but I had started that rant as a defense of my friend and her choice to ride motorcycles, which it appeared you were disparaging. Thanks to the 'emotionless' tone of this medium, your remarks about walking came across like you thought you were some great high saviour of the environment for doing so and those of us who didn't as regularly were the worst form of low-life. Well, that's the way it reads to me! ;>) Go back and read over it calmly and quietly. You'll see what I mean. Anyway, It's over and done, and I haven't looked at the 'Wanted' part in ages, and you really should have an email address if you are going to partake in public discussion! (How's that for all in one breath!) Apologies for the vicious tone, but I still meant what I said.....! There are several free web-based mail services available if you're interested. Use any reliable search engine and look under "free email". You would be surprised at how much free stuff there is out here! SUE -- Sunfire & Rainbows is back! It will be a page in the whole site named Elysian Rosebuds (for my Mom). Angelfire (a free web-site service) overhauled their whole site and I decided to have my more or less 'public' web site there. My private (and much larger) web site (which I will be paying for) will be on Illuminati Online as soon as I finalize all plans. RICK -- yeah, the guilty parties know who they are. (blush, blush) Glad to see you are still alive and well. Will keep an eye out for more HE sightings.

DTS -- I will try not to make any excuses, but I had started that rant as a defense of my friend and her choice to ride motorcycles, which it appeared you were disparaging. Thanks to the 'emotionless' tone of this medium, your remarks about walking came across like you thought you were some great high saviour of the environment for doing so and those of us who didn't as regularly were the worst form of low-life. Well, that's the way it reads to me! ;>) Go back and read over it calmly and quietly. You'll see what I mean. Anyway, It's over and done, and I haven't looked at the 'Wanted' part in ages, and you really should have an email address if you are going to partake in public discussion! (How's that for all in one breath!) Apologies for the vicious tone, but I still meant what I said.....! There are several free web-based mail services available if you're interested. Use any reliable search engine and look under "free email". You would be surprised at how much free stuff there is out here! SUE -- Sunfire & Rainbows is back! It will be a page in the whole site named Elysian Rosebuds (for my Mom). Angelfire (a free web-site service) overhauled their whole site and I decided to have my more or less 'public' web site there. My private (and much larger) web site (which I will be paying for) will be on Illuminati Online as soon as I finalize all plans. RICK -- yeah, the guilty parties know who they are. (blush, blush) Glad to see you are still alive and well. Will keep an eye out for more HE sightings.

*RICK* Ummmm... I guess that means *me*... But nice to hear from you. And the Bauman art is GREAT! *BILLY D* Thanks for the rundown on the Sci-Fi Vortex business. It was listed as "War Room" in our local TV guide, and I didn't have a clue.. So I'll have to catch it on the next go round. Sigghhh.. *KEEGAN* Glad you're still with the living.. and Say-No-More Say-No-More.. Until the new threaded forum I suppose. *PHIL* Everyone I write to (or who posts in a forum I Lurk), who lives in Canada, is asking the same question.. Guess there is an answer in that.. Back to the trenches (re-reading The Beast - and still loving it). Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe (ps - the bike is back! better than ever! WAAA-HOOO!)

Has anyone in CANADA recieved the ltd. ed. SLIPPAGE yet? For the past 2-3 weeks I've been hearing other people talking about the book, and I'm started to feel left out here. If mine doesn't arrive today, I might have to send Mark a message to make sure he hasn't forgotten me. I *hate* hearing other people talking about the book when I haven't recieved it yet.

HE appeared in the "war room" portion of SF Vortex on the Sci-Fi channel this weekend, so here's a quick rundown of the show for anyone interested. In general HE repeated most of the same points he's been hitting lately: the difference between science fiction and sci-fi; the sad state of science fiction movies; the Rancho Santa Fe gang. Some good points of humor did pop up, however, as you might expect with our Mr. Ellison. First, the host introducted HE as the most controversial man in SF today, and a guy "who has more writing awards than Captain Kirk has women." HE seemed to appreciate the good-naturedness of the remark and laughed with a smile. When asked to name a standard bearer among science fiction movies of the 90's, HE replied "I, Robot," if someone would just make the thing. Other members of the panel (JMS, Babylon 5 creator; and Yvonne and Herb Solow, writers of a new Star Trek book--Herb also was the guy who hired Roddenberry for Desilu in the 60's) agreed that there was no good science fiction movie from the 90's. At one point I thought censorship was going to read its ugly butt when HE started in on a rant calling studio heads "know-nothings" and the host quickly jumped in saying, "This seems like a great time to break for a commercial." But after the return from a few Psychic Hotline ads, HE was allowed to continue. JMS chimed in, "I agree with Harlan, but that's my job." HE also recounted how he used to stand outside Herb Solow's window at Paramount and yell, "Herbie, Sweetie, can you come out and play? Will your mommy let you come out and play?" At the show's end, the host told HE that "The Resurgence of Miss Ankle Strap Wedgie" was the best SF story he'd ever read. Harlan kind of rolled his eyes at one of these "adoring fan" type comments. I second WolfMistress' earlier comment here that HE looks really great. Over the past year, whenever I've seen him on TV, I've always thought that he was a man who had aged beyond his years. But this weekend he looked more like a middle-aged guy with grayed hair. It's super to see his body showing some of the old vigor. -- Billy D. (Note: all quotes in this message are approximate, based on the feeble state and short retention period of my few, lethargic brain cells.)

Re: On-topic comments. I'm not going to run herd over this board, I expect it to be a self-policing forum as it is not my intention to censor traffic unless absolutely necessary. As soon as we get to a stable Windows NT platform for the web server at Menagerie, I will have a multi-topic threaded forum with one of the forums specifically for personal discussion. IN OTHER NEWS, you might check out the web page, specifically the new Jill Bauman section of the gallery, a new guest rant, and some news entries. I should have a links update, more quotes, and a rant of my own up next week, time is short this week.

Just a note to let y'all know I'm alive and lurking. Been busy (and to those waiting for a tape: it's coming, it's coming. Now you know why I don't make noise about the extensions of Harlan's release dates!). Went to New York on Thursday. Caught two sets at the Vanguard (my first time, believe it or not. A personal Haj of sorts) then spent the rest of the night (till 6 am Friday) at jam sessions. I sang a little and attracted VERY positive attention. The musicians were very kind to me and one in particular, a drummer of some stature on the NY scene, took it upon himself to show me a good time by taking me to Small's and introducing me around. I don't think a musician could ask for better welcome than I received that night. Anyway, I'm okay and my dreams are coming true (fortunately, not the nightmares). I probably won't get with Harlan again until summer. Even Cookie Coogan takes a break to hang poolside with a good book! I'll talk Ellison with ya then. Gone!

FYI: as apologia for the past few postings (involving little, or no, Ellison type info: Harlan Ellison will be appearing with Walter Koenig (as "Bester") in "THe Face of the Enemy," a Babylon 5 episode slated to run between June 6th and June 12th. Ellison will also play a Psi-Cop. (Got the info in a HERC mailing). That's definitely all, now. -- DTS

WM: Actually, I don't have an e-mail address readily available (sometimes I use my wife's when she lets me). And as far as the intials -- no hiding invovled there, I just hate to have to type out Dorman Truett Shindler -- DTS is easier (since I'd made a few postings in the "Wanted" section of this page, using the whole moniker, I boneheadedly assumed most regulars had run across them). And (this is meant SINCERELY, not sarcastically): I don't ask for your respect...just your forbearance when I'm typing notes to another visitor of this page (thereby saving us both from blowing impolite steam off at one another). Out here, DTS.

I have no respect for a person who will hide behind initials and no email address when responses are better done in private, rather than on a public forum. I used a public forum because that is all I was allowed, and I _will_ respond publicly or privately, when the need arises. End of that topic! HE has been seen on SciFi Channel in this week's Masters of Fantrasy series when they did a superb overview of Arthur C. Clarke's life and writings. HE popped up several times at various points in the presentation giving his opinions of Clarke, his visionary expertise, and his books. HE was also seen briefly on The Buzz giving his usual (and tiresome) rant about alleged alien abductees and an article in the most close-minded publication in the universe -- The Skeptical Inquirer -- that if everyone were to be believed there are 3.5 million abductees in the USA alone. He then went on to name the 10 most fascinating scientifc mysteries which were given in an issue of Discover Magazine a couple years ago, saying that these were more mysterious and fascinating than the alien abduction or the reasons therefore. One thing, Harlan looked a LOT better than he did on previous Buzz appearances. He was looking pretty old and ragged there for awhile, but it appears that Susan has worked her unique magic on getting him to rest or whatever. He was looking very spritely and a lot younger than he did before. All the lines and pain were gone from his face and his eyes had that old Ellison sparkle in them again. Good. I'm glad he's doing better. No matter what he claims to believe or not believe, Harlan is still slaying his dragons _his_ way.

I have no respect for a person who will hide behind initials and no email address when responses are better done in private, rather than on a public forum. I used a public forum because that is all I was allowed, and I _will_ respond publicly or privately, when the need arises. End of that topic! HE has been seen on SciFi Channel in this week's Masters of Fantrasy series when they did a superb overview of Arthur C. Clarke's life and writings. HE popped up several times at various points in the presentation giving his opinions of Clarke, his visionary expertise, and his books. HE was also seen briefly on The Buzz giving his usual (and tiresome) rant about alleged alien abductees and an article in the most close-minded publication in the universe -- The Skeptical Inquirer -- that if everyone were to be believed there are 3.5 million abductees in the USA alone. He then went on to name the 10 most fascinating scientifc mysteries which were given in an issue of Discover Magazine a couple years ago, saying that these were more mysterious and fascinating than the alien abduction or the reasons therefore. One thing, Harlan looked a LOT better than he did on previous Buzz appearances. He was looking pretty old and ragged there for awhile, but it appears that Susan has worked her unique magic on getting him to rest or whatever. He was looking very spritely and a lot younger than he did before. All the lines and pain were gone from his face and his eyes had that old Ellison sparkle in them again. Good. I'm glad he's doing better. No matter what he claims to believe or not believe, Harlan is still slaying his dragons _his_ way.

A manga artist by the name of Yoshihisa Tagami, a great fan of yours, made a certain manga, now turned anime called "GREY", which happened to be almost exact to your book "I have no Mouth, and I must Scream.". By any chance that both you and Y. Tagami met and talked about TOY (from "GREY"), and AM (from "I have no Mouth, and I must Scream".). And was there any other, anime/manga that you enjoyed.

*WOLFMISTRESS* I _truly_, *really* meant to convey my hopes for a QUICK ENCORE of the REMISSION.. No sarcasm intended. It caught my eye when I was reading Billy D's post.. Doggone it.. Looked almost nasty - and that was NOT my intent. I know that the sorts of surgeries hanging over your head can be downright torture if there are complicating factors (and not nice in the best of circumstances), and was thinking a remission is always nice.. Seems brevity is not only the soul of wit - but also a source of misunderstanding.. (is this a shameless justification for being a long-winded Mouthy Sort??).. Appologies (she says beet-red with embarassment) for any unintentional offense. *BILLY D* Yeah, I keep rooting around, trying to find that "perfect" energy source. Thought solar was the answer - til I realized *I* live in the state with the least annual days of sunlight - and most of the sunlight we *do* get is in the summer, when what I'm looking for is Heat in the Winter.. Then I thought GeoThermal! Until I realized THAT works when you live on a fault line in a volcanicly active area (OUCH!!). Oh, Wind Power - but we would have to double the size of the property and fill it with windmills to get anything out of the wimpy little breezes we get (don't sell many sailboats around here..). Fellow down the way put in a hydro-electic dam on a creek that runs through his property.. Free electricity!! 'Cept the dam cost more to build and maintain than any 'savings' (by a wide margin), so now he's trying to get licensed to sell electricity locally to recoup part of the cost - and leaning Hard on neighbors to Get In On It.. I never was too keen on nuclear - and the string of "problems" from 3 Mile Island, through Chernobl, to the most recent in Japan hasn't done much to calm my fears. About all I can say at this point is that gas and electricity is better than coal and woodburning, and there doesn't seem to be a lot on the drawing boards that's as effective. Darn.. But - I'm always interested in New Stuff with potential.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Sue, yeah I guess I wouldn't be fair if I didn't admit that automotive use of hydrogen presents the biggest problem. Current hydrogen cars have a short refueling range. For heating and electricity, though, hydrogen is just wonderful. No problems at all. I guess motorcycles, though, won't be for some time down the road. On another front, I'm still trying to confirm the SciFi (or is it Sci-Fi?) Vortex info I heard. I'll let you know. I originally read it in an E-mail from JMS to a Babylon5 fan saying that JMS and HE would be appearing on Vortex together. JMS is usually pretty reliable--although he did claim that Harlan was going to write a Babylon5 episode as a sequel to "Demon with a Glass Hand," but HE now says it ain't gonna happen. -- Billy D.

Well, Boy Howdie!! Take a little time off for Puppy Training, and EVERTHANG happens! Yes, thank you, puppy is officially Housebroken!! Has also learned what not to chew and bite.. And is doing pretty well at "Come" - if there aren't *too* many distractions.. *BILLY D* - Funny you should mention Hydrogen fueled bikes.. The Engineering School at U. of Mich. down the road had a go at that a few years back.. And it turned out that the State of the Art Technology required a Van to cart around the necessary stuff.. So they're doing solar powered cars now.. With some success, I might add.. But nothing more on Bikes.. Sighhh. I liked the "price" of fuel on solar.. *WOLFMISTRESS* - Welcome back! And, hey.. Hope that remission makes an encore! And quick. *JIM* - Cool!! And you're gonna offer it to Rick for the Webderland Review Section... right??... so none of us have to embarass ourselves writing something that will pale in comparison.. right??.. OK, so I'm _lazy_.. What of it?? *ALL* I'm usually the last one to know the when and where of HE's comings and goings.. But sure do appreciate being kept informed.. So what IS the deal with "Sci-Fi Vortex"?? And how did HE ever wind up featured on a Skiffy Channel?? And speaking of emissions, why is there absolutely NO correlation between aroma and sound when people "poof"??? It would be a benefit to all mankind to receive a 'force' warning.. Always questions.. Sighhh.. Back to the Poop Patrol.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

WM: It's been a tough week, so patience is short. I'm sure that Sue took my ribbing in the manner it was meant to be taken. But thanks for that interjection. ANd I'm glad to see you have decided to keep a stiff upper lip and not whine or complain in public about your ongoing problems. -- DTS

Rumor has it that HE will be appearing on the SciFi Channel's "SciFi Vortex" soon. If anyone has details, I'd be pleased to have 'em, otherwise I'll keep y'all posted as I learn more. -- Billy D.

DTS & Others of a Like Mind: You know, I'm glad for you. I really am. It must be wonderful to be able to go through 10 pairs of shoes in a year just from walking. I wouldn't know. Because for the last 20 years, movement of any kind from the hips down causes me pain so exquisite in so many places it may become pleasurable before I leave this life! As of this writing, I need a hip replacement, a titanium rod inserted in my spine to help keep the vertebrae from collapsing more than they are, and an entire implant in what used to be my right lower leg and ankle (ankle is long gone; bolts, rods, & a jazzy assortment of pins holds the leg to the foot these days --- and they are coming loose). Why? Because at the age of 26, after growing up on a working farm, being one hell of an athlete all the way through school and lettering in track, I discovered I had some genetic bone disease that didn't even have a name then, by the simple expediant of my ankle shattering to bits when I stepped off a sidewalk! I have stepped off a sidewalk and broken 4 bones in my other foot -- just trying to WALK, the way I used to RUN! After over 2 dozen operations, 20 years of not once being without pain, and the determination that the betrayal of my body will NOT stop me, the doctors found a name for my problem - basically it is a rare form of osteoporosis aggravated by advanced degenerative arthritis -- in a body that was way too young for it then, and was in the peak of health. At 47 now, it is once again in an "active" phase after being in remission for a few years. I would LOVE to be able to walk like I used to, I would love to play a volleyball or softball game like I used to. I would love to wake up some morning an be able to MOVE without gritting my teeth and starting the day with a fight to stay sane! I still walk a few blocks now and then, before the hips give out and I lean on my cane like someone twice my age, praying for somewhere to sit for a few minutes. I DRIVE because I have no choice - my job is in Milwaukee; I live in Madison (75 miles to the west) and am currently staying in a Milwaukee suburb during the week until I can arrange moving, and because I enjoy driving. As a country kid from the word go, no one could be more of an environmental advocate than I am. But your self-righteous come back to Sue about her bike-riding just pushed me over the edge. So you walk. Big damn deal. I just hope that someday you don't look back on all that walking with the desperation and longing of one who has lost something precious forever -- and will succeed anyway, if I have to crawl on my hands and what's left of my knees to do it!

