Gasp! by Laura Axelrod

Bill Bonner's address to the Class of 2009

Bill Bonner from the Daily Reckoning, gives a fabulous view of the screw-job that the college graduates of 2009 are facing.

"The luck of one generation is the curse of the next. Like Pericles, your parents inherited a dollar; they leave you a peso. They took over the strongest, richest, most competitive nation in the world. And like Pericles they minded everyone’s business but their own."

Video of a Dog Licking a Cat

I don't think I've ever uploaded a video of our beagle licking our cat. Molly and Angela have a periodic love affair. It's mutual.

Comment Roundup

Over the past few weeks, people have commented all over the place on Gasp! In an attempt to centralize things, let's take a look at what people have had to say:

Julie Hemming Savage, author of "Women Making America" tells us that this self-published book will find its way into Books-A-Million. Congrats.

Sheena Troup called out Hershel Walker. She says she's your cousin from Mt. Vernon and would you kindly mind getting in touch with your family? They haven't seen you since the family reunion last year.

John Jung, author of "Southern Fried Rice" would like everyone to know that he recently published another book called "Chopsticks in the Land of Cotton: Lives of Mississippi Delta Chinese Grocers."  Be sure to check it out.

Confidential to Anonymous... Helen Keller jokes may be more popular than me, but they are also a hell of a lot more older. (The comment was deleted after a good laugh.)

If you are looking for a Netflix-kind of book service, Bookgoddess thinks you should check out Bookswim. Thanks for the tip. I like the clarity of their site. I'm tempted to try it.

Elizabeth Spreen asks me what Crisco tastes like. I don't think it had a distinctive taste. Smooth would probably be the best word. The most tasty inappropriate substance I ever ate was a moist type of dog food that they don't make anymore. I can't remember what it was called but it looked like ground beef. Not that it tasted fabulous - none of that stuff did. But when comparing things such as Crisco, Elmer's Glue, etc. dog food was the best.

And finally, I posed a question which will most likely never be answered. Here it is: What's the difference between Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble? Send me an email or toss me a comment.

Where was Scott Walters in 1968?

Scott Walters was kind enough to be interviewed for Project 1968.

By the way, I had no idea that the man has three college degrees - including a PhD in theater-related subjects. And if that's not enough, you can purchase a book he co-authored off of Amazon.

Gosh, how long have we all been conversing with him via blog... I had no idea.

Books and Interviews on 1968

Project 1968 is expanding once again. Now that the groundwork has been laid for the fictional aspect of the project, I am now beginning to post the documentary portion.

Part One of my interview with Roger Armbrust, who gives his thoughts about 1968. Part Two will be posted later today. This is the first of many interviews with a cross-section of the country. Subjects will not be limited to general feelings about 1968. These interviews with also feature specific topics pertinent both to the period as well as the current political and social climate.

Books on the '60s is another feature. Recently postings include Jessica Mitford's book, The Trial of Dr. Spock: The Reverend William Sloane Coffin, Jr., Michael Ferber, Mitchell Goodman, and Marcus Raskin.

What I call "A Sampler from Dr. Benjamin Spock" is in the Notes section. This feature will consist of raw notes from documents on the time period.

As always, Janine continues blogging on a daily basis. There are only 10 more days until the New Hampshire primary - the first contest in 1968. Lyndon Johnson is still in office. What will later become known as The Tet Offensive has already happened. They've tightened up the draft loopholes, which is now forcing students to take greater action. Many are ending up at the campaign headquarters.

Amy is still working through her fears about someone finding her "record." Her father, a well-known journalist in Chicago has a vicious sense of foreboding about the year. Amy belongs to the Core Committee, which is preparing for the National Conference. Held in secret, the Conference will determine what actions will be taken for the entire year - including the conventions.

More announcements and features shortly...

Bill Buckley is dead

Fox News is reporting that William F. Buckley Jr. died. I have no doubt that this post will annoy some people. But let's go beyond politics for a moment, and allow me to tell you why this is sad.

1) As an author, Buckley treated his readers with respect. His books on conservatism lacked the crassness of the current crop of writers. You may not have agreed with him, but he didn't indulge in gratuitous insults and pointless rants.

2) As a television host, he had style. His classic interviews with such people as Noam Chomsky are still worth watching. Two intellects battling it out without yelling, spitting and exclamation points. Buckley, Dick Cavett and others could never find a home in today's environment, where saying it loud beats out saying it well.

3) Again, you may not have agreed with him, but people of his generation were well-schooled in the classics. It makes me green with envy when I consider his education. While I was not as fortunate to have his social class and background, I always felt that I could achieve his level of mental acuity by following the Walt Whitman method of education. Reading, studying the classics, and thinking things through makes one a better person. I have a feeling that Bill Buckley would've agreed.

Here's the classic Chomsky/Buckley interview off of YouTube.

Things I love

I miss....

• snow, although it seems like we're in for it this weekend.

• friends, who seem either tied up or far away.

• stories simply told, like those from the Circle Repertory Company.

• City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco.

• the vibrant saturated color of the Golden Gate Bridge.

• writing in coffee shops with other writers. Alone, yet together.

• Christopher, my cat.

• sitting under the tree at the LBJ Library.

• sweaty, Texas days. Oh, I never thought I'd say that.

I'd also like to thank E. Hunter Spreen for the mention on her blog about Project 1968, as well as her note to me. It's a risk, putting creative work out there. Especially considering that Blog Docu-Novels are a new thing and I'm making the form up as I go along. So her kindness meant a great deal.

Patrick's Meme

Oy, Patrick Gabridge has tapped me for his meme. It’s called “Five Strengths.” Here’s it is:

"Make a list of five strengths that you possess as a writer/artist. It's not really bragging, it's an honest assessment (forced upon you by this darn meme). Please resist the urge to enumerate your weaknesses, or even mention them in contrast to each strong point you list. Tag four other writers or artists whom you'd like to see share their strengths."

