Thursday, May 19, 2022

On The Road With Al And Ivy: A Literary Homeless Blog - May 2022



"...if you wish to know what a man really is give him power."

- Robert G. Ingersoll - 1883

The origin of "retail workers" is well documented. In 1969, a stale potato chip that people in Chicago thought was the spitting image of the Virgin Mary turned out to be a petrified slice of scalloped potato that an Internet expert dated as being from 198,7890,765 A.D. and was actually an excerpt from the Lost Gospel Of Murgatroyd, Chapter 3, paragraph 14. [Citation needed: The writer admits the "A.D." is an autocorrect error and should read "B.C." but says if not editing any work of genius was good enough for Kerouac, it's good enough for the AI bot he claims generated this blog entry. Besides, the increase in historical accuracy would be minimal even if corrected]

The excerpt relates that the great Babylonian King Hammaruby MacLaughin The Awesomely Dishy One asked the wise men of his council, "How do we create a class of people who will free us up from distractions like clothing, feeding, and providing shelter for our amateur laborers?"

Ishtar Von Strauss, a young but prodigiously talented man whose precocious intelligence marked him for early execution to eliminate competitors to Hammarubi's rule replied, "There is a new religion called 'Mash' which says pay them peanuts and let them worry about how to feed and clothe themselves."

…oh wise one…

The wise benevolent King regretfully had him barbecued on the Holy Grill for heresy against the one true faith which was himself; but never one to waste a good idea, he decreed that all amateur laborers were to be freed, and paid the lowest possible wage to continue doing the same work.

Some of the nobles fretted that this would remove a source of free labor. One Sultan named Conan Smith suggested that perhaps women could be made into a slave class, but that was seen as a redundancy to the existing order and the idea was quickly dropped.

Unfortunately so many pilgrims kissed the Holy Scalloped Potato to receive the Virgin's blessing that it disintegrated and it was assumed that The Holy Mother returned to heaven after yet another futile attempt to bring Christian values to Chicago.

Although Babylon didn't survive the onslaught by Iron Age Assyrian Warrior Jocks, the basic concept of the Retail Worker survived.

…serfs up dude…

An agricultural system was developed in the Middle Ages whereby wretched peasants who needed something to do when not being used as unpaid infantry were given a plot of land to farm and allowed to keep approximately one half of the crop and to pay 30 to 50% of the land value in taxes (or the rest of the harvest if he couldn't come up with the cash I would imagine). The serf also had to work the noble's personal land for free, accepting occasional beatings and humiliation (a custom that survives into modern times in the service sector), providing female relatives for sexual services, and cleaning out the castle privy once a week rain or shine.

It goes without saying that some nobles probably took more, though accounts of abuse and exploitation were refuted in 1822 when noted Medieval Scholar Ivydog Tremain uncovered a 1098 A D. text from the King of Siam. The translation from the ancient sanskrit reads as follows:

"Our Ever Superb and Sexy Potentiate is passionate about creating an exciting and innovative workplace for our valuable and cherished Associates. The Son of the Great Serpent Goddess Jasmintea takes any accusations of exploitation seriously and promises swift and painful retribution for those who make such specious claims about their Sovereign."

The concept of retail workers almost disappeared with the end of serfdom as land became too valuable to remain rental properties for unwashed peasants who lowered property values and compounded the problem by refusing to fight for free in sundry raids and wars without some sort of actual compensation besides the right to grow food and the occasional sacking and looting of towns. 

…show me the money…

Paying people in actual goods was very expensive. Duke Prune of Laxitve in a 1024 A.D. tweet noted that feeding each foot solder cost a half-penny per day. That would be the equivalent of about a million dollars today, or just enough to buy a hamburger in New York City.

[Citation needed: writer appears to be using the standard U.S. Government algorithm for estimating the Defense Budget as seen below: 

#include <stupd.h>
int main()
{
   // Rip off taxpayers instruction inside quotations
   int testbudgetInteger = .05
   printf("Number = %d", testbudgetInteger);
   return 1000000;
}
]

The noted French scholar Nostrildumo commented in a Facebook post that the one true retail worker concept was before it's time because money that was almost worthless hadn't been invented yet.