Sue and DTS (and All), since you're discussing emissions, I'll take a non-HE minute to push my personal environmental cause here: switching to hydrogen fuel. Guess what you get when you burn hydrogen: water. Guess how you produce hydrogen: shine sunlight on water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen can be transported just like natural gas, through pipelines, and equally as safely. States like Utah, Arizona, etc. could become as rich as Saudia Arabia. This is truly the zero-emissions fuel. Electricity, automotive, home heating--all can be done with hydrogen fuel. It would take about 25-40 years to convert the infrastructure here in the USA. Eliminate pollution. Save the environment. End dependency on foreign oil. If you've never pestered your elected federal representatives for anything, this is the one to harp on. -- :sermon-off Billy D.

Well, folks, as I promised awhile back the review of EDGEWORKS, Volume One was finally published. But...with a few problems (in my opine). Seems the good folks at a certain newspaper thought they knew better and rewrote a certain percentage of what I wrote. (The same mentally, apparently, as Tipper Gore, who would have loved to leave an oily handprint on Michaelangelo's David while it was under construction.) Anyway, long story short: If you want a copy of the printed version and the original text, e-mail me and I will give you the details. Until next time..

DTS - Appology accepted, since you're obviously still dealing with the trauma that loss of a bike causes... ];-)... As for the guns, well.. I'm the card-carrying ACLU, Audubon, WWF member of the family... Have to take the guns up with the NRA life-member Hubby (we *believe* in division of labour..) I just eat Bambi (no Thumpers, don't like the flavor). Got no desire to own a gun. Do believe in my constitutional right to defend myself, though.. I can envision myself protecting my home and family from an invading foreign army (Canada??), rolling their tanks and whatnot around the ruts and potholes to capture our place (no doubt for the stategic significance of being smack between where nothing is, and where no one wants to be, and WWII Vet Admin Housing subdivision 'lowest bid' technology).. What I can't envision is holding off the invasion with a handgun, rifle, or shotgun.. I want one of those cute little trailors with a dozen Patriot missles on it.. Maybe a tasteful Stinger Launcher propped up on the porch.. This is the sort of talk that gets me into trouble with the local Militia Types (Michigan Militia is BIG here).. They don't get the humor.. And when they _do_ - they don't like me any more.. The Ever Unpopular Liberal strikes again.. And so there is no mistake about it - I'm drooling over the *thought* of a Ziesing Edition Slippage.. Even checked it out. Lessee.. $55 with the HERC discount + $5 S&H + $10 HERC dues, and that's.. $70!!! Admittedly inexpensive for a book.. Since the Baby Boy's books for College average $50 a book, and there are never less than 6 of them a semester (English major is a *killer* for book costs).. And there's the rub.. Seems life is full of trade-offs. For the next 2-3 yrs., we remain Working Poor in the eyes of the IRS, and just plain POOR according to our bank.. But the kid is getting an education. Come to think of it, so are *we*, but not the kind that results in diploma's.. So have a heart, and don't rub my nose in it.. It's already a sore spot. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Sue: I used to ride a bike (it was a small one -- 300cc, tops, I think)in my college days (back in Texas, where one had to drive 31/2 hours just to reach the corner store -- so don't pull the old "I live in 'farm country' and nothing's within walking distance" routine -- you're typing to an ex-flatlander -- and yes, I WALKED, a lot, after the bike bit the dust). Can't remember what kind it was though, cause it died after some drunk lady knocked me and it for a loop that lasted 254 feet (just short of a touchdown). So I knew I'd raise your hackles a bit (since you are a "bike" person) when I mentioned air polllution/emmissions, etc. Sounds like you've got an economical and environmentally sound machine -- however, it STILL does contribute to the ozone problem (by the way, that was a blanket statement about all Amurricans, in general; myself, included, although I've been reforming quite admirably this past year [I've gone through nearly 10 pairs of shoes!]; so it wasn't meant as a personal indictment). Oh yeah: you're right. I don't know (the exact) date of when hunting (deer or fowl) season begins -- but all I have to do is ask one or the other of my brothers (one of whom is a taxidermist). Like you, they also weild guns in a society already too crowded with instruments of death (now THAT oughta getcha started)! So maybe you could trade one of those bunny blasters in for good read (SLIPPAGE - available from ZIESING BOOKS -- cheap!). Whattya say? Thats all for now (from K.C., MO, surrounded by wildlife, farmers, John Deere tractors, crops of every sort and all sorts of "city slicker" stuff), DTS.

DTS - thanks for the info and price.. I'm not so sure about being grateful for the lifestyle critique. My bike is less than a tenth the bio-hazard of a car, costs a total of $200 a year to run, cost $500 to buy, and will run forever. It has no "doo-dads" other than what safety demands and being a utility vehicle requires. Out here in the farmlands of small town USA transportation is a necessity - they don't have sidewalks, buses, or mass transit to bridge the miles to town where all the little necessities of life are located (like food, medical centers, pharmacies, schools, etc.), and 'walking to town' could take the better part of the day (I guess the walk home would make it a Weekender). The bike is the most eco-friendly and economical (if somewhat 'uncomfortable' in the winter) means of getting around. We got rid of the car as soon as the kids moved out - cost too much. Cars can't take the punishment bikes do on those lovely scenic (and low priority maintained) county roads. NOW, I can *afford* to wait for the cheap trade edition to come out and have one of my very own, rather than hope (and hassle) the local librarian so there will be one to check out for 2 weeks.. C'mon, DTS.. admit it.. Never seen anyone drive a John Deere cab tractor to town for a beer, haveya??.. Don't see dead deer tied down to vehicles with bungees, do ya?? You're a CitySlicker aincha??.. Betcha don't even know the opening and closing dates of hunting and fishing seasons - or even that there's more than one kind.. S'Okay.. I was a CitySlicker, too, 20 years ago.. But it's generally not sound logic to assume that everyone has the same environment and lifestyle you do.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Sue: FYI: the 30,000 extra words in the Ziesing edition of "Slippage" include an essay detailing how some Network executives censored Ellison's teleplay("The Great Nackles Conspiracy"),the unproduced teleplay("Nackles", a short story by Donald Westlake(entitled "Nackles") which was the impetus for the aforementioned, and a second version of a story ("THe Pale Silver Dollar of the Moon..")which was altered for inclusion in an anthology entitled "The King is Dead (1994)." Besides all of that, the book includes some of the best design and artwork since Ziesings edition of "Mefisto in Onyx." The book, dustcover and slipcase are works of art in themselves. Definitely worth the $75 (or $65, if you are a HERC memeber) cover cost. So quit being cheap, go sell one of your numerous motorcycle doo-dads (thereby cutting down on the amount of ozone depleting gases released day in and day out by Americans who are in too big a hurry -- or too lazy -- to walk now and then), buy yourself a copy of this beautiful Ziesing edition, and watch your stress factor decrease by a factor of five (the preceeding was an unpaid advertisment). Out here, DTS.

GEEEZ!! Everybody get their copy of Slippage, and decide to cozy up under the blanky with a flashlight?? Just to rub my nose in it?? Well, I'll be expecting LOTS of discussion on Slippage.. And I'll join in when the cheap trade edition hits the stands - and still not know what you are talking about half the time (30,000 word introduction?? Isn't that the size of a Whole Book??).. Must be finals time for the college crowd. And the rest of you have no excuse - other than what you post.. So POST!! Grrrrmmmbbmmml... Do I have to do it ALL *myself*?? Sheesh.. Is this a plot to _FORCE_ me to 'get a life'?? Waiter!.. Check, please.. This joint is deader than a Hare Krishna Airport Information Booth..

Mark Z. made it official today: Slippage 1) has shipped and 2) a very few copies of the signed/limited edition with 30,000 more words than will appear in the trade addition are still available. Order or forever hold your peace!

Thanks for the info *DTS*.. Now that you explain it.. I DO remember hearing about a collection of older, previously uncollected material due to be published at part of the Edgeworks series. Guess I just didn't catch the name, and got flummoxed when it came up - not connecting that a 'new' book would have to be published first on it's own - before it became part of the White Wolf Library project.. Siggghhh.. It's probably just as well I'm not a writer, and don't have to deal with all these confusing 'business' details.. Life in the shadow of the puppy continues (a rather confining shadow, since the beast is about 5" tall, and weighs all of a few ounces - hardly casts a shadow to live in..). And still no bike.. Mechanic broke his wrist Test Riding - the new model motorcross for sale.. Good thing for him the weather is so flaky - and crappy - or I'd be having hissies every hour on the hour.. As it is, I circle the house with a rag and bottle of rubbing alchohol correcting puppy oopsies, feeling like I'm *accomplishing* things.. Another 2 weeks..and puppy should be housebroken.. But it's gonna be a LOOoong 2 weeks.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

FYI: (SUE & anyone else wondering)"Rough Beasts" will be a collection of some of Ellison's early stories which (for one reason or another) were never collected (or haven't been in print for a long while). I believe they will be mostly "mainstream" or "crime fiction" type stories (of the type he wrote for "Manhunt," etc.) THe book will be a limited edition produced by THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP of HORRORS (you can write to Doug Lewis and get on a mailing list: c/o Little Bookshop..., 10380 Ralston Road, Arvada, CO., 80004). Since Mr. Ellison hasn't finished some introductory material (not surprising with all of his other projects, not to mention being treated like "human omelette" last year), the book hasn't gone to print yet. It is also supposed to be included in the White WOlf series, albeit, a little farther down the road. That's all. Out here -- DTS.

I believe that Rough Beasts is a projected book that got caught up in both HE's bad habits of announcing projects as completed books (I'm still awaiting Blood's a Rover and, for that matter, Dial 9 to Get Out) and his health. I hope it will exist - though it is down as a collection, and everything he's done lately *is* in Slippage, at least the Z edition, with its extra 30,000 words. As for the behavior of fans, at a gathering of some folks including the ICON people, I mentioned that I had met Harlan on several occasions, and considered him an empathic (overly so - and not willing to ever do anything to dress the burns he suffers from reading others), polite, open, honest and delightful person. Several folks threatened to kill me - after filling me with tales of how horrible a person Harlan is, the terrible things he's said to his fans, etc. What it came down to, when I got all the details, is that Harlan did all these things - after his allegedly caring readers had treated him like shit, hasseling him for no reason except to watch him explode all over them, etc. etc. etc. I do not care if Harlan stood up and named the city and hotel he would be staying at, and even some of the activities he and Susan planned to enjoy while vacationing, and that maybe others sprayed it all over the net. Then again, when seeing a Famous Person I do not know but might like to meet some day engaging in private activities like vacationing or walking the street, my first action is usually to turn and walk away, leaving said person alone. As a reporter, I happen to know one of the only honest politicians ever to come out of northern New Jersey - who eventually got out of serving the common good and went to work for a major bank. In part, he said, it was because he couldn't do anything anymore that he enjoyed. The last straw came, he told me, when he and his wife slipped out to an obscure restaurant in Manhattan for a possibly private dinner out. Five minutes into the meal, he was accosted by someone asking for a job. Harlan's work has gotten me through more than one bad spot in my life - most recently a now-subsiding 3-year vascular headache. I read his work and it helps. You expect me to blow his vacation? dmr

Hey, thanks for the Report on I-Con *DAVID*. You were nice enough not to mention where the Ellisons planned to vacate (??? too much puppy stuff!) - but the news is all over the Net.. Hope HE fibbed a little, and they are elsewhere while the fanboys circle an empty nest looking for easy pickin's.. Do like the discretion shown here, though. *ANYONE* (please..) So what's the deal with a book called "Rough Beasts" by HE, supposedly published in 1996?? Is this another one of those rumors?? GEEZ!! Sure Hope Not!! I wannit.. *ALL* I don't know why HE wouldn't know about Walter Koenig doing a revival of Star Lost - they're pretty good friends, aren't they?? But, hey... What would I know.. Maybe they aren't such good friends all of a sudden.. Maybe Star Lost has been restored to HE's origonal vision.. Maybe I *think* I know more than I _really_ do about HE.. It's those darned introductions HE writes for everything published.. I keep being fooled into thinking I *know* something about the man.. I gotta get that puppy trained quick, and get a life!! Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Hey All! Guess who is trying to live her life around a puppy's schedule?? Yup, Hubby decided 2 is not enough, and brought home a *teeny-tiny* just weaned Brittany, in the pocket of his bike jacket.. Seems the Mommy got run over on the freeway, and tough biker-dude _had_ to bring the puppy home. Well, it needed a Mommy, didn't it?? So *We Have Puppy*.. And I don't have a life for the next few weeks (til puppy can be trusted unsupervised in the house). Hubby named her Chakra - and she is a live wire.. May not sound like a lot going on here - but trust me on this - Puppies and kids are a lot of work, don't leave much time for anything else, and they're a *lot* of FUN.. Thank God puppies grow up faster than kids do.. So what's this got to do with HE, and this oh-so-focussed B-Board? HE had a dog. You got a problem with that?? ...];-)... So the expensive, limited edition Slippage is out.. I can only hope the cheap trade will be ready for the likes of me in a few months. Sigghhh.. Who knows, maybe it will be a double header, with Slippage and Edgeworks3 both available at the same time.. In time for my Birthday gift.. In the Fall.. When I can let myself be absorbed in reading a book without fear of puppy-piddle retribution for my inattention.. I guess that works. Is it just me, or does it seem that HE has become higher profile in the media lately?? Had someone ask me if I knew who that Harvey Emerson guy, who wrote about Heaven's Gate in Newsweek was.. Sighhh. Still the most famous and honored unknown writer in America.. But that's still more than what it's been for a while.. I keep wondering why that is - since HE isn't exactly shy.. He get's the label "Writer's Writer" a lot.. and I'm beginning to think it's because only other writers remember his name (for the most part).. Thoughts anyone?? Oh! The things that float to the surface when not much is riling the waters.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Ellisons at Stony Brook - Harlan and Susan were IMHO, highlights of the weekend at ICON-XVI convention. Looking tired only after a solid weekend of addresses, answering stupid panel questions and deliviering a stunning, though gravelly-voiced reading Paladin of the Lost Hour, Ellison made the show officially devoted to Babylon V, in terms of PR, anyway (see my previous post. Ellison did drive away small children at two points - once, during his comments, which led several parents to rush their kids out of the room, and once, with apologies, asking a woman with a crying infant to leave during the reading. Note; Two copies of Slippage were on site, only two known on the East Coast (one his) - it is off the press, beautiful and Mark Zeising is apparently in the process of shipping right now as quickly as he can get everything together and I wouldn't bother him if I were you and you ordered because your copy IS on its way and worth waiting a few more days for. White Wolf was taking advance orders for Edgeworks #3, promising release in a matter of three or four weeks. Harlan and Susan are currently taking their first vacation in many many years - he stated the location, I will not.

WRT The Starlost: You might want to check the posting date on that AOL section, ie, make COMPLETELY sure it's not dated 1/4/97 (or 4/1/97, or April 1, 1997, or 1st April, 97, etc, etc). Which, I suppose, we can only hope. :) JJ Mohareb

I found this posted in the Compuserve Science Fiction area: "A. F. Productions has announced they will be reviving the classic science fiction series The Starlost for the fall season with Walter Koenig reprising his guest star role as Oro in the opener. The rest of the cast will be all new actors." I doubt that H.E. has anything to do with this show, but I'd be interested to hear his comments on this enterprise. Shane

On second thought, maybe "kicks" is a better word than "elevates". Either way. Sometimes it takes a kick to get a butt to move on......

Hello all and Hail-Bop! I saw the comet last night from a balcony just before the big-band concert. I listened to Bill Mays play some of the most heartfelt music I've ever heard. Yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to sing with this man who accompanied many of the true greats and was instrumental in the creation of a record that changed my life: Mark Murphy's BOP FOR KEROUAC. I heard Harlan on the Buzz and I think I realized that I'm not really a fan. Sure, I've read my share of shlock but I've grown beyond it. I don't even read Science Fiction exclusively (in fact, hardly at all. I'm a magazine type chick during the school year). Anyway, I *am* a Harlan fan, I think mostly because his work elevates the soul rather than allowing it to reamain stagnant and ultimately despairing. Harlan, keep raging and make us swallow the hard answers. Maybe, it will make us ask the harder questions.