1) I have lots and lots and lots of ideas. I don’t seem to ever run out of them. In fact, I probably have more ideas for articles, books, films and other creative projects than I will ever be able to implement.

2) I’m very good at taking a form, tinkering with it and creating something new. This extends beyond writing to day jobs. My office resume states that I excel at creating new processes. I gravitate towards cutting-edge, which is probably why theater and I didn’t get along too well.

3) I love rewriting. I love getting rid of extra verbiage. It comes from writing poetry as a child.

4) I keep an open mind. I’ll entertain all sorts of ideas – from the absolute wacky to the unbearably rigid. It doesn’t matter who thought the thought; only the thought itself matters. I can listen to Air America, Far-Right Radio, Coast to Coast, Whitley Strieber and give it all equal credence. Anything is possible. Isn’t that what creativity is about?

5) I’ve always read a tremendous amount of books and magazines. And I’m glad to finally come out of the closet about it. Especially since I was taught to never talk about things that other people may not know about. Yes, that’s weird, but that’s why I always kept my reading a secret. If I didn’t, I was accused of being a braggart. So, in an effort not to make people uncomfortable, I never talked about anything I read.

Now, I have to give this to five people. Too bad I’m “in-between communities” right now. Patrick, can we expand this meme to include people in other professions? How about “five strengths for your particular profession.” Sigh. I hope I’m not breaking the rules. I’m such a rule-freak.

Here it is. Scott, Joshua (because I know you guys still read Gasp), Cormac, Owentew (even though I don’t know if he’ll do it) and Megan.

The subject is a doodle

"The drawings may not be great art, but they take doodling to a new level." (Benjamin Gennocchio from the NY Times)

I know it's a review of ballpoint drawings, but if I were the artist, I don't think I'd want that sentence in a review of my work.

Apropos of Nothing

I have deadline issues. I've got a whole set of teeth to grind, and a load of stuff to write. Here's a few thoughts, apropos of nothing.

• The retro-ness of this kills me. I don't suppose this is the same woman who got Michael Jackson pregnant. Heh.

• Much to my chagrine, I don't have an ERA NOW button. Sure wish I did though, as this will certainly drive the value of those buttons up.

• A year in Austin has spoiled me in one respect: Having the ability to spend almost every Saturday morning at the Whole Foods flagship store. Organic scrambled eggs... Yum. They recently opened a Whole Foods here in Alabama, and while it's very good, it's not the same. No raspberry white chocolate scones, for instance, and no humus wraps. But I'm still grateful for what they do have... Just wish it was a little more (like their flagship store.)

• Buying the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal is fast becoming a Friday morning ritual. Throwing them out, largely unread, has become my Sunday night ritual.

  (Though I did read Teachout's review of Joan Didion's play. If I was in New York right now, I'd love to see it for two reasons. A) I love Joan Didion, and B) I'd love to know how they externalized deeply introspective prose. If anyone in NYC is going to see this play, please email me. Thanks.)

• While in South Carolina last November, I got hooked on Flip This House. My fascination, I think, had to do with the Charleston people featured on the show. They seemed like fun, positive real estate people. Considering it wasn't a fun positive period in my life, that show helped cheer me up a little. Anyway, those fun people had some kind of legal problem with A&E and now, they are on TLC. "A Homerun for Trademark" was on this past weekend, which served as an introduction to the group. Their show, "The Real Deal," will begin this month. I'm looking forward to it.

• Jethro, that photo hound, sent me this link last week. Very cool.

Have a good Monday.

The Intellectuals are Coming

I love reading about social cycles and future trends. Here's a fascinating book review/explanation of Dr. Ravi Batra's The New Golden Age. He believes that a new golden age might be upon us, as the Acquisition Age might be running its course.

Optimistically, he believes its only a matter of time before the intellectual class takes control.

Imagine...

Dick Cavett instead of Jay Leno.

Gore Vidal (or practically any author) circa 1967 instead of James Frey.

Janis Joplin (who could discuss Evelyn Waugh before rocking out) versus Britney Spears.

Perhaps that's why I can't get beyond 1979 in my book collection. Or why I'm at odds with the current culture. The Acquisitors have been in power.

Well, it makes sense to me anyway...

Regarding... (Catching up on emails)

Regarding the Birmingham Lyric Theater: I don’t know how to get a hold of anyone there. I don’t know anything other than what I wrote. For those who do searches on the pictures I took that day, please note that they can’t be republished or used in any fashion without my consent. Though I don’t mind you look at them on my site. If you need to talk about it further, please email me.

Regarding Original Works Publishing: Yes, my play was published by them. So far, I’ve had no complaints. Like with any publishing endeavor, I’d recommend doing extra publicity yourself. (And sorry it took so long to respond to these inquiries. I got a slew of them during the death season.)

Regarding living in the country: Jethro wanted me to clear this up. While we do live in the country, in an old farmhouse, this does not mean we’re living in Mayberry RFD. (Although having left NYC only a few years ago, it does feel like that to me.) We’re a stones throw away from three major cities here in the Southeast and can plan day trips effortlessly.

As well, I should mention that Jethro isn’t a farmer. He’s a journalist/photographer who has spent most of his professional life working in the major media. Just to clarify that.

Regarding living in Alabama: Back in 2003, when I was living in New York City, working in Times Square and very ill, I wanted to live in the country where I could write. I wanted to live cheaply, be close to nature, and not deal with the pressures that were all around me. I wanted to hear birds, smell flowers and deal with people who didn’t care how much money I made in a year.

I have that life now, and I’m very happy.