The beauty of currency is that the more you print, the less it's worth, thus increasing the size of the service sector brings down costs as the payrolls are covered by increasingly cheaper dollars. [Citation needed: The writer hasn't met the stringent Internet requirements to qualify as an online Economist which requires possession of a valid free email address and social media account. He appears to assume the dollar was a monetary standard in 1023 A.D. which at least one out of the three fact checker agencies contacted declares is possibly fake news]

…1776…

They say (not sure who "they" are, finding out would take actual research) that necessity is the birthing person of invention and the little known "Crisis Of 1776" created the crucible in which modern retail workers and other social inferiors were created.

In 1776, American merchants and rich land owners had someone who knew how to write in very nice looking cursive create what was called "The Declaration Of Independence" which became the law of the land after a brisk but victorious war with England, various Native Americans who owned land coveted for commerical development, and fellow Americans who felt that the British tax rate was preferable to the IRS. 

The Second Biological Parents of the new republic then doubled down with a document called "The Constitution" which codified the basic rights of man into law. An impasse in the Continental Congress caused by objections to the statement "all men are created equal" was resolved by simply assuming that the Declaration didn't apply to anyone who wasn't considered a "men" back then, which included women, anyone of color, slaves, foreigners, Irish, prisoners of war, horse thieves, cattle rustlers, claim jumpers, poker cheaters, people trying to purchase goods with beaver pelts, anyone caught kicking in a fair fight, and any varmint who didn't own at least three firearms.

In other words, as the 1778 blogger Ivan Fogger wrote, "The restless American ethos found expression in the 'ad litteram' adaptation of the core principles of Greek Democracy which made everyone equal as long as they were muscular rich dudes of good birth." The inspiring march to total equality became a sprint by the 1970s whereby even women gained the right to mouth off about pro athletes and run up credit card bills.

…problems and solutions…

This created a dilemma: If everyone is equal, who can people look down on and abuse?

The solution was found in 2056 when The Fed suggested that since the value of the dollar was no longer tied to the gold standard and was just a piece of paper with a fiat value set by the Government, then valuations of people could be tied to the dollar which would restore it to it's rightful place as a measure of social standing.

This intricate and possibly nonsequitur monetary logic has the odor of pungent truth and explains the dynamic between a customer and retail worker which also involves the temporary granting of absolute power to the former made possible by lots of money.

…status…

This relationship has been described elsewhere in various articles but the basic idea is that a customer assumes an elevated status once he or she enters the store. The retail clerk or associate's task is to make the experience of extracting every dollar from wallets or purses as pleasant as possible. That also means that customers know that they're dealing with someone who's cognizant of the fact that any screw up or conflict can cost them their job. 

Most of us are aware of this and temper any impulse to strangle or bullwhip a clerk with the realization that getting a person fired over a mistake or rudeness (possibly due to having a bad day with customers) is, at least after passions have cooled, a case of overkill.

Most of the people who assault or abuse retail or service sector workers come from a small subset of people who use the temporary power to amplify anger or sociopathy. I should note that one exception to my point about how a small subset of people uses power is the customer service field, where a very large percentage of both customers and service workers torture each other like couples do after ten years of marriage.

…Machiavelli’s The Prince…

One of the most famous dissertations about power is Machiavelli's "The Prince" which was published in 1532 (though written much earlier). It was intended as “an instruction manual for new princes and royals” as the Wiki site states, which of course makes it an ideal primer for Americans.

The author discusses the pragmatic use of power though one of many modern interpretations is that gaining and holding power can require the use of amoral or brutal means.

Machiavelli wasn't creating anything new. His book is an analysis of then current and past rulers and describes those who successfully gained and held power (plus examples of those who failed). Abridged versions can make his observations and lessons read like maxims which is misleading as many of his statements were part of detailed essays that provided context, and more importantly, nuance.

For example, his assertion that a ruler must at least maintain the appearance of being moral isn't an absolute if the full section is read. The point is that using force or immoral methods may be necessary but that a moral face should be put on it. That's a complex point and can be interpreted as a justification for hypocrisy or lying, just as the "It's nothing personal just business" phrase from Mario Puzo's Godfather book is often used to rationalize cold blooded or sociopathic acts.

…black and white…

Both authors rarely used black and white interpretations in their books (though I'm sure the experts might argue fine points). In Machiavelli's case the Prince was urged to rule justly if at all possible, and I refer readers back to my blog entry about Puzo's Godfather for a fuller discussion about the "just business" phrase.

If Machiavelli's writings distilled basic principles for using or holding power, then one related conclusion is that basic human behavior hasn't changed very much either. 

...a little digression from power about witch hunting…

For example, the labels and morality may change but a witch hunter in medieval times was basically the same type of person who now tries to get this or that behavior or thought severely punished. 