Sincere apologies for not noticing your comment earlier, DTS!!! The article HE was talking about is obviously the one you mentioned. I'll pay more attention in future, I promise.

HI! Thought I'd better drop a line or two on the Board, so no one thinks I joined a sect, died, or any of the weird things people are worrying about these days, and sends the Sherrif's to our door to check on me.. Guess that's one benefit of being a true non-conformist.. Or maybe being mouthy.. Of course, my ace in the hole is having no large amounts of money to make up for my many deficiencies - guarantees nobody, mainstream or otherwise is willing to 'put up with' me, so I am never in danger of belonging to the "wrong" group.. Or just about any group.. And, no - this is not aimed at the Heaven's Gate people. I personally feel they got the short end of the sh@tty stick while living, and certainly after their deaths. I'm still trying to figure out why Official Systems of Society are working so hard to portray them as somehow Evil, or at the least Crazy - when all the evidence shows they did all the stuff society likes us to do - work hard, pay bills and taxes, don't ask for anything, don't make waves.. You know, the stuff *I* keep being told I *should* do.. I keep wondering if anyone would have cared much, or even noticed, if they had done the same thing in 39 separate domiciles scatterred about several jursidicitions over a weeks time.. But we can all be thankful they were quiet and private enough to leave speculation wide open, and left LOTS of Loved Ones behind to publicize and sell their stories for them (yes, that is heavy sarcasm, liberally sprinkled with disgust).. Life is pretty busy.. That Spring thing is kicking.. All that stuff we put off Til The Weather Is Better suddenly came due all at once.. Anyone know if there is such a thing as WeedWhackers Elbow?? I think I may have it.. So far, the HighLight of Life is sitting around watching the fire in the backyard.. made up of all the parts of trees that fell down in the last ice storm, which we had to cut up and dispose of ourselves after the utility workers came around to put all the lines back up (and cut down extra branches and limbs for good measure). It does get all the neighbors out at the same time, so we can catch up over the back fences.. And see who is Weird, who might be in the news next week as part of a mass cult suicide, so we can all be on TV giving Insights.. I'm leading in the Weird category - but nobody can picture me taking orders from anyone without putting up a huge stink (and a bigger fight), and everyone pretty much agrees I'm more likely to be murdered than commit suicide - so the leading contender is that New Woman nobody knows anything about.. And now that the deadwood is burned away, there is an entire yard suddenly available and demanding attention. I'm supposed to pick up my bike tonight - so I will finally be independantly mobile. Good thing, too. Too many good riding days without a bike to ride make me surly.. Especilly since the last riding remembered was in winter conditions that were, shall we say, Uncomfortable.. I've begun to say thinly veiled threatening things about the situation - and in the interest of mental health (people worry about what will happen next when I turn 'ugly'), my bike suddenly got top priority.. So, if you thought I was spending too much time on Real Life up 'til now, just wait... I do promise to tag in, mouth off, and generally shore up the sagging egos of those, what needs re-assurance to feel superior, with my Dazzling Displays.. Nice to know you serve a purpose.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

I caught HE's special edition on SciFi Buzz last night. He explained that Time or Newsweek had asked him to do a piece commenting on the connection (!) between the beliefs of the Heaven's Gate UFO stuff and science fiction. HE treated the request as it deserved -- with flaming scorn. He gave them an article, he said, that had been severely toned-down for public consumption, and was giving the original response on The Buzz. It was vintage Harlan, who said that the cultists thing was a child of "sci-fi", not science fiction, and went on to explain why this was so. It was one of his most impassioned blow-outs in a long time -- the manic urgency of his message seemed to come right through the screen! Although I personally believe in many parts of the mystic/spirituality he wholesale derides, I was forced to agree with the message -- that such misguided beliefs as those which caused the people to kill themselves are the mainstay of "sci-fi" as opposed to the artistic hopefulness of science fiction. HE insists that sci-fi is driven by the _deus ex machina_ -mentality intead of the exploratory scientific wonders of SF and I have begun to agree with that point more and more over the last 10 or 15 years. This business of us being at the mercy of alien influences, government-driven conspiracies, godlike beings, etc. has gotten way out of hand. In truth, I have some pretty hard & fast opinions about all of the above, and they are not all in total disagreement. What I mean here is that I see the validity of HEs stand on the pathetic doings of the Heaven's Gate people, and although I respect their freedom to worship whatever and live their lives however -- ending those lives in such spectacular fashion for what is to me a Grand Delusion by a method I personally see as the greatest sin is in total agreement with the point Harlan was making. At least, that's my take on it. If anyone else saw it and has more to add or subtract, lets have at it!

Amazon books (www.amazon.com) just sent me this email. Thought you'd all like to know. "The Harlan Ellison Hornbook & Harlan Ellison's Movie (Edgeworks - The Collected Ellison , Vol 3)" by Harlan Ellison List: $21.99 -- Amazon.com Price: $21.99 Subject: Fantasy Publisher: White Wolf Pub Binding: Hardcover Expected publication date: May 1997 ISBN: 1565049624 URL: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1565049624

FYI: The April 7, '97 issue of "Newsweek" features "Strangers In a Strange Land" (page 49) by Harlan Ellison, an essay about the strange times we inhabit, and how the average Joe can be driven to do something like the "Heaven's Gate" cultists did. Just read the essay and it's a terrific piece (hope some people pay attention) -- DTS.

Adam, I posted the full text about what Harlan said on the News page at Webderland a week ago and put a link to it from the homepage. It's also posted on alt.fan.harlan-ellison. If you'd like to read more, go to http://harlanellison.com/ellinews.htm. I usually let the stuff on the comments board go because I assume people on here occaisionally click those little links at the top of the page. I'll remember in the future to post a note here when a major item is put up on the news page. BTW, you guys also need to watch the Sci-Fi Buzz at 10:00pm Thursday Night (or later at 2:00am) as Harlan is doing a special BuzzWords on the Heaven's Gate cultists. If you don't get the Sci-Fi Channel, I'll have the full text up on my site the next day.

This frieday, very late at night (at least around here), HE's bastardized Star Trek episode, "The City of The Edge of Forever," will be airing on FOX 31--out of Toledo, I think. WUHF FOX 31---somthing like that. Check your local listings.

Just wanted to say I'm still here, just very, very busy at the moment. One of aabout 5 major projects on my current TO DO List is designing Visual Basic programming scripts for Win32 APIs -- if you're a geekoid like me, you know what that mean, if you are sane and rational, don't even try and it would take too long to explain! :>) I am as much of a fan of Babylon 5 as I am a Trekker, I guess, but it has been widely known for some time that there may not be a 5th Season. There was some doubt about there being a 3rd & 4th prior to their development -- it's up to JMS: it's his creation and he can complete it or trash it if he doesn't like something about how it's being handled. HE admitted to being an imbecile for having said it, and Adam reported what he heard so why are people getting their shorts in a bunch?? :>) I enjoy the series immensely and have a great deal of respect for it because it is the ONLY TV series that has been on this long that has ever been written by only ONE person. I personally think JMS deserves some sort of award for that alone -- it is obvious the man is NOT sane. TODD: haven't forgotten you -- just busy. If you have the time, go to the Archives and look at some of the postings I made around March/April of last year. They should tell you all you need to know about me -- maybe more than is legally safe when dealing with role-playing alter egos of techo-geekoids like yours truly. Everybody have fun! It's spring! SPROING!!!!!

From the NY Times Long Island Weekly section 3/30/97 p. 12: I-CON 16 .... include appearances by Rene Auberjonois, "Odo" of "Star Trek DS9,"; Michael O'Hare, "Commander Sinclair" of "Babylon 5"; J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of "Babylon 5"; Joe Haldeman, author; Julius Schwartz, the writer of "Superman" comics and Harlan Ellison, a "Babylon 5" writer. Convention hours are ... Apparently Long Island Guide compiler Barbara Delatiner needs a bit of a clue.

I confess that I don't know anything about Babylon 5 except that I recognize what it is when I surf past it on my way to CNN. However, it appears to me that nothing is definite and *that's* the story. It may continue or it may not. What Rick posted on the homepage seems the likely truth, as it is quite possible that Harlan was heard or understood out of context. High Verbals like Harlan (and many others with whom I'm familiar) often take for granted that their "audience" can keep up with the colors and meanings of their rapid fire, off the cuff speech patterns and are consequently misunderstood with some frequency by those who miss crucial nuances in the monologue. Again, I don't know 'cause I didn't hear it myself. Only offering a thought about why this confusion might exist. I don't think Rick necessarily *has* to say something about this. It's a teevee show. It might or might not be cancelled. Fight for it like folks fought for Star Trek if it's that important. Just remember to fight for the rights of its creators to do it well and as they envision it, not as the "powers that be" might coerce them to do for the sake of the Almighty Ratings. Just my opinion based on what (admittedly little) I know. Greetings to all the wayward travelers in Webderland. Welcome back to our humble Tavern! How-OOOOOOL!

Well, I sent the B5 anouncement to Rick becuase I assumed he hadn't heard. He told me that HE has since apologized for his comments at the Motor City Con about there not being a fifth season and that since I was spreading false information I should add another comment and I don't know apologize or something. Well, I'm not about to apologize, I heard HE perfectly fine and according to him there is no fifth season. If that's true or not, depends on whether Harlan got the right info. Furthermore, don't you think Rick could jump on here occasionally if he here's that Harlan accidentally gave out false info? Hmmm....

*ALL* Before we go getting lathered up and intense on this Babylon 5 thing - have a look at News (bracketed at the top of the page). Seems it IS just a global village, with all the small time gossip that comes with the package.. So, lessee... Somewhere back there *TODD* was talking about keeping things shallow and superficial (and for a moment, I thought I had found my niche - though I think you were being sarcastic) - and I got to thinking about it. And I was struck by how much conversation is just that.. And how much it annoys people.. And how much more annoyed they get when they feel "shut out" of a conversation, because it IS in deapth, and it isn't something they know much about.. And how sad it is that in an Age of Specialization and Expertise, people either don't have much in common with each other asside from a shared specialty, and/or can't let go of their ego long enough to learn something new from people with different specialties.. And worst of all - it means an awful lot of folks aren't communicating with very many people. That struck me as a terrible irony - all this High Tech Communications available, giving wide access and instantaneous communication almost anywhere in the world, and a more people feel more alienated and lonely than back when communication was face to face, or mailed. *PHIL* So HE calls to explain why you *can't* broadcast one of his recordings, and *TODD* says HE _did_ let him broadcast a recording (though not the specific one he wanted to).. I'm dying to know *WHY* 'yes' to one and 'no' to another.. Is that one of the confidential, untellable details?? Sure hope not, since it doesn't make much sense to me.. Oh.. yeah.. WELCOME BACK!.. And, GEEZ! Sure seems like I'm back in Chatty Mode.. Well, it will give Todd some competition... ];-p ... Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

I'll be back in a few days. But in the meantime, does anyone know anything about Harlan's "Savoy Book" which is available from Amazon books for $10?

Oddly enough, the same situation led to my first personal contact with Ellison, first of two, a correspondence about whether his Alternate Worlds recordings of readings were still covered (or had ever been covered) by performance rights. I ended by buying the HarperCollins recording of '"Repent, Harlequin!"' from him and running that instead. I still prefer the AW performance, tho' they're close.

Hey folks. I haven't dropped by for a long, long time. Been busy with other things. I notice a few names I haven't seen before, and a few others that I have faded off into the distance like myself. Anyway, I'm reaquainting myself with Webnerland, checking out what's new, skimming through the comments and stuff. That'll take me a few days. But when I get back, maybe I'll tell you about the phone call I got from Harlan last week. I'd written him a letter asking if I could broadcast his recordings on my radio show and he said NO, so I wrote him again expressing my disappointment. So he decided to call me back and explain in further detail the reason for his NO. We talked for about 15 minutes. It was a very relaxed and easy conversation on both sides. The conversation began with my asking, "Is there anything in my letter that pissed you off?" (It wasnt the nicest letter I'd written, and I wanted to apologize.) And Harlan replied, "Yes. Kinda. Just let me explain..." In the end we both laughed, Harlan was very gracious, and everything was cool. We could have talked longer than we did, but it was kind of an expensive call (4 and a half hour time difference) and he was paying. The reason I bring this up is not to say, hey, look at me, I talked to Harlan Ellison. It was a private conversation that I won't get into in great detail, but it was the SUBJECT of our conversation which is what I think would interest some of you. But I gotta go now. Talk to you later.

Thanks for the con reports, Sue! And I wonder about that BABYLON 5 announcement--sounds a bit like spin (Warner has it's own network to focus on, what with the WB giving us such ornaments as NICK FRENO, and TNT is another arm of Time Warner these days...anyone noticed how comparitively little promo Paramount has given DS9 since UPN's inauguration?); B5 is the last of the PTEN bunch, and Warner is probably just as glad to shut down the department. B5 on the WB network would probably be mutually beneficial, but egos and contracts probably intrude.

So where was I?? Oh yeah - Big Adventures at the Motor City ComicCon. It came off better than it had any right to. There were signs posted on the doors saying the entrance fee was a misprint on all the ads, and it was $2 more to get in. The programs had an index - but no page numbers.. They ran panels in three rooms continuously - but had no schedule.. So it was whenever whoever had put on a list somewhere, and announcements in Kurdu over the PA were the only way to know.. The kid (hey! anyone under 30 is a kid to me..) I went with (cousin of Oldest Boys friend) had a booth, and regaled me tales of how the volunteers organized it in progress as they showed up for the event.. And yaknow - lots of *really* good people made it a nice event. Harlan was looking good health-wise, though maybe a little tired. I had intended to get some programs signed, and attend a panel.. So when I got done with "table-sitting" I got in line for the signings, and snapped pictures (*after* asking). They'll mostly be HE bent over a variety of his books, pen in hand. I missed the one I really wanted, where HE climbed up on his chair to illustrate the tale he was telling (jerko ahead of me blocked me off, to get a 'better' view - and he was over 6'- so I've got a picture of his back). HE left for a panel when nazi-boy was next in line (and bitching about it), and I followed HE to the room.. There were no seats (I would've stood up), and there was some guy with a video set up telling everyone they couldn't take pix 'cause the flash would screw up the video.. And then son's friend turned up to tell me they wanted to go get something to eat, and couldn't since faithful son was holding my place in line, and getting hassled by the nerd-droid jerk-wad ahead of him.. So I did the loving Mother thing, and missed HE reading Palladin of the Lost Hour so my son could go, and "killed time" in line. I did get some satisfaction out of hassling back "Dick Head".. Hope he chokes to death on the snot rolling back down from that highly upturned nose.. And had fun talking to Julius Schwartz, Susan Ellison, Shawn the Volunteer, and Bart behind me in line. Learned that not many females collect comics as kids (which is the only time I did). Bart behind me had a typewritten manuscript he had picked up at a used bookstore, which he was afraid was a fake, that turned out to *be* an origonal Harlan had written in a store window in CA.. None of us could figure out how it had wound up in a used bookstore in Mich. But I figured that made up for "Bark" on the litho.. When HE came back from the panel, he seemed tired - and I got the impression that HE would've much rather gone home for a nap.. He was lively, as ever, in conversation - and we had an amusing altercation. I was taking pictures, and wanted to get a full face shot, so I was squatting in front of the table with my camera.. Through the lens, I saw HE shove a stack of books back to Jerkula, and thought it was my turn - so without lowering the camera, I reached up to the table and pushed my programs toward him, and started to tell HE who to make them out to.. He erupted in a rant about "fans" who only care about getting "their" stuff in single-minded rudeness.. I took the camera from in front of my face and stood up - to see Jerkenstien pushing yet another stack of books forward to be signed, smug look of satisfaction that I was 'getting mine'.. Told HE "Hey, sorry - natural mistake - I thought the stacks of books on the table were YOURS, and for sale.." HE snickered, and then continued the rant about abusive "fans" who want something for nothing.. And Snotwipe didn't catch the change.. Then, the entire library signed, blown dry, inserted in plastic, and packed away - it was my turn. Guess HE was relieved I only wanted *2*.. He took his time signing - in fact, took time out to "pose" for the pictures. I hope they turn out. I was laughing so hard, they're probably all too fuzzy to see.. I told him I was sending them to Rick, and could he try to look "Worldly Wise and Witty" (pose/pose/pose - all exagerated and hillarious), and from there it was a hoot - I'd say a descrpitive word (Intelligent, now sexy, etc.), he'd pose, and we'd all fall out laughing. I finally ran out of film, and when He asked what's next, I told him it was time for the Tush Shot... Loads of fun. And to all who thought they Knew - HE didn't remember me at all from the Chicago signing a year ago.. Like I thought.. And *I* win.. For a more personal, and quote laden HE tale, I'd really recommend you read Tony Isabella's account on alt.fan.harlan-ellison.. Well, whadda expect! I'm not exactly Big Time, here.. And I don't exactly Know the man.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Hoooo-Boy! Don't ever try to communicate coherently after a "fun" trip to the Dentist, which involves lots of pain-killers, and not being able to drive yourself home.. What a mess that last post is! My appologies to Tony Isabella, who was *not* rude in any way, and seemed to be rather pleasant - I just happened to be standing at the table "killing time" with the guy in line behind me (a very nice guy, who had just gotten what looked to be an expensive numbered litho signed by the artist - and the inscription was to "Bark" rather than Bart, his name.. He had a GREAT sense of humor, and took it better than I would have), the volunteer helper Shawn (also a nice guy, and fun), and Susan Ellison while HE was in a panel, when Tony stopped by (obviously rushed for time) to ask if the Ellisons had dinner plans. It was some guy ahead of me in line who was the jerk; claimed to be Tony's good buddy *after* Tony (with nametag) had come and gone without seeming to recognize his "good buddy"; was rather obviously getting his inventory autographed for a higher re-sale value, and more money in his pocket - without putting a dime in HE's pocket for the favor; could not deign to mix with the commoners, but Did try to weasle his way into dinner with the Ellisons (maybe he had another suitcase of inbentory in his car??). GEEZ! That guy must of bugged me more than I thought! I lost the details on HE, and remembered _him_... Downer.. Tony did write a very nice account of his time with the Ellisons on the alt.fan thingie, and I don't think "impressed" was the right choice of words - in fact a rather bad choice. So I take it back. A better way to put it is that I am happy for him - sounds like he had a Great Time and memorable experience.. certainly much more interesting than my own stand-in-line forever to have Harlan boogie to his panel when I finally reached the table, and subsequent brief interlude while he signed autographs and I snapped pictures. Let this be a lesson to us all - when them that Knows says you're too messed up to drive, keep your mouth shut, too..