The issue isn't just power but the type of power. The most dangerous aspect of a witch hunt isn't the punishment but that an unsupported accusation can be enough to condemn a person if it fits a popular or enforced prejudice. These processes generally operate with the tacit or open consent of a group or population. Many people treat disagreement or nonconformity as a form of stupidity, danger to society, or evil intent and that's a fertile environment for mobs and witch hunts.

The Inquisition added the formality of a trial to add legitimacy and the tribunals were run by respected people of their day (at least publicly) and contrary to modern thought that assumes everyone is a rebel, these trials were probably regarded by the populace with the same range of attitudes you see on the Internet.

…look to the future…

When one reads the news, listens to experts on cable news going on about this or that event, or sees a social media attack, it's good to remember that there'll be a time in the distant future when others will look at what happened and not only judge the idea but also the process. That's why terms like "witch hunt," "kangaroo court," or "lynch mob" are now synonymous with oppression, bigotry and even insanity, as opposed to being what people at the time thought were acts of justice and the protection of society.

It could be argued that Machiavelli was also, as George Orwell would have put it, a power worshipper. In his era, there wasn't a lot of experience in democracy, which not even the Greeks saw it the way Americans do. He was writing more to impress and flatter his superiors to create a job opportunity than to impart the wisdom of the ages, and tended to talk about "the people" like they were a herd of sheep to be led by nobility. The book is also an affirmation of monarchies and their self-interest. 

That's not to say it's a useless book in a democratic age. The various social and power structures still exist. Outside of those specific areas covered by the Constitution and laws, there is no guaranteed equality. 

A CEO or manager can be as ruthless or absolute as any dictator, at least as long as he or she makes money for the company and stockholders. An athletic coach can treat any non-millionaire athlete like a peon as long as the team is winning. Even if a leader violates the law, like with harassment, it's still as difficult to get justice as it was for a commoner going up against a Duke. In most professions it's still sort of acceptable to engage in backstabbing, lying, cheating, and manipulation as long you don't get caught or turn a profit.

In other words, most morality is regulated on the honor system and that grey area is the playground of Machiavellians.

I do consider Machiavelli's The Prince to be essential reading. It may not hold any universal truths for you, but the fact that so many of the world's political and social leaders follow or appear to follow precepts from the book makes it a way to understand the world they create as it is, not as they say it is.



...and now for cat lore...

"A Roman soldier who had accidentally killed a cat was torn to pieces by the mob before the eyes of Diodorus, although the Romans were at the time masters of the country, and the reigning Ptolemy did his utmost to save the offender. For the majority of the people the cat was an incarnate god."

- Archibald Henry Sayce 
(The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia 1903)


Vampire Kitty: Women And Cats - Part One

You women may be shocked to read this, but more than a few men have been known to act like entitled spoiled brats, though the reason for such feminine ignorance may be because such manly behavior has been the norm for so long that it's induced a state of psychological lobotomization or assumption of normalcy.

However, noted scholar and Professor Ivydog of Shitzu U has identified the primary spiritual bulwark against the wear and tear of toxic masculinity in her best selling self-help book, "Men Give Me A Case Of Ass," which is, of course, getting a cat.

In her uncompromising tome, Ivydog poses the question "why would women pick an animal that is hard to please, demanding and aloof when they could just get married?"

This humble writer has no satisfactory answer, and the good Professor couldn't find one either in the course of 13,456 pages complete with footnotes and illustrations. There were some good guesses though.

Note: This blog is passionate about providing a balanced view of issues, so the following review of Professor Ivydog's book is quoted here. It was written by Hiram MacCheesemo and reads as follows:

"The good professor fails to realize that pets mirror their owners. Women relate to cats because they take regular baths, prefer to poop in clean bathrooms, keep their dingies spotless, nag their owners, take care of their fur, and enjoy spas. Men prefer dogs because they slobber, eat with their mouths open, never bathe unless forced to, go to the bathroom anywhere, lick their genitals, eat anything including their night soil, sniff people's butts and feet, chase pussycats, bark at people, and lie to their wives about how much they paid for a guitar."

As you can see, there are two sides to every story.

Modern civilization is fortunate to have insight on such mysteries due to the efforts of male writers in ancient times to create speculative tracts on the nature of womynkind's connection to pussy cats and achieving this feat without asking women what they thought.