Just in case any1 hasn't heard, HE announced at the Motor City Con on Saturday that J Mike S.... (the B5 creator) has decided that there will not be a fifth season of B5 b/c he doesn't like the way Warner Bros is promorting the show (or rather, not promoting the show). However, there are plans for two TV movies to air on TNT.

WOW!! WELCOME BACK WOLFMISTRESS!! CONGRATULATIONS KEEGAN - You're IN!! TODD Has E-MAIL!! Gee! *Big Day* on Webderland. Cool. And here I was thinking the paltry pickins of my trip to the Motor City ComicCon would be the "highlight".. Yeah, I went - and it was the usual oddness prevalent.. Oldest Boy came over to ask me if I would do a 'favor' for his friend.. would I "table-sit" for friend's cousin in his place so son, friend, and friend's cousin could wander around the ComicCon.. Got a ride there and back, and got in free.. Seems the cousin writes, or draws, or something.. I got to hawk comics for a while, and then snagged all the programs I wanted from the pile in the back - without having to threaten anyone.. And didn't have to ride the bike in the snow (BIG plus in my book). By co-incidence, cousin's table faced the table HE was using for signings between panels. So I got autographed programs to mail to friends who requested them. Spent about an hour shooting the breeze with Susan while HE was in a panel - She's pretty intelligent and interesting in her own right (or is that just because we both had the same gendered perceptions??). Took pictures (Yes Rick, as soon as I finish the roll - and this time I will _not_ take pictures of dirt). I was going to do a transcription from memory - the "every word" kind of thing, but kinda forgot a lot of it. We did chat, and I remember the gist - I think.. Kinda got blown out on the way hear to write it all down, 'cause I stopped at alt.fan.harlan-ellison on the way, and read a leangthy (and Much Better) same such from Tony Isabella, who details his *2* dinners with HE and Susan (and makes my chit-chat seem feeble).. I wasn't so much impressed with the telling of the tale, as I was surprised to realize he was the guy who interupted my chat with Susan to ask if they were going to dinner that night. Which is not bad thing.. But there was a totally arrogant @# ahead of me at the signing table where we were chatting, and he claimed to be "Tony's Good Friend" to HE - and only wanted 20 copies of Mephisto In Onxy signed, which he *didn't* buy from Harlan, (had a sales kit sized briefcase full of them, each in a plastic sleeve, and I thought they were a stack of HE's for sale at first). I didn't notice any acknowlegement when Tony himself was there asking, so he may not even be a 'friend' - but he sure wanted to go to dinner with HE pretty badly.. Tony, if you're lurking, get a better class of friend.. And as you can guess, all thoughts of converstional tidbits have flown my mind.. So I'll have to lay down and recover, and try again tomorrow.. Drat. Well, they say the memory is the first to go.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Well, the rest of J. G. Ballard's interview on FRESH AIR just finished playing on the originating station in Philadelphia...generally worthwhile, Terry Gross asked generally unsurprising questions and she clearly hadn't read or even heard of his sf work, or any of his work other than the novels CRASH and EMPIRE OF THE SUN, and only those due their filming. (Atrociously in the latter's case, a typical plastic trashbag from Spielberg; haven't seen CRASH yet, but after this weekend I can tell you that SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW starts moderately well and becomes utterly ridiculous by its end; KAMA SUTRA, the new film cowritten and directed by MISSISSIPPI MASALA's Mira Nair, is one of the worst films, and almost certainly the most disappointing film, I have ever sat through in a theater. In fact, it might have become only the fourth film I have ever walked out of, along with CHILD'S PLAY, THE FOOD OF THE GODS, and NIGHTFALL). Ballard left open windows to discuss such seminal stories of his as "The Assassination of John F. Kennedy Seen as a Downhill Motor Race" (after Alfred Jarry's model), but Gross wasn't prepared to go through that window. Ah, hipsters...who know those two novels by Ballard but have no idea he's also the author of "The Terminal Beach", or who know Ballard and Phillip K. Dick but have no clue about Fritz Leiber, to say nothing of Richard Wilson or Barry Malzberg...Miles Davis, but Clifford Brown who, to not even breathe the name of Carmel Jones...it's best to remain superficial, and so say all of us. Thank you all for saying nice things to me as have been, and back at you, each one. JON--how did you get to play that much music? Study hall? I remember bringing in jazz albums to classes as a student, and the ones who dug it visibly were often, of course, mocked by our colleagues (latin jazz in Spanish, various stuff in music classes). Once lectured on third stream for my jazz history class, in college...that was fun.

Well, Renee, I'm from...around...oh, here and there...yeah...and I guess that makes two of us drawing checks from hapless util ratepayers (and I sure ain't getting an employee discount, howzabout you?). I'm a too-lazy writer working 45-50 hours a week at my straight job w/o bennies, as I'm part of the New Emerging Temporary Econ. About 50 pieces of my nonfiction have been published for some small pay, first short story in Algis Budrys's TOMORROW SPECULATIVE FICTION (Apr 94, the issue with Ellison's "Attack at Dawn") was honorably mentioned by Datlow in YEAR'S BEST FANTASY & HORROR, couple of published poems including haiku-for-pay in Janet Fox's excellent SCAVENGER'S NEWSLETTER (ca. mid-'89). First remembered reading experiences include a DC sfnal comic book and what was probably a Health Knowledge or Ultimate reprint sf magazine (a really pulpy story about an alien which swaps bodies with a hapless human scientist). Mom read mysteries, Dad read sf, we all watched tv. Perhaps to split the difference, horror was my first passion (which had me reading Henry James, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edith Wharton, and of course Charlotte Perkins Gilman along with Robert Bloch, Ellison, E. F. Benson, Robert Arthur, Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood, Margaret "Idris Seabright" St. Clair, Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka and many others by the time I was 11. (Misty-eyed nostalgia) Flattering you should ask! And you?

TODD -- Have been reading your very interesting commentary for some time now (when I'm online, that is). Who are you and where did you come from? You are a most extraordinary conversationalist, along with Sue and Keegan (Hi! Congrats on the audition!). Just curious as to your background -- hatchling, pod person, Ellisonian Runaway, etc... :>)

I'm baaaaaccck! Can't keep a good WolfMama down, can you? To those of old acquaintance -- greetings and am dying for some email from ANYONE! To those who don't have a clue -- trust me, you may not want to! Hope everyone is well and healthy; have loads of stuff to catch-up on again, as usual. New job, this one is definitel a year or longer (likely longer -- serious stuff going on here!). I am now the Lead Troubleshooter on the NT 4.0 Rollout Team for Wisconsin Electric Power Company, the largest utility in the state! The job is downtown Milwaukee; I live in Madison, 75 miles to the west. I get a very generous per diem and stay in a lovely new hotel in Pewaukee that has a pool and 2 jacuzzis...... If my last salary was outrageous, this one is somewhere beyond Hale-Bopp! It is still sometimes hard to realize people are willing to pay me so much money to do a job I love so much. How did I get this lucky?? Anyway, I'm back and want to hear from everyone. Love ya!

The other day while I was subbing in a nearby school district, I put Chet Baker's "Last Great Concert," the Canadian Brass' "Swingtime," The Secret Garden Project's "Song for a Secret Garden," and Domingo/Marsalis et al's "Concert for Planet Earth," on the CD changer - and even though I heard some not so intelligent comments from the high schoolers about the "aesthetic" quality of this music, I noticed that the room was reletively quite through out the day. Do you think they may have been listening? (he asked incredulously) Right now I am listening to Ervin Schulhoff's "Jazz Inspierd Piano Works," performed by Tomas Visek. Schulhoff is one of the many who, unfortunately died in Nazi internment camps during WWII. This is a wonderful recording, and it is sad that his life ended the way it did. On a happier note, I also picked up a CD of James Galway and Phil Coulter called "Legends" where they play the *&*%$*&% out of Irish folk tunes including the Riverdance. WOW!! thanks for indulging me. JJCB

CoCo--Illegitimus non carborundum, old sport. They weren't saying you're a lousy singer, but that (as you point out) you're a different kind of singer who might be capable of conforming to the standards they adhere to (rather than their being sure of this). You kill 'em by the end. So this guy avoids what I think of (with a shudder) as the Mandy Pantinkin Condition? Good! Even if you hadn't made it, considering you are not primarily a European -tradition (I'm not prepared, in this context, to refer to "art" or "serious") singer who was sick besides, it would've been no shame...and you Made It! Good for you. (My friend Alice has had a similar situation in her first semester in med school.) And even our putative subject on this board got himself kicked out of college only to find himself in BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES and not a few textbooks...

Well, I'm still sick. I passed the audition yesterday, but still, I ain't got the contract. See, they did a "provisional admit" which means that they recognize potential but are unwilling to commit. Full admittance depends on my "development" over the summer. I admit, it was not the best rendition of the music ever (particularly the Rossini and Debussy. Bach was my best piece) but still, pretty good for a hardcore jazz chick. I was very upset because I'm so accustomed to my performance being met with unbridled enthusiasm and open arms. It had me in tears for most of the day because it just felt so damned much like I was being told that I'm a lousy singer--which, on some levels, is true. Still, people don't pay me to sing the music of dead French guys and *my* music has a bit of a different aesthetic. My mentor just kept telling me that I should be thankful I'm in and that now I have to play the game. My husband kept telling me that I should feel proud that I passed despite illness. I keep telling myself that *I* have a gig next week and 2/3 of the comittee does not (the one who does is the voice teacher with whom I hope to study and who I'm sure argued in favor of my admittance. He appreciates my ability to perform African-American styles. He is also a fine, formal recitalist of American Popular Song and Weimar cabaret music--expressive without frou-frou and wide, slurpy vibrato). Anyway, my confidence is shaken and I'm down, but I'm in. So what if I have to work twice as hard to "prove" myself to the establishment? That is the way it ever was for those who innovated my music....... wish me luck folks. This college sh** nearly drove me crazy once.

Yup, I'm the Cookie! And thanks for your good wishes. My throat's still swollen. I plan to approach the thing like an athlete. Music (especially singing) is not an art for wimps!

Oh, yes, "Cookie Coogan". I must stop trying to do this while at work!

Keegan, good luck on Saturday! You wouldn't happen to be "Cookie" on JazzOnLine, would you? And remember, Bach, at least, encouraged improvisation ("Ms. Coogan, we were quite, ah, impressed, by the improvised bridge in your second selection from the St. Matthew Passion...")

It wouldn't be a post from me, any more than it would be a Dine(?) blanket, without a crucial flaw..."In this wise"....

Now you have me blushing, Kee. Tho' I wouldn't ennoble what I do as teaching so much as info/opinion dump. I this wise, Tuckerised Ellison reference in the current LAW & ORDER three parter (I missed the first part, 2 was on last night, 3 next Thurs on NBC 10p ET and PT): The murdered party in this particular story is a studio head named Heidi Ellison. Then, about 5 years ago on LA LAW, there was the self-outed underground fugitive from '60s radicalism Jay Ellison (perhaps his middle name was Harlan...or Heidi). Oh, those WGAw scamps.

Ha! I'm back, and if you look through a microscope, you might catch a glimpse of Ellison-ness, but admittedly, its presence will be quite dilute. I'm basically here to blow off steam and crow a bit. Cocka doodly shoot'n doo dat OOOWWWW! My fourth and fifth graders just performed beautifully under pressure. March has not been a good teaching month for me between my grandad's death and this freakin' sore throat (actually, swollen tongue) disease I managed to pick up last week. I missed three days in the past 10 days not to mention the whole first week of the month(well, one was an *ice* day). It still isn't gone and I only have half my voice. By the way, did I mention that my grad audition is Saturday (Rossini, Bach; Debussy)? It *would* just figure. Anyway, the kids had to use charts tonight (I'd say about half was memorized and about half read) but they did it like pros and they *for ONCE* followed all my directions! I am very proud of them. Tonight, they made *me* look good. Excellent work and A's all around! Todd-thanks for info. Unfortunately, I just ain't a movie chick or something. I mean, I'm interested, but I only manage to hear *about* stuff. I'm always off doing this or so or that 'n' such. *Sigh* Anyway, I know you're trying to teach me something (and you're a good teacher, man) but I feel like that slow kid whose butt you always wanna kick. Oh well. BTW-you ever check out Jazzonline? I'm chatting over there a little these days. Sue-Well, as my grandfather would say, "It's a step above First-Class walking." Glad it's running and keeping you sheltered from the raging storms. Will email any day now. I told somebody the other day that it felt like God played 52 Pickup with my life, and left me doing the picking up. She stepped out for a smoke. She'll be back and I'm sure I'll complain mightily but by then the job will be done. BTW-it's rumored that Cookie Coogan will appear with the Bloviators at the Ithaca College Pub on Tuesday next; 8:00 pm. Anybody have any frequent flyer miles they wanna blow? The gig is free and open to any maniac who happens to walk in. -/:>)

HA! NO ONE CAN STOP ME! Well, actually, any one of a number of people and factors could, in fact...including my embarassment about referring to Cronenberg fans as "Lynchies" (Cronenberg is more focused than David Lynch, a bit less pretentious perhaps, a bit less likely to undercut himself with broad humor...but similar. Even in doing occasionally goofy work.) Also, Sue, one SF fan-turned-pro, Wilson "Bob" Tucker, wrote so many SF personalities (and names) into his work that the term "Tuckerized" was coined. The roman a clef is somewhat unsurprisingly common in a literature so closely followed and intersecting with a subculture. Anyone here ever seen a copy of Ellison's mid-fifties fanzine DIMENSIONS? Likewise, anyone here read his ongoing, if spotty, serial !NISSASSA in SCIENCE-FICTION FIVE-YEARLY (no doubt to be the second long work by HE to be filmed, just due to the perversity of the fates)?

Hey! Tollja I'd be back.. **TODD** You're on a roll with the posts.. I almost hate to break into the 'Streak'... ;-)... Well, I did manage to run down some wee bit of info on the Motor City ComicCon - and HE *IS* going to be here.. You'll all be pleased to know that I have retained some small bit of sanity, and Did Not call HE on the phone to ask him.. I could imagine it.. HE - "Hello?" ME - "Hi, Harlan, are you coming to the Motor City ComicCon; and what will you be doing at what times there; and where will you be staying; and all my friends say you'd have a real good time hanging out with me while you're here; and if you need a ride I'll cart you around in the Piece De Shitte (which has no exhaust system, or dashboard, and I'll let you steer while we push to bump start it); or some guy from Illinois said he'd cart you around.." HE - "Who the @#!% IS THIS!?!" ME - "You remember me.. You signed my stuff and chatted for a few minutes with me a year ago at the Chicago ComicCon.." HE - (fill in this blank with the most colorful verbal roto-rooter job you can imagine..) Ahhh yessss.. Reality interfered with the fantasy, delightful though it was to ponder.. Pardon me while I *giggle*.. But I really *did* get several e-mails from folks I don't rightly know, supplying me with HE's telephone no. repeatedly, and a variety of things to 'ask him' 'while I've got him on the phone'.. Is it just me, or is there something odd about asking someone you don't know to call someone niether of you know on the phone and ask them for detailed personal information??? Whoooa Nelly! No wonder HE complains about 'fans'.. Nuuuu, and why can't they just call him themselves?? Well, if anyone is interested - I'm *not* paying that kind of money to go to a ComicCon I'm not very interested in to _Look At_ Harlan Ellison (Hey, I did that once, and still remember..).. However, I WILL be the old biker out front shaking down departing conventioneers for their programs (to mail to deserving friends who collect such things).. So, if yo are planning to attend, and don't want to 'lose' your program, leave early or by a side door.. Sheeesh! What I do for friends.. If anything untoward happens (which is not too unlikely, if my past track record means anything), I'll uphold my Small-Town Resident Oath, and blab it all.. *DTS* (and all posting on the 'Hidden HE' thread) Yaknow, I just took it for granted that fiction is usually drawn from real experience, so characters in fiction would inevitably be recombinant permutations of folks the author has run into - and that's why there's always that disclaimer on fictional work.. Never dawned on me to try to figure out "who" the origonal was.. But it sure is interesting to read the thread.. Appeals to my reverence for Holy Gossip.. So lessee, were there any contentious, conscientious old jewish types in the last thing I read?? Oh, Shoot! I just remembered! The last thing I read was the Bible... (;-).. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Second bulletin (this just in): More i/v with Ballard coming next Tuesday's edition of FRESH AIR. Terry Gross, interviewer, is not my favorite, but acquits herself pretty well throughout the Cronenberg/Ballard hour. (She's prone to "But...you'd still have to breathe, right?" kind of questions).

Alert--to those who might care and can access, NPR's FRESH AIR program today is devoted to CRASH, the film directed by David Cronenberg (who gets interviewed for most of the hour) and the book by J G Ballard (who gets interviewed for about 10 minutes at the end). This is the first time I've heard Ballard's (recorded) voice. Dial up your NPR talk/mixed stations, Ballardites and Lynchies...

It's been 20 years since I read N&P's INFERNO ("One hell of a book"--Robert Bloch, inevitably), but I remember the protagonist being named Alan Carpenter, but signing himself Carpentier to be more memorable. Also, he was underappreciated and widely unread, more comparable to, say, Vance Aandahl or Emil Petaja or David Bunch in career-arc...but maybe N&P were trying to rib Ellison. (It's the only N&P novel I've finished.) Ellison's own romans a clef might be worth noting; Alfred Bester? in "Working with the Little People" and the famous legal action taken against Ellison by Judith Merrill, the one editor in '60s SF clearly more controversial than HE, Michael Moorcock, John Campbell or anyone else...she alleged that a character in one of his MAN FROM U*N*C*L*E scripts was a defamatory portrayal of her.... Keegan--Yeah, Tango might well have started independently of salsa, and have all its serious roots in Spain. But the crossriffing with merengue and such other forms as milonga (poetic folksongs--Cuarteto Zupay do a beautiful version of one by Jorge Luis Borges) must have had some influence, pretty early on--and if not these forms, then their ancestors. Thanks for the book citation!

On the fictional Ellison: Perhaps it's only me, but I've often felt that many personality traits of Allen Valentine, the protagonist of Niven and Pournelle's "Inferno" were that of an Ellison-type. I say "type" because this character does not quite to seem either as respected (or dis-) as HE, but plays on the outrageous antics he acts out at a con -- all of which are eclipsed and ignored as Asimov walks into the room. What do you think?

Todd-all I can say is yeah--there's hairs and microhairs for splitting. I'm reading a great book about Salsa music right now and it appears that tango isn't really a part of the Salso tradition, so I'll assume (for now) that it descends from a more Spanish tradition. However, I was right about the way the syncopated rhythm works. In fact, that accented "and" of beat two actually has a name:"bombo". Bombo basically makes ya feel like beat three is happening a little early, while accenting the fourth beat of the measure ("ponche") makes you think beat one has already arrived. I knew how it functioned, but had no clue that there were actual terms for these accents! Source is Rebecca Mauleon's SALSA GUIDEBOOK FOR PIANO AND ENSEMBLE. It's a great reference and contains a lot of information that it's taken me years to learn from "the guys". Anyway....

As I almost wrote, you have to wonder how much the freed and escaped slaves contributed to the tango tradition...or did protocalypso and protosalsa fuse in the Carribbean first, and filter southward? And Brazil's correspondent music...och. Too much to contemplate casually, is it not? Jason--anonymous snottiness like that is endemic. There are lots of ways of making an arse of one's self, after all.

Sue--Thank you for the benisons. I blush. All Illinoisans--I wouldn't count too heavily on a con so disorganized actually having arranged little details such as paying Ellison to come out, or even getting his agreement to do so. Keegan--The interplay of cultures is hardly new, as we all know; you gotta wonder how much osmosis through the Arab/Moorish culture affected southern Europe from central Africa's music, and how much slavery (and the immigration from Portuguese, Spanish, and English slavery-intensive New World areas to (I think slave-light) Argentina. Ellison as character--Sharyn McCrumb's first skiffy fandom roman a clef clearly models her antagonist on the worst stories circulating about Ellison, then defuses this by having Ellison as a walk-on who upstages the unpleasant quasi-HE, at least in the attentions of the convention-goers. ZOMBIES IN THE GENE POOL? BIMBOS OF THE DEATH SUN? I don't have my library accessible, alas. Then there's the quasi-self-parody in "The New York Review of Bird".

'Allo, allo allo. One thing I saw that I thought I'd pass on. On the sci-fi (ugh) channel's bulletin board, there was/is a topic called Harlan Ellison must Die. (not really the poster said right after, but he's a pain in the ass don't you think?) Then this toe-jam-for-brains, says "Hey Harlan if you ever read this, let's banter a bit and SEE IF YOU CAN GO THE DISTANCE!" This guy challenging HE to a battle of wits, is a mismatch on the scale of hunting down Moby Dick in a rubber dingy with a strand of damp spaghetti. To anyone else, "let me know and I'll make sure to oppose every nice thing you say about him." I don't think it's worth my time to talk to this doofus. Not to mention he didn't leave his e-mail address. By the way, he never expected HE to see or respond to his post. I doubt HE will either, if anyone else though if anybody else wants to take him down a peg be my guest.

'Allo, allo allo. One thing I saw that I thought I'd pass on. On the sci-fi (ugh) channel's bulletin board, there was/is a topic called Harlan Ellison must Die. (not really the poster said right after, but he's a pain in the ass don't you think?) Then this toe-jam-for-brains, says "Hey Harlan if you ever read this, let's banter a bit and SEE IF YOU CAN GO THE DISTANCE!" This guy challenging HE to a battle of wits, is a mismatch on the scale of hunting down Moby Dick in a rubber dingy with a strand of damp spaghetti. To anyone else, "let me know and I'll make sure to oppose every nice thing you say about him." I don't think it's worth my time to talk to this doofus. By the way, he never expected HE to see or respond to his post. I doubt HE will either, if anyone else though if anybody else wants to take him down a peg be my guest.

Sue, I received a flier from the Motor City Con. (Where I'll also be this coming Saturday.) and I have to tell you: I doubt HE will be there. The people running this show are about as sharp a pencil after transcribing the torah onto wide ruled paper. Example? Sure. In the flier, below the announcement of Harlan's voyage out to the northern-most gangland, in a tiny itallic parenthetical phrase it notes: "The Motor City Comic Con would like to apologize toMr. Ellison for any previously published advertisements that refer to him in the term of "Science Fiction Author." He is a renowned author and critic of many subject matters and we apologize for the miss-representation." Seems, all well and good right? Nope. The "headline" of the page which covers the HE article as well as Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew (from Star Wars) says, "SciFi invades theMotor City." I just hope HE will overlook the lack of intelligence of the promoters and show up for the sake of the fans. (You think he still needs a ride to the hotel?)

Hey All! Still kicking about in the "Winter Wonderland".. We did finally get the Piece D'Shitte running - but have to bump start it until we find where it is grounding out. Interesting, only stopping places with inclines to park on.. so we can get a roll to start it up for the home trip. I am trying to run down info on the Motor City ComicCon to be held next weekend at the Novi Expo Center (which is kitty corner from our local mall). So far, no publicity.. None of the Comic Shops know squat. TicketMaster (where the tickets are supposedly being sold) never heard of it. Nothing on the Web, except other people asking *me* for the same info (hey! it's right in your backyard...).. Called the Expo Center - they are in the dark except for the name and phone number of the guy who rented the place. Called his number (which the the Expo Center took off the paperwork) and got a home answering machine recording.. Which tells me when the doors open and close, how much money to bring, and a list of dealers (oh, yeah, and guests.. none of whom I've ever heard of.. except the last one.. Harlan Ellison).. GEEZ! You'd think with the thing less than a week away, they'd have Some Idea of what they are doing.. I have images of me penniless from the admission price, wandering about a ComicCon I'm not too very interested in, with a cold and soggy sandwhich from Zingerman's Deli, looking for a featured guest no one seems to know about to unload it on.. Hard to pass up, it is so close to home - but CRIME IN "E" - sure would be nice to know what the heck is going on.. Anybody with any info, please let me know.. The rate this is going, I'm half expecting to get a call from 'Mike' (the promoter) asking me to pick up HE at the airport and give him a 'lift' to the Pink Flamingo Motel on the back of the bike - since I'm the only caller who left a message about HE.. *JIM* COOL! A Happy Ending.. Or Happy Beginning? *JON* Well, I think it's interesting. I wish they'd do more research on the theraputic effects of music, since music has been integral to healing practices for as long as people have kept track of such things - up to our modern 'Scientific' era of medicine, that is. Must be doing something that works, and it would be interesting to know What.. *KEEGAN* and *TODD* Sorry I don't post on your music threads. Ignorance is the culprit.. Only know what I like.. But I guess I'm Loining Heyah.. If I could just remember all those dazzling bits you post.. Sigghhhh.. Some of us are meant to be the Audience. I'm very good at clapping, stomping, and whistling in applause.. *ALL* I'll try to be more 'regular' with my posts.. Now if I can just remember what Normal is, maybe I can get 'regular'... Or was that what Geritol is for??

If you are having trouble studying, try to recreate the "Mozart Effect." Dr. Frances Rauscher published a study that indicates listening to Mozart's piano piece (K 448) for 10 minutes prior to taking a test resulted in the subjects scoring 10 points higher than subjects engaged in 10 minutes of silence. In a follow up study, Dr. Rauscher, et. al. found that changing the type of listening environment, other styles of music or spoken word, did not show the same improvement in results!!! Sorry to bore everyone, but I wanted to share this information with some one - I have been in the library toooooo long!

Whooooooooops. Sorry everyone. Forgot to mention how to get that review. Okay: the facts: 1) It appears in the 16 March 1997 edition of THE COLORADOAN 2) You can get a copy of the whole paper by calling the circulation department and going that route or you can e-mail me at the above address (yes, one word 'thecinematicvoyeur') and I will help that way. Now, as to the facts of how and why it is being published? Well, let's just say it was worth it, to me anyway.

Here's an Ellison related post: Isaac Asimov based the main character (Darius Just) in his novel, "Murder At the ABA," on Harlan Ellison. And Dan Simmons has based the physical traits of at least one of his characters (Tony Harrod, in the novel, "Carrion Comfort") after those of Harlan Ellison (he has never said so, but once you read the description, it's a dead give away); he has also modeled the personality traits (and some physical characteristics) of Martin Silenus (from the novels, "Hyperion," "The Fall of Hyperion," "Endymion" and "The Rise of Endymion") after Ellison. Has anyone else run across fictional characters that bear an unmistakeable (physical or psychological) resemblance to Ellison? (That's your brain teaser for the weekend) -- DTS

12AND34---that's me dancing the tango, Alex! Empahsis on the "and" of 2! -/:>)

Keegan: No complaints here; whenever I need a bit of intelligent (if a bit anarchistic) dialogue, and IRC isn't too scintillating, I come to the board to see what on everyone's mind. Most of the time, I've noticed, this board is used as a "Can you help me?"-type of place; not "Please set my world aright", but more often, people ask things that one or another would probably know ... that's the kind of atmosphere that attracts me to #callahans on IRC -- that helping aspect. Dance on! :)

Sorry about the complete lack of Ellisonian content in my last post. Are there rules, yet??

Jim-Cool! Where and when? Todd--you kid! Coogan's Bluff! How clever! Asked my mentor about tango and I didn't get a definitive answer, rather, one more in keeping with Brubeck's comments about the importance of tango in early jazz. Jelly Roll Morton (who claimed he invented jazz) always spoke of the "Spanish Tinge" that in jazz--i.e. the tango rhythm. The basic rhythm functions like Cuban clave in that the beat itself is perceived (on one level) to be sycopated (as opposed to syncopation occuring over a steady, unchanging beat as in playing over a walking bass line). It puts a strong, primary sound in the "up spaces" of the beat rather than placing primary sounds "on" the beat. This is actually a fairly strong feature of West African and Afro-Cuban drumming--emphasis on the eighth note with points of interest happening off the beat--it's a natural outcome of juxtaposing duple and triple meters. It leaves me with the question of how Tango acquired that "flava'". Did the African influence derive from the African features of Spanish music (the Moorish thing, North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, Othello and all that)? Or did that rhythm develop in Argentina the same way that most American music gained it's African influence--slavery(and by the way, I'm talking about places besides the USA, too. Brazil comes strongly to mind). It seems very Spanish to me. Anyway, I guess I'd best be looking for a good book on tango. Or I could call up my friend Pablo the Argentinian guitar player. Anyway....there I go again. Probably more about rhythm than anybody wanted to know. Just remember.....I'm a singer! -/;>)

FYI: My review of Edgeworks is going to published.

Ms. Coogan (or is this merely a Bluff--BAHAHA you ha'n't heard THAT one too often!)--you really get the nostalgia going when you mention the 8mm excerpt reels one used to buy at Grants (over near the ViewMaster displays) or perhaps KMart...mostly William Castle and 30s Universal horrors, but some others as well. Actually, the night I met Brubeck, he mentioned how W C Handy's "St. Louis Blues" is basically a slightly altered tango...so before the turn of the century...not to mention the forgotten importance, Brubeck contends, of tango in the birthing of jazz (along with ragtime and N'Orleans funeral music...and gospel and worksongs and pre-Handy blues). And now I'm distracted by the NPR ALL THINGS CONSIDERED takeout on Scientologists (Mimi Rogers being the first good actor I've heard linked to the group...a shame). "Scientologists [in a poll of attittudes toward faith groups] came in next to last. Only atheists were less well-liked." Well, good--we godless must be doing something right.

And Todd, sweet, (I'm winking, baby! A joke, a joke....) sorry to not come back at you re: movies, but I am woefully ignorant in that area. I really do want to see "Cat People" (the *real* one not that dismal remake with, who, Kinski?) but I'll probably get around to it at about the same time that I find out when Tango came "up here". So much to learn; so little time! (I did see some chopped up version of "Bucket of Blood" on Super8 once, though.)

You mean "up here" as in from Argentina or as in on the Board, Todd? From Argentina, I dunno (though it is a very interesting question and I intend to find out the answer someday). But on the Board because---well, you know my tendency to ramble. Lucky Webderland gets to hear me think out loud. If you think *that's* crazy, you'd oughta hear me scat sing. Then you get to hear me compose out loud. Problem is in both languages (English and jazz) I speak like a hick. *Sigh* Hope the beat has ya swayin' at least. You know, "Marcheta" (no "The" in this one, as in "Talking Heads"), is just the sort of thing that Harlan might know. I wonder...... -/:>)

Keegan--"The Marcheta" tickles the fringe of memory, as so many things do, but this one so faintly that I suspect I'm just thinking of something similar. As to what the smartly-dressed woman of 1915 would be wearing--no flapper her, but indeed a (Charles Dana) Gibson Girl. Longer, less flouncy. When did tango come up here, anyway?