…insight…

There probably were ancient writings on the subject by women, though after translation or editing by publishers (men of course) most have also ended up concluding that feline fans are witches, demons, shamans, Jezebels, or some combination of those archetypes. [Citation needed: The writer claims that he got the background information for this essay from a Latikian Shaman who runs a website that asserts that Joan Of Arc was in fact a time traveler from Chicago who went back to save France from a fatty diet of bangers and mash and disgusting warm beer that tastes like horse pee. Our fact checkers do agree that the French dodged a bullet there]

Men have no one to blame but themselves for the female-meow tribe bond, at least to the extent that they care. They've created a body of literature that indoctrinates women from birth to expect a dishy monogamous Prince to come and take them away to a life complete with luxurious castle and unlimited credit. The odds of finding such a paragon are about the same as getting real meat in a two dollar sandwich.

…quick start instructions…

Fables and Fairy Tales serve as quick start instructions for kids to learn morality and enforce the social order. Men use such training on young females before they realize they're smarter and a lot tougher. Women use such training on children before they become teenagers who realize that they're, duuuh, smarter than everybody and a lot tougher.

One Japanese Fable, "The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima" combines a beautiful woman and a vampire cat to create the ultimate vixen, although like many parables you can read anything you like into it.

I won't go into detail about it as it's one of many stories in a public domain Kindle book (Tales Of Old Japan by Lord Redesdale) so it can be enjoyed for free without my risking giving out a spoiler. In short, the fable is about a supernatural demon cat that assumes the body of a beautiful woman and becomes a badass "Vampire" spirit who begins to oppress a nobleman. Which come to think of it, sounds like it could have been written by a woman.

…lost in translation…

It's possible that the original Japanese text described a different sort of apparition and the author, who was British, might have used the word vampire as the closest English equivalent. In his era the succubus was a terrifying damned soul that was a blood sucker who could only be stopped by the power of a crucifix, a vegan diet based on fresh garlic, sharpened chop sticks, tricking it into partying all night so the rising sun can barbecue it, or it's power attenuated by media overexposure.

Vampire stories weren't created solely to sell movie tickets, but served as a traditional way to hound people into virtue and discourage teenagers from giving each other hickies.

In modern times, most sensible vampires stay out of the spotlight to avoid social media attacks, paparazzi, and the constant crush of groupies clamoring to be made into freshly minted undead (which would create a Malthusian Theory situation where predators eat themselves into extinction, except here you’d have billions of immortal blood suckers unable to post Instagram pics of their latest meal).

Tabby symbolism covers a wider range; from deities, spirits, demons, Ninja Warriors who fight mice and spiders, and the perfect accessory pet for witches and others who are part of Team Satan. Although a cynic might suggest such pejorative imagery reflects an ingrained masculine terror of women, a more reasonable explanation is that such kitterball lore served as cautionary tales about the evil feminine powers of females until the advent of Heavy Metal lyrics in the 70s, after which men conceded that women scare the daylights out of them. [Citation needed: our fact checkers found no evidence that metal rockers fear women and that the animus stems from competition for dwindling supplies of cheap aerosol hairspray]

Keep in mind that the subject of women and cats is actually more complex than I've described and as the great Roman philosopher Ivy Shizuticus said in 123,456,789 B.C., "Ego inviously loqueris multum BS hic ad entertainment proposita."

In Part 2, I'll delve deeper into cat literature, including more on Soeseki's classic book, "I Am A Cat."








The Quitters Update - May 2022

The book is up to 20 chapters, though that's due to keeping the episodes short to prevent each from being too expensive. My preference would be for less and each to be twice as long so more detail and backstory can be added. 

What I'm planning to do is end this book sometime during July with the main character heading to Southern California. Instead of making it a very long series, I'll continue Nym's adventures there into a second book and that'll allow me to extend the story into the early 80s. I haven't decided if the character will go into synth pop, new wave or power pop yet. It's been fun creating this book, so I'll just keep writing it on the fly and explore.

I'm going to compile the episodes in the first book and after revising it, put it out as an eBook. I can add a lot of material that would have added a lot of color and context to the story but slowed the pacing down in the Kindle Vella episodic format. For example, I had planned to add a running narrative about the English and New York punk scenes to the book, but left a lot of that material out. The eBook version will give the reader a fuller view of the late 70s punk movement and also more about how the Rock Establishment reacted to it.

I did integrate some of that into the episodes, but the fuller chapters struck me as being more appropriate for a full novel one can read at a more leisurely pace. I enjoy the Vella