Here's something odd that you intelligent Ellison readers might be able to help with. I am searching down the lyrics to a very old song called "Marcheta". Only thing I could find on the web was info about some old recordings (which I will begin hunting down). In the meantime, just as a lark, anybody here ever heard of it? I've got some time. Need it for a summer party with "Gravel Gertie's Great War Bloviation Two-Step Orchestra". I'd imagine this is a pre-1920's song and I gather from the sketchy info I've found that it may be a waltz. Any info or directions to info would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I'm also looking for a megaphone. And what the heck would WWI gig-clothes look like? We ain't talkin' flappers yet. Oh, much research to do! I dig these assignments! Open the doors to the library and get out of my way!!!!

I have to say that I'm partial to the essays, too. Like Howard Stern, Ellison says all those things I'd love to say if given an opportunity. Unlike Stern, Ellison comments with intelligence and eloquence. I do love many of the stories, but off the top of my head, I can't think of one essay I didn't like while I can think of a couple of stories of which I'm not too fond (or merely have not the wit to grasp).

Well, Tim, you'll find me praising Ellison's essays particularly in one of the posts below...and while he might be a(n even) better fiction-writer, I find it Very easy to read his essays...

It's good to see fellow fans of great liturature. It is a rarity when I speak to someone who even knows who Ellison is or what he has accomplished. What, may I ask, is your favorite book or collection? I've only read Angry Candy, Essential Ellison, and nearing completion of Edgeworks vol 1. Edgeworks is decent, if you can get a hold of Over the Edge, do so instead of purchasing this book, for An Edge in My Voice is nothing fantastic. It, like most books from good authors, has its moments.

Yep, the Val Lewton homepage reminds me of such titles as BEDLAM that I had seen but managed to forget in this context. Shame on me.

There are quite a few other cult items from the early '60s, such as CAPE CANAVERAL MONSTERS, THE CRAWLING MONSTER, THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED UP ZOMBIES (title inspired by DR. STRANGELOVE and its subtitle, if you've been wondering), and BLOOD FEAST...but if I was to cite a "Good, Bad and Ugly" of low-budget film, these creations would tend to gravitate to the last category, along with EEGAH! and THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH...and Herschel Gordon Lewis's one horror film that WASN'T a completely gratuitous-if-outrageously-fake gorefest, the supremely inept MONSTER-A-GO-GO. The little bunch I cited in my earlier post, along with a very few Roger Corman items (A BUCKET OF BLOOD and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, if you like) and a very few William Castle items (perhaps THE NIGHT WALKER, from the Robert Bloch script as fiddled with) and some other imports along with Bava's, notably PEEPING TOM from England...made the early '60s a rich era for this kind of film...a higher percentage of interesting work on the fringes of the industry than even today, despite the larger number of media through which films can gain audience (perhaps that's part of the problem, but I doubt it). But then, the drive-ins are gone, and most of these items were ambitious beginner efforts that were seen as marketable to that undemanding, voracious market...no particularly new observations here, but a little appreciation for work too often not given enough credit...

Among trivial matters, I finally saw the early '60s cult film SPIDER BABY last night. Recommended. Got me to thinking about a little knot of no-budget productions often fondly remembered now, such as NIGHT TIDE, CARNIVAL OF SOULS, and DEMENTIA 13...items that were clearly made commercially viable by the success of PSYCHO and perhaps Mario Bava's Italian horror films, led by BLACK SUNDAY, in their American release...but at least as influenced by the films made by Val Lewton's unit at RKO in the '40s...the superb CAT PEOPLE, the good I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE and THE LEOPARD MAN (one of whose most impressive scenes was so vividly described by Ellison in one of his memoirs that seeing it for the first time this past week was almost an anticlimax), the watchable THE SEVENTH VICTIM, and the atmospheric but ultimately ridiculous THE GHOST SHIP. As mentioned above, I finally saw LEOPARD the other day, meaning, perhaps sadly, I've seen all the RKO horror-suspense series under Lewton that I'm aware of. I could probably find out via the Web in a few minutes, but does anyone here wish to relieve me of my ignorance of a lost RKO (or other) classic? THE GHOST SHIP might never have achieved legitimate video release, dunno why, but I saw it in a double-feature with CAT PEOPLE, the first time I saw either, at the Honolulu Academy of the Arts theater in 1983...and yes, you should envy me the experience of having seen both in a theater, if not necessarily that theater. Oddly, I'm remind that the only Ellison script that I'm aware of having been filmed for theatrical release was THE OSCAR, apparently a bad Ellison script made even worse by the producers' contributions.

Keegan, my condolences as well. As I have been knee deep in researching, I have had little time to go on line for entertainment. I hope all is well.

Keegan: That's the way to go: family and friends around you and of your own choice. He's still with you, you know; just not in the same way.

I would like to thank those who sent condolences via the board or email. The funeral was Tuesday and it was an inspiring event. My Gramp was a well-loved and well-respected man in his community. At the visiting hours on Monday night, people were lined up out the door and down the street -some waiting for 45 minutes in the cold- to pay their final respects and console our family. The funeral home was SRO for the funeral itself. I delivered a eulogy and sang at the event (and managed to not fall apart until it was over). I know that Harlan has spoken of how angry he gets with death and funerals, but my Grampie's death didn't bring those kind of feelings for us. We are sad, of course, but my grandfather died bravely with his family in the room (wife, children, and as many grandchildren as could be there with him)and all his wits about him. He fought bravely to survive after suffering a heart-attack last Tuesday (the third of his life). He consented to a respirator, which, as some may know is a terribly painful and invasive procedure. On Sunday morning, he made the decision to have it removed, knowing full-well that it would kill him. He told the family that he had been through hell last week and had had enough. He told everyone he loved them and appreciated them and that he had always pictured his death as one with his family gathered around. He gave final orders concerning the care of my grandmother and went bravely and peacefully into death. He is remembered by all as a strong and wise man. If ever a death was inspirational, then my grandfather's was. He lived and he died with integrity, honor, strength, dignity, and courage. I pray that I could live such a life and die such a death. Again, thank you for your condolences. I wish you all could have known the man. He was truly something else!

Keegan: My deepest condolences go out to you. Having had seven living grandparents at one time and now being down to one, I know the pain your grandfather's death has caused you. The best way to honor his life, of course, is to live the best life; be the best person, you possibly can, and know that there's someone smiling down on you from the ether.

Todd: re the site mentioned below (www.erinyes.org/simmons/) -- it's NOT my site (can't take credit for it). It is the site of one Sean Ware -- I just sent him a few contributions. -- DTS

Keegan--of course it's innovative when a whiteboy does it, particularly when whiteboy has a major-label contract (Beastie Boys, House of Pain, Offspring). Hipness mafiosi can't be bothered to listen to someone not on a major-label, or at least distributed by one, and already "discovered" and acceptably vetted by other HM. Wouldn't actually want to be open to things and have to think for yourself, after all. (All--sorry about the typos in the last post.)

Keegan--Sorry. He must have been a very good man, and I suspect he was very proud of you, as well. (Thank you for the offer, and I'll trade you tapes or addresses sometime down the road). And thanks for the heads-up on Williams, who left us too soon, but the good people always do (because we need them indefinitely). DTS--Thank you for the information about the Ellison recordings and the Simmons site (yours, I infer). Certainly I didn't mean to snub you, previously--my lovely browser didn't give me your first recording message when I typed my monosyllabic question back when. All--While traipsing through the library (public) yesterday, I fell upon Paul Walker's SPEAKING OF SCIENCE FICTION, a collection of essays/interviews-by-mail most of which date from ca. 1973. Not too much you can't find elsewhere, but Ellison describes how much he enjoys writing to rock music, Silverberg lists (but doesn't elaborate, as he does in the Ellison issue of F&SF) on his favorite Ellison anecdotes, and Terry Carr has a fair amount to say about the Dillons, artists brought to the Ace Specials via Ellison and old friends. Walker was briefly GALAXY's book reviewer, during J. J. Pierce's editorship (1977-78), and during that period managed to offend Ellison and Joe Haldeman withr a rather pseudothoughtful review of Ellison's short story "Basilisk" in Haldeman's antho STUDY WAR NO MORE. There's some Ellisonian content for you.

To those awaiting tapes--forgive the delay. My grandfather has died. All I will say is that he was my first hero--one that never let me down. I will send tapes late next week.

FYI: (this isn't a posting that is directly related to Ellison -- but since Simmons and he have been linked by past encounters, it might be of interest)For anyone interested in Dan Simmons, there is a relatively new site (it's growing, slowly), which comes highly recommended (at least the site keeper's taste in reviews and essays is...well, beyond reproach [if I do say so myself]). It is located at www.erinyes.org/simmons/ (And at least one of the pieces on Simmons makes mention -- several times -- of Harlan Ellison -- so it does have some relation...kinda...sorta). That's it. Out here, DTS.

By the way, jazz fans, Tony Williams--drummer extrodinaire and *true* innovator--died last Sunday. He died of a heart attack while recovering from gallbladder surgery. He was 51. As a memorial, I placed a guilded copy of this Tony Williams quote on my mentor's bulletin board (quote found at Jazzonline): "The unique wilderness of our soul is an infinite frontier". Just wanted to make sure y'all knew. If it's old news, I apologize. Consider it memorial.

Todd- just ask! It's not of high enough quality for me to justify asking for money. It's just the six tunes I recorded (unless someone specifically requests the instrumental numbers) and I'm sending it out to pals who wanna take a listen to what Keegan sounds like. It ain't spectacular but it sure as hell isn't the *worst* I've done, either. It's just that one night, my work was captured for better and worse. I gotta work the Upstate New York out of the words "and" and "that". They're coming out "aend" and "thaet"....almost a "thet". Tape doesn't lie (though my husband, kind soul, does. He says it sounds "great". He told me I don't sound the same way in performance as on tape. Weird, that as a singer, I will never hear myself as others hear me. It takes an enormous amount of trust, in a way). Anyway, enough about me and thanks for your support! Anybody catch Harlan's reconsideration of Eric Dolphy's music in "Quiet Lies the Locust Tells"? I thought it was great that, over time, he gained a greater appreciation for what Dolphy was doing. At least, that's what I got out of that paragraph or two. And another thing....anybody notice how Beck (the dude who won some grammy awards for his record ODELAY) keeps being hailed as an innovater? I have no problem with his style or with his music (I like it; my mentor hates it), but it sounded a lot like hip-hop from ten years ago to me. Is it innovative when a white guy does it? I dunno. By the way, Beck is definitely sounding GURU (former rapper with Gang Starr and organizer/ rapper on JAZZMATAZZ volumes 1 and 2). The phrase "two turntables and a microphone" is a direct reworking of a conversation used at the end of GURU's classic "Loungin'". Kids home---gotta go!

Keegan--how does one obtain a tape?

Hey, DTS, I'm sending that tape....just as soon as I can excavate your address from my desk. Perhaps an email from you would expediate the process. Tape's okay...there's some things on it I don't like (some of it is me working too hard, some of it is the band doing quirky things that made me *have* to work too hard-the singer should not be bothered with concerns of form on the gig, especially when she's clearly laid things out on the arrangement!) but there are moments when it sounds just fine. Two scat solos- one good; one damn good. It's a live recording and 'tsa bit boomy for my taste. I'm saving up for that great DAT in the sky! By the way, Luesse, good to see you--and the tape's coming your way, too. Sorry to have been remiss in direct communicado to you. Been keerazy living up to Cookie's reputation. Will email soon, at least by the weekend. I'll need to take a break from "Brilliant Corners" sometime (I think I'm ready to copy parts this weekend. YAY! And if any of you sent good thoughts toward my creativity---thank you. I got the f****er done! -/:>)

Todd -- if your question was directed toward my posting, the entry below is in answer; if not, nevermind. KEEGAN: sorry, didn't say anything in my posting the other night -- it was late. Anyway, way cool (copacetic? lush? swinging? I'm too old to keep up with venacular anymore). Glad you've got a tape, now. ANd I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat to get a copy (as always, glad to forward money for a blank cassette and cost of shipping). And by the way, thanks for that email about scat singing (it'll come in handy for a future project). Gotta scat (er, um) scram -- DTS

Todd -- if your question was directed toward my posting, the entry below is in answer; if not, nevermind. KEEGAN: sorry, didn't say anything in my posting the other night -- it was late. Anyway, way cool (copacetic? lush? swinging? I'm too old to keep up with venacular anymore). Glad you've got a tape, now. ANd I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat to get a copy (as always, glad to forward money for a blank cassette and cost of shipping). And by the way, thanks for that email about scat singing (it'll come in handy for a future project). Gotta scat (er, um) scram -- DTS

Todd: Worm! (damn, I guess this isn't word association, huh?). Yeah, Hollywood Fantasies is on cassette tape. -- DTS

Well shoot! Take a week off for hassles, and all the 'fun' stuff whizzes by in my absence.. **RICK** I like the threaded topics forums for getting info, and keeping track of large numbers of responses - but I like *this* Board for allowing a smaller number of people to discuss with context.. and the context is provided when the *who* is discernable in the many different shades of response to a variety of topics.. In other words, I like getting to know the people behind the opinions. I vote for having two Boards, since they would serve different functions. **KEEGAN** Tape?? (yes, I know that is an ibid of Todd's post - but he did express it so succinctly and well.) **JASON** Couldn't agree more that there is something a bit tainted about the For Sale offerings of the letters and that little thing about reprinting without royalties. Left a bad taste in my mouth just reading them. **ALL** I'm still alive and kicking - just got snowed under with crises and emergencies to 'fix'.. Get back atcha real soon.. When things are fixed, or I graciously concede defeat and ditch the hassles.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Tape?

Keegan (and any other Ellison audiophiles): Hollywood Fantasies (ISBN# 0-7871-0946-0) has been released (it contains another -- terrific -- reading by Ellison, this time of his story, "Laugh Track"). You'll need the ISBN number if you order it from a local bookstore (I know: the last couple of audio tapes I ordered -- Ellison's reading of the Verne novel, and Channukah Lights -- weren't in the computer under the titles). Anyone who hasn't heard Ellison read one of his (or someone else's) stories should run to the nearest store and buy a copy (or order the "Paladin" CD from HERC). He's a terrific actor -- better than most of the jamooks on the silver screen these days. (This public service announcement was brought to you by the Better Listening Society -- lend us an ear, will ya?) -- DTS.

as possible!

thanks, DTS! That phrase now makes *sense* to me. Anyway.....I got the tape finally. Will send it out as soon.

Keegan: Actually, it IS possible to have your cake and eat it, too. What it is quite a bit harder (and, unfortunately forgotten by everyone who has turned the phrase around) is EATING your cake and having it,too. (This public service announcement was brought to you by the Guardians of the English language -- our standards are nearly as high as our brows). Goodnight, DTS.

The New York Voices won their Grammy! Good for them. They worked for it. Rick-I like this board but can understand how it might be cumbersome for those who are specifically seeking "hard" Ellisonian literary discussion. Are you saying we can have it both ways? Forums *and* our Beloved Board? Either way's fine by me, but I'm always one for having my cake and eating it, too......

I just got some kickass artwork in the mail from Jill Bauman - practically everthing she's done for HE. I'm also working on the reviews page; I have a template for submissions ready and will be sending out a first mailing this weekend. Already taken are: SHATTERDAY, MIND FIELDS, STRANGE WINE, ELLISON WONDERLAND, and ANGRY CANDY. If you'd like to sign up please send me one of those e-mail thingies! ... We will also be starting up a new forum-based comments board. Do you guys want to keep this existing board as well (I kinda like the way all the text is available at once) or not?

Alex--if Tower has no Judy Henske, you might've found a used lp by her at Wooden Shoe, the anarchist book and record store that will probably reopen eventually. Call the blues djs on pusillanimous WRTI 90.1FM and WXPN-FM 88.5, whose shows come on Saturday and Sunday nights, as I recall...they can probably hook you up. If the Free Library didn't have the Shinto creation story in anything, and the usual bookstores have tapped out, try the various mystical shops on South St--perhaps they'll put you onto someone if they don't have anything useful themselves. There isn't an SF/Fantasy store around here, is there (is Bump in the Night local)?

Hello, all; sorry to intrude, but after reading perhaps a month's worth of comments and postings, I'd like to know if any of you might be able to help me. Firstly, I'm writing a pantheistic novel and would like to find a copy of the Kojiki (the Shinto creation myth) in English. Failing that, I'd love to know if any of you know where I might find some Judy Henske recordings. Yes, I know hers is a blues sensibility, not a jazz one, but I feel that this group is knowledgeable enough to help me. Thank you.

How strange, Todd! I've had a pretty decent day, all things considered. Guess we all needed a break. Kids were definitely more focused after a week off. Wish the same could be said for the teacher! I managed to keep it together, but man, now that I'm home I realized my mind is really a million miles away from die schulwerk. I spent last week buying records, visiting the library, hanging heavily with my mentors, and transcribing/arranging a Thelonius Monk tune for the band ("Brilliant Corners"). I wrote a lyric for it, have the layout and a harmony for the head, but I'm stuck at background figures for the blowing. AAARGH! Somebody, lend me some creativity fast, will ya???? Oh well, guess I should just relax and let the thing write itself in its time. Could always do nothing, just let the guys fly with the rhythm section--when in doubt, lay out and all that. Still, would love to figure out how exactly to write down Monk's comping for three horns. Nothin' left but to do it, I guess. Aaaah-I'll quit complainin' now. Time to spin Sphere.

Well, Jason, you've got a point. There's a certain amateurish vituperativeness about the listing. Fits my mood perfectly as I sit here on permanent hold trying to get through a weather information center (into the twelth minute). WRTI, the jazz station run by Temple University, abruptly today disafilliated (apparently, though I await official word) from the Pacifica network, I can only assume over the fact that Mumia Abu-Jamal, who's on PA's death row, was to begin a series of commentaries on the Pacifica morning news show DEMOCRACY NOW. When I called the local anarchist bookstore, Wooden Shoe, to find if they've heard about this, I find that a fire gutted them Wednesday before last. Not a good day.

Completely new topic, I was browsing the wanted page and I came across across a couple of things that I found disturbing, the first is a post by Bill Donnelly who posted there last tuesday, he is selling three letters two by Robert Silverberg, one by HE. The letters are about an anthology that Bill was trying to put together. Silverberg's first letter is enthusiastic, then less after talking to his good friend HE Donnelly has the words good friend in "" why I don't know, Silverberg was best man at three of HE's weddings so if he's trying to suggest they aren't friends, he's mistaken. HE is not favorable, Donnelly suggests it's because HE isn't willing to do on spec writing which is as far as I know, payment for a story only if it's published. HE could do much better than that. Also we only have Donnelly's word that that's why HE turned him down. The book never saw print, "not because of HE and RS, but because other BIG authors declined, such as Heinlein, Clarke and Bradbury." Anyone else catch the dig at messers Ellison and Silverberg? He's selling them for a minimum price of a $100, a $100 for three letters. Sour grapes anyone? I wouldn't be surpised if this guy was hocking Bradbury's rejection letter on some Bradbury fan page. The second thing was back in december. Someone apparently in a gigantic fit of paralogia had decided that the reason HE's books are hard to find is because HE is a pompous greedy asshole, (Excusé moi?) This person intends to infringe on HE's copyright by running his stories through a OCR (I don't know what that is but they've pulled out the pin regardless) if someone can elighten me I would apreciate it. Rick if this needs to be brought to HE's attention please do? We now return you to your regularly scheduled conversation.

For the jazziest, I found some interesting sites. try: http://webcrawler.com/select/ent.musgenres.html and scroll down to jazz. There are some cool things here!!

Keegan, liked the "jazz writer" analogy - must be why I like the writing!!! Speaking of jazz musicians - a couple of years ago, I took a class in "Commercial and Jazz Literature" and was turned on to an album called "Sarah Vaughn, Live in Japan". This could go down as one of her best performances - and I think you would appreciate her version of "Poor Butterfly" where she admits that she can not remember the lyrics - she still makes music out of it!!! Caught part of the Jefferson thing, but class conflicts got in the way - what I saw was interesting, albeit a bit dry. Any thoughts about the direction China will take with their new leadership? Something to watch - although, it is sad to say, that I was witness to people griping about the networks interupting their soap operas to relay the news. I just sigh, and hope that if extra terrestrials do visit, they can find intellengent life. Thanks for putting up with me, and HAVE A HECK OF A DAY, NOW!

Todd: DIG. :)

You knew I couldn't leave that one alone, didn't you? One-time Angry Young Man, the recently-late Kingsley Amis famously compared all of science fiction to all of jazz in NEW MAPS OF HELL (1960), suggesting that both approaches/subcultures had produced a number in very interesting artists (true) who weren't getting the respect that they deserved (very true) without producing anyone genuinely first-rate (untrue, though perhaps even Algis Budrys might agree some days). That said, Ellison as jazz freak should be well-known (does anyone else here read the multiply-Hugo-winning fanzine MIMOSA? Editor/writer and Ellison pal Ted White has reminisced about his jazz critic days back in NYC in the '50s, and adventures with Ellison back when. (Of course, Ellison has also written, offhandedly, that "jazz died" in the mid-'60s...only as a big commercial ticket, sir). As a jazz writer--hmmm. That would dovetail with Joanna Russ and others' plaints about Ellison not nailing things down perfectly in a George Eliot/classicist sense (the improvisation is of the moment, and breathes more freely for that). William Kotzwinkle is another jazz writer. Avram Davidson was a klezmer writer. T. C. Boyle is a fake-jazz (Kenny G.) writer.

A late night musing: Finished SPIDER KISS (the *first* Rock and Roll Novel) and have come to the conclusion that Harlan is a jazz writer. I mean that quite literally. Harlan is able to improvise a story of stunning quality which why he can do that bookstore window shtick. Every note from Lester Young's horn didn't necessarily carry the same weight as his very *best* playing did (though, of course, all of his playing mattered. The master's mundane is genius to me). Hell, that can pretty much be said of any jazz musician. Think of comparing "Kind of Blue" with "On the Corner" (for you Miles freaks). And if you're playing the sounds of freedom like Dolphy, even if you're telling the nightmare straight, there's bound to be folks who can't understand or refuse to accept the message. The Locust knows.... Anyway, Harlan strikes me as a jazz writer...a far more intelligent and disciplined one than Kerouac. NOTE: I'm not *labeling* HE anything. Just that when I read his stuff, I "hear" it unfold in much the same way improvisation does. Smells like jazz to me. I dunno. What do you think?

Yes, at times I hate my browser. Sorry about the redundancy, and leaving Pollitt out the second time!

Wish thinking were contagious, Sue. I like most of what I've read of the products of Ellison's thought. As an essayist of the broadly-defined libertarian-left (including Marxist-feminist Joanna Russ bounding us on one side and the occasionally right-leaning libertarian Nat Hentoff on the other, and such worthies as Noam Chomsky, Vivian Gornick, Cynthia Heimel, Susie Bright, Murray Bookchin and others), Ellison has the largest following that knows him more for his non-political work, and who might not realize they're thinking politically even when they are. Hence, he's even more valuable than someone of similar literary caliber (few, but some within and outside speculative fiction), and even his least pronouncement is likely to be more invigorating than the mouthings of such "conventional wisdom"-ites as populate THE McGLAUGLIN GROUP, THE CAPITAL GANG, etc...

Wish thinking were contagious, Sue. I like most of the published products of Ellison's thought I've read. Among the broadly-defined libertarian-leftist essayists I regularly read (including Joanna Russ bounding us on the Marxist-feminist side and Nat Hentoff bounding us on the occasionally right-leaning libertarian side, and such worthies as Noam Chomsky, Vivian Gornick, Katha Pollitt, Cynthia Heimel, Susie Bright, Murray Bookchin, and others), Ellison is probably the best-known for his non-political work, and has the largest following among people who don't frequently realize they're thinking in political terms even when they are. Hence, he's even more valuable than a more politically-conventional literary artist of his caliber (rare, but there are some, in speculative fiction and without). And even at his most sandbagging, his commentary is likely to be more invigorating than anything THE McGLAUGHLIN GROUP, THE CAPITAL GANG, and other repositories of "Conventional Wisdom" are likely to come up with, even taking the participants' individual written work into account.

Harlan Ellison's thinking makes me think. Wonder if thinking is contagious??

I like to hear him think.

Harlan Ellison likes to hear himself think.

Yeah, I love that stuff with Brook Benton even though it isn't the sort of material I perform. And JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY is excellent. I think Dinah played vibes on a rendition of "All of Me" that day. It may not have made it to film or it might have been at a different Newport Festival, but I have the recording. Dinah could do lots of stuff. She was versatile. I always think of her as a jazz singer. Gotta go...good huffin' in the library!

Keegan--Now you've got me wondering if I recall any inarguable jazz performances among Dinah Washington's pop and R&B recordings, including those duets with Brook Benton that should've been Too Cute, but nevertheless swung. I'll have to go back and look at the performance caught in the '59 Newport film, JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY, and/or go flipping back through the audio archives...speaking of jazz-pop, you did catch the CBS (Sony) Records Aretha Franklin retrospective collection, didn't y'all? The few gospel-oriented recordings they allowed her to do back in the early '60s were ferocious, and the Washington-style jazzy pop was good to great. Adam--sorry I called you "Andrew". Everyone--PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER yesterday had a squib supposedly lifted from (no date given) THE LANCET, the Brit Med Assoc journal, saying that a fungus that often grows on old book paper is mildly hallucinogenic, and many scholars in years past might well have been sparked in their creativity in this wise. Hmm, knew I liked the smell of at least some old fiction magazines for some reason...

Ah! Vacation...when I can revert to my body's natural rhythms and stay up late into the night. No, no, Todd. You know too many of the same names I do for me to ever think for a minute that *you* were labeling Sinatra a jazz singer. However, it seems that perhaps you (and perhaps I) tend to judge him according to the *standards* of jazz. Frank comes up a pop singer, but as a teacher, I often must defend my categorization to young singers who hear the big band arranging and the swinging material and demand to know *why* he isn't a jazz singer. I mention the stylistic elements both of us touched upon along with the history of crooning and minstrelsy, plus Frank's lack of real, bold improvisation. Dinah's an excellent example to mention in the crossover area. She never scat sang and she recorded R&B, yet the woman was a jazz singer in her articulation and phrasing. There were many gospel influences in her singing. BTW:I'm about 3/4 of the way through "Spider Kiss" and personally, I love it so far. I've been using a microphone just like the one on the cover when I sing with the Bloviators. We call it the Elvis mic. Wish I owned one of my own!

Like the groundhog who pops up every now and then to check on the state of the apocolypse, I'm baaaaaaack! Well, for the moment anyway. Hey RICK! THANK YOU! I like the look of the whatchamacallit there! MY GUEST RANT! --grovel, grovel, grovel-- Please read it, one and all, and let me know what you think, using e-mail PUH-LEASE! (So if'n I donts likes youse I can trash it. Literally.) And speaking of e-mail, some of you might have been trying to e-mail me only to get a fancy message back with your mail which read--ahem--"This box is full". Well, darn. You know what? It was. And the dump system died. So, in place of that there thingie I have installed yet another e-mail adddress: It goes like this: thecinematicvoyeur@compuserve.com (one word, all that). Okay? Okay. Hey all, a quick thought: Anyone see Stephen King's interview on 60 Minutes last night? Thoughts? Opines? You know the drill...e-mail me. (That's what it's there for. Okay? Geez.) Until next time...Jim

Hey, Keegan--Of course we love you, as much as we know you. And I hope you didn't read my reference to Sinatra's "jazz-influenced pop" as implying he's a jazz singer, any more than, say, Sade Adu is. I'd say Nancy Wilson might stand as the surviving dividing line, along with the late Dinah Washington as her chief colleague in amphibianism, with Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald being jazz people who would do pop, and other hair-splitting. And hanging with the manager for Mingus Dynasty was more pleasantly relaxing for me than meeting many of my idols directly, for the reasons that Woods cites as much as anything...the legends too often, with good reason, feel the need to keep their guards up. And the exceptions are golden. As you can guess, I like Sinatra some of the time, but his obnoxiousness comes out in his art, too often. Likewise, Miles Davis--a genius, moreso than Sinatra I'd say, but someone who was so impressed with himself, and so willing to accept the hype that floated around him from the early '50s on, that by the '70s>'80s he was barely playing at all. Of course, heroin didn't help. His personal ugliness (Cicely Tyson was famously battered during their marriage) didn't have as much chance to express itself, but it does color his work in my memory some. But you're right--and I don't want to tsk-tsk artists for their personal choices As Artists (as people, I'm as judgemental as hell, if you hadn't noticed). However, I do think that Sinatra blew out his voice faster than it would otherwise by his hipster habits. Tony Bennett is only a bit younger and has kept most of his voice...but these foolish things are funny that way. Bennett, for that matter, appears to be a real sweetheart, and a talented painter as well as an at least extremely good jazz-pop singer...as well as a terrible actor, as Ellison completists who've sat through THE OSCAR know. He was even a bit stiff playing himself on SCTV years ago. Andrew & Sue--I don't hate Burns's work as much as you do, Andrew, but I'll agree he's overrated. PBS will bankroll him for a while yet, as long as they can, in gratitude for the Huge ratings success of THE CIVIL WAR even if they didn't like the work. The show apparently outdrew all the other networks' offerings at times in San Francisco and perhaps in other Nielsen markets on its first go-round, and PBS was Busting over that. Also, for some of us who don't know too many details about the history of baseball or the passage of the War, they were easy-to-take (and easy-to-turn-from) presentations, obviously put together under a rigid and slightly hokey formula. Not up to the best of NOVA or FRONTLINE, but not shabby. Sorry they irritated you, man (and glad they fascinated you, Sue). I imagine that my friend Laura Nakatsuka, who was the primary researcher for the author of the recent exhaustive Lincoln bio, might've had her arse bored off by the CW series, but I thought it did its job acceptably. Good luck on the Financial Danse Macabre, Sue!

Hey, Keegan--Of course we love you, as much as we know you. And I hope you didn't read my reference to Sinatra's "jazz-influenced pop" as implying he's a jazz singer, any more than, say, Sade Adu is. I'd say Nancy Wilson might stand as the surviving dividing line, along with the late Dinah Washington as her chief colleague in amphibianism, with Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald being jazz people who would do pop, and other hair-splitting. And hanging with the manager for Mingus Dynasty was more pleasantly relaxing for me than meeting many of my idols directly, for the reasons that Woods cites as much as anything...the legends too often, with good reason, feel the need to keep their guards up. And the exceptions are golden. As you can guess, I like Sinatra some of the time, but his obnoxiousness comes out in his art, too often. Likewise, Miles Davis--a genius, moreso than Sinatra I'd say, but someone who was so impressed with himself, and so willing to accept the hype that floated around him from the early '50s on, that by the '70s>'80s he was barely playing at all. Of course, heroin didn't help. His personal ugliness (Cicely Tyson was famously battered during their marriage) didn't have as much chance to express itself, but it does color his work in my memory some. But you're right--and I don't want to tsk-tsk artists for their personal choices As Artists (as people, I'm as judgemental as hell, if you hadn't noticed). However, I do think that Sinatra blew out his voice faster than it would otherwise by his hipster habits. Tony Bennett is only a bit younger and has kept most of his voice...but these foolish things are funny that way. Bennett, for that matter, appears to be a real sweetheart, and a talented painter as well as an at least extremely good jazz-pop singer...as well as a terrible actor, as Ellison completists who've sat through THE OSCAR know. He was even a bit stiff playing himself on SCTV years ago. Andrew & Sue--I don't hate Burns's work as much as you do, Andrew, but I'll agree he's overrated. PBS will bankroll him for a while yet, as long as they can, in gratitude for the Huge ratings success of THE CIVIL WAR even if they didn't like the work. The show apparently outdrew all the other networks' offerings at times in San Francisco and perhaps in other Nielsen markets on its first go-round, and PBS was Busting over that. Also, for some of us who don't know too many details about the history of baseball or the passage of the War, they were easy-to-take (and easy-to-turn-from) presentations, obviously put together under a rigid and slightly hokey formula. Not up to the best of NOVA or FRONTLINE, but not shabby. Sorry they irritated you, man (and glad they fascinated you, Sue). I imagine that my friend Laura Nakatsuka, who was the primary researcher for the author of the recent exhaustive Lincoln bio, might've had her arse bored off by the CW series, but I thought it did its job acceptably. Good luck on the Financial Danse Macabre, Sue!

Hey all! Still doing the Dance of Death with the Financial Aid folks (and you thought the macarena was stupid), trying to get life organized for riding weather (never enough free time to do what you WANT), and 'catching up' with all the folks we get in touch with via Christmas cards, who suddenly realize they haven't seen us since they 'got in touch' after Last Year's Christmas Card visitation.. Doesn't sound like much, but it keeps me hopping - and away from the computer.. **ADAM** Gotta agree that Ken Burns 'lacks the excitement' we've come to expect from film - but can't agree that entertainment is the only, or even the most important criteria for evaluation. It's hard to 'pep up' a story with tension and adventure, when it's history and it's being done accurately. I didn't find his films boring - or edge of the chair exciting - but I did find them fascinating. And I don't like baseball or wars.. But I do like getting the feel for what things were really like when they were experienced first-hand. Whether the Jefferson piece is useful or deceptive will depend on whether it presents the facts accurately or not. I'm not a fan of "Myth as History". Facts which lead to understanding are good. Myth that leads to ignorance is not so hot. It's a fairly sad state of affairs when folks prefer being entertained to being educated. 'Course, it does make choices easier - just "go with your feelings", and don't ask who or what is evoking those emotions to what purpose.. Always makes me feel like an trained animal in a circus act when my emotional chain gets yanked, and I'm expected to perform as desired on command.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

The man you're talking about is Ken Burns. Although you didn't call him a genius like many do, I feel the need to point out he is one of the WORST filmmakers of our time and the only reason he's respected (and it seems like a silly reason to me) is because is documentaries are so long. His civil war documentary was almost as long as the civil war itself and that baseball doccumentary, gee. What can be said about that horendous peice of work. Ken Burns is the only man who could put something on TV that is more boring than a basevall game. A documentary about baseball.

The discussion of the real Sinatra is quite intriguing. FYI this Tuesday and Wednesday evening PBS will be showing a documentary on Thomas Jefferson by the man who brought the Civil War and Baseball mini series to the air. It is supposed to show that while Jefferson did pen the Declaration of Independence, and other works of note, he did not always live up to the talk. Is this revisionist? or a chance to educate all? By the way, thanks to all who had suggstions for my research project. Although, you may have just given me too much extra work!!!!! Just kidding, the more information I can gather, the better. HAVE A HECK OF A DAY, NOW!

Well, I met Phil Woods but I didn't get to hang with him. I did hang with his wife and his band, but Phil doesn't hang anymore--said he did plenty of *that* in his youth. Doesn't really matter--what mattered is that the music was killer. Phil's great and he had Brian Lynch with him on trumpet (if you don't know that name, look for it on records. The dude's a spectacular player). And now...... I'M ON VACATION!!! Whooooeeee!

**KEEGAN** Ya know we do. **ALL** Bag the Hallmark Holiday and mid-winter economic doldrums "help-me-along" - it don't count if you only do it when folks is looking ta see iffen ya do.. Happy Cosmic Whatever Day!! And do your loving and appreciating round the clock.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

And by the way, was that *you* I heard chuckling on Piano Jazz? I enjoyed that show. Marion's something else, huh? I hung out with her a couple of summers ago (she's tight with Ithaca College and my mentor-that's nice for a nobody like me and also the reason I'm hanging with Phil Woods tonight). A classy lady, Marion is.

Awww, Todd. I hear every criticism of Frank and sadly nod my head because I know the truth of what you say. Yet, I'm still able to cut the man some slack. Look,the dude's old, man. Sure, there's a million voices better than his now. Mine, for one. Prob'ly yours, too, if you could get good and loosened up and let your soul fly through your mouth. I don't think it's so much the butts and booze as it is plain old age. Sure, he could have preserved himself better man, but that ain't anyone else's concern but the singer's. The instrument is the body and I defend the individual's right to choose how they treat that body. Anything else leaves ya open to the "pimps". (BTW: I really tried to quit smoking for Lent, but once again failed. I don't *want* to quit. And nope, martinis don't appear on my list, but whiskey high-balls are in there in their proportion). I only own one Frank Sinatra record(the compilation disc from the recently released Columbia boxed set of primarily "swinger", "hipster" Frank Sinatra)but I've heard a lot from libraries and on the radio and and yeah, baby, it's all an act and that act is very dated in some ways. And there's no way that I or any other historically rooted jazzicologist could call Sinatra a "jazz singer" (unless you want to extend that term to encompass the sort of pale, "sweetifyin'" of black music for white audiences ala Al Jolson). Still, Frank swings and the *material* is generally excellent and given a fair straight-ahead treatment. Yes, some of his stylings are cheesy and inauthenctic. Somehow, they've worked for Sinatra but anyone else covering that material needs to avoid copping that interpretation to be taken seriously. And yes, that's a misfortunate re-working of the lyric to "Sunny Side", but bad taste happens. One night, in college, I was singing "Everything Happens to Me" sans microphone in a local club (sittin' in with a buddy's band). I'd had a few and I was just a' singin' my heart out. Got to the last A section:"I've telegraphed, I've phoned; I sent an airmail special, too. Your answer was...." and deep from my heart came the words "Fuck off! (and there was even postage due)". Never again will I do it, though the audience thought it was a scream (young and drunk...whaddaya expect). I now sing the words "get lost" in place of that ugly turn, but perhaps you get what I'm sayin' by now anyway. Forgive me, man. I'm doin' as best I can and learnin' as I go. By the way, maybe I should sing "email" instead of "airmail" from now on. Dunno. I haven't sung that tune for a while 'cause it's too damn maudlin on me now. I prefer songs like "Happy Talk" and this great Horace Silver song I discovered called "Out of the Night Came You" (with lyrics by Horace that need absolutely no f***in' with.....Love you guys. Love me, too?

Keegan--Meeting Phil Woods would be nice. I finally kinda met Dave Brubeck and did meet Marian McPhartland a few months ago, and was somewhat abashed. But I'll be glad never to meet Sinatra. Aside from his famous disposition and his unsavory associations, there is his lack of voice since the '60s at latest (Martinis and butts are not on many singers' to-do list), and the stylistic, um, innovations...well, he did expand the jazz-influenced pop approach of Bing Crosby (another charmer), but...well, let's say that when I noticed he'd done a version of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" on one of his '50s lps, and with the Very fond memory of Billie Holiday's '30s recording of the song, I was appalled to hear his lyrical improvisation at the end--"All those chicks at my feet/On the sunny side of the street." (As opposed to "Life can be so sweet/") That will forever sum up Francis Albert for me...even though back in the '40s, though a bit stiff, he could Sing, girl. His aircheck of "It Might as Well Be Spring" on a Fred Allen show I heard once is the other consistent memory I have of his vocal work...as opposed to his acting career, which will always be typified for me by his performance as a psychopath in SUDDENLY.

Somebody posted most if not all of the Gay Talese thing in alt.fan.harlan-ellison---ooooh----maybe less than a week ago. Perhaps it's still there, perhaps not. Anyway.... you guys know I absolutely love Sinatra, yes? Ah, these idols....they're all so failable; so human. "I've got the world on a string...la dee dah dee dah dah, got the string tied 'round my fi--inger. What a world! What a feeling! I'm in love!" Happy Valentine's to all and for you lonely hearts....just think of *my* poor man sittin' home with the kids while I run around playing a "charity" gig and ultimately hangin' out with Phil Woods (after I absquatulate with my pockets full of squat after *my* gig). Having a babe ain't necessarily what it's cracked up to be. What a world! What amazing Hallmark brainwashery!! Still, the chocolate rules! Coogan--gone!

Alas, Sue, Jason, the Sinatra page is still down, maybe out. What I haven't done yet is check to see if there's an LA WEEKLY page. Btw, the club where Sinatra hassled Ellison, and where some bouncer/manager type hassles Ellison for daring not to kick himself to speed getting out of Ol' Croaker's way, is probably the nightclub Ellison describes in his early essay in the HORNBOOK, the club that had nothing really to recommend it but transitory "in place to be" status.

**JASON** Next to the last link on the Webderland links page is to the Gay Talese article. That's where I read it.. And I'm trusting Rick checks his links.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

At the KPFK site, btw, there's a link to HOUR 25's own web page. Worth a look.

Hey, Jason! Sorry you didn't get a chance to post a warning Ellison'd be back on Snyder's show...I assume that the recent reprint of Gay Talese's "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" might've inspired Snyder to have him on just now. So, if you can find a library that takes LA WEEKLY, or has the Talese essay collection, or the ESQUIRE antho that I have (SMILING THROUGH THE APOCALYPSE, a collection of essays from the mag in the 1960s), you can read Talese's mildly Sinatra-struck account, that suggests that Sinatra is a boor and that Ellison brooks no nonsense from him. Ellison has recounted his version of events at at least one convention, but dunno if he's put it into print (we can scour the biblio link, I guess). Inasmuch as Talese obviously does all but worship Sinatra, the Chairman of the Hepcat Board presumably was at least as much a jerk and bully as he was portrayed, obsessed with the fact that Ellison was wearing (apparently stylish) boots in a nightclub. (Ellison and a friend are playing pool, Sinatra sits at the bar and tries to pick a fight when Ellison doesn't kiss his arse).

So what did everybody think of HE's apperance on the late late show last friday? I wish I knew what the Frank Sinatra story was though.

Thanks for the order form. I've looked for Harlan's books everywhere in this hellhole of a state and could not find shit. Hope you keep your page forever and if you see Harlan, tell him I said HI

Thanks for the order form. I've looked for Harlan's books everywhere in this hellhole of a state and could not find shit. Hope you keep your page forever and if you see Harlan, tell him I said HI

Todd et al: please e-mail me with questions/offers about helping with reviews, etc. The books being taken changes almost daily, and there are other ways to help out...click the e-mail link at the top of the comments page or write webmaster@harlanellison.com.

**AHavoc** WOW!! A New Baby! Details, please! My "Baby" is finishing up his sophomore year at college right now.. I do have a good memory, though - which is why I snicker "It's not ME" every time I see a pregnant woman... (;-)... Seriously (as I can get, here), *LOVE* my kids. Life is sure different after kids. I thought I was into truth and morality in my youth.. Pssshhhhawww! That was playing games - got into hard core values when I had kids, and suddenly there were lifelong consequences for them if I screwed up and taught it to them wrong.. Aaahh, wonderful memories of the kids growing up - and thank heavens someone (well, a whole LOT of someones) reminded me to enjoy while I could. What seemed like a forever state of parenting certianly came to an abrupt end after such a short time. Now I can enjoy my kids as adults - but those kiddies things are still so close to the heart. **TODD** Thanks for letting me know what I won.. I had forgotten, since I thought I was disqualified.. **BARNEY** No fair chintzing on the postage, and making me come to I-CON to get the goodies!.. (;-).. Though we are trying to put together a little I-CON package for ourselves.. **RICK** NICE!! Nice.. Now wait a minute - I don't want to be a sycophant or fanboy, here.. But Geez, sure *liked* the updated material on Webderland.. Now what was it you wanted again?? I'm probably not qualified to do much more than read it - but if there's anything I can do to help, drop me an e-mail.. Like, that's the Mom Job Description - whatever anyone else doesn't want to do that needs to be done.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Well, dipped back into the archives, and hey, Sue, congrats again! A copy of the second omnibus And the F&SF Ellison issue from Barney. That's sweet. Web-browsers: KPFK (Pacifica network station in LA, home of HOUR 25, which Ellison hosted for a year) is putting out a call for help, as the Corp Against Public Broadcasting is being instructed to Investigate Pacifica for racism. The only Pacifica-owned station I've been in listening distance of has been DC's WPFW, which does continue to host the anti-Jewish, more or less anti-white "The Spear", but then again the ABC radio giant in DC continues to host Rush Limbaugh's similarly simplistic hate parade w/o license challenges. Worth a look.

This is a test. Nothing to see here. They can go about their business.

Congratulations, Havoc, and condolences for the colds and the domination of Simpson coverage. What a lousy way to begin...better luck. FORREST GUMP, the movie, appears to be an attempt to suggest that Ignorance not only is Bliss, but Grace, but I didn't see it, and understand the novel is somewhat more sophisticated. Rick--Thanks for the info, and what books have been taken so far? Who gets to do THE SALAMANDER ENCHANTMENT?

How much hardware? Just this li'l ol' P-90. Webderland itself runs on a Pentium 133 along with the rest of menagerie.net, except for the comments board which cei.net and wirehead are good enough to host for us (and God knows WHAT they've got it on!).NOW THE BIG NEWS - THE UPDATE IS ONLINE!!!! I've still got a bunch of links to add and correct, and a new rant to write, and am waiting on submissions from a half-dozen or so sources, but you should have some shiny new toys to play with. **** ALSO **** If anyone cares to look at my partial review of _Shatterday_ in the Bio/Biog section and do a similar treatment of another story collection, please check with me for format requirements and to make sure the collection isn't taken already. Here's the rub - Harlan himself said he would LOVE to look at these reviews as they are finished and add his own comments! I'm also looking for guest ranters and folks with copies of HE's audio recordings they wouldn't mind loaning to me so I can digitize some excerpts for the web page....

Hello all. Sorry I missed all the fun but I was busy having a baby. (1/23/97). But, seems that after all these years HE still has faith and continues to try to get something intelligent done on TV, otherwise, why go on these shows? Is it just for the money? RE: Revisionist History and the episode in that High School...Reminds me of why I hated Forest Gump. I thought that it belittled the peace movement as well as the Black movement and that insulted me. I couldn't understand why people liked that movie, and still don't. A 2 hour encapsulation of someone's idea of what the 50's and 60's were all about and everybody thinks it's the truth. Give me a break. Won't be going to any Con for a while, so everyone, have fun while you're there and post when you can so I can read what I'm missing. (They will have net access there won't they? They should.) I guess it's just human nature though, re: history. People don't like to look at the mistakes of the past, or the pain this country went through trying to change what was wrong, so people pretend that it just didn't happen. Life's easier that way. Warhol's 15 minutes of fame is too much when the populace can only keep it's attention on something for 3. Don't mind me, my 19 day old baby and I both have a bad head cold so I'm pissed at the world. Did you know Hollyw$$d is already making a TV movie on the little girl who was killed? And who the hell cares about OJ anyway. I could care less about it, but that's all that was on TV. The ratings game is making me ready to shoot the messenger so I can just read 3 or 4 papers and figure out what's going on for myself.

Keegan--Yes, I like Elvis Mitchell pretty well, too (you have to like the name). Alyssa Katz, columnist for THE NATION, might have made the cut if I hadn't read the new issue, in our mail yesterday, in which she had fairly intelligent things to say about SPIN CITY and INK and the spate of workplace sitcoms, but had the poor judgement to refer to the excruciatingly arch caricature that is Murphy Brown as (paraphrase) a touchingly realistic character. For a variety of reasons, the hyperannuated children of MURPHY BROWN have always annoyed me, when, say NEWSRADIO or THE DREW CAREY SHOW are very easy to take (perhaps because the latter shows' characters recognize when they're being childish, as opposed to occasionally acknowledging that they're being so and then continuing to be). Sue--Thanks, but it wasn't Stephen Hawking I was trying to think of, but Patrick Moore...whose career would fit neatly between Sagan's and Asimov's, and whose books I heartily recommend. Ever read Steven Weinberg, he of THE FIRST THREE MINUTES (not as interdisciplinary as your guy sounds, but in a similar direction)? Or, for that matter, Bob Black, lawyer, anarchist, advocate of a culture of play? Rick--How much hardware do you have to tie up to do the multiple tasks of this web booklet?

**TODD** I think astronomy has passed into the phsysict range of specialization for the theoretical these days.. And I think you were trying to think of Steven Hawkins.. But I think David Boehm is a better candidate, since he champions the idea of "play" as instrumental to the createvity of thought necessary for breakthroughs.. And also is the only Big League Physicist I am aware of who wrote an entire book (Wholeness and the Implicate Order) which questions the division of specialties within science, and the separation of science from other creative activities. Wonder about the music end.. Sad to say, but these days most folks get to the top by intensively working and studying in narrowly defined disciplines, and don't have enough left over for other areas. Still, it is interesting to speculate on. Wonder how many rocket scientists and musicians HE knows?? **RICK** I wait with almost baited breath (hey! I gotta have a social life ;-) for the !NEW! Webderland.. **ALL** I'm in the midst of a Busy Season - so please bear with me while I dig my way out. I haven't deserted you, just being loyal more slowly.. Try High - Fly Straight - Drive Safe

Hey gang - hard at work on a major update to Webderland, and I'vegot a couple of Edgeworks posters sent in by a loyal browser. Ifyou'd like one, please e-mail me (don't reply here, I can't keepup with this damned thing anymore!) and I'll send one out to thefirst couple of replyers. The poster has a shiny gold finishwith the names of many of the titles to be included in the series.

Sorry, but that's it!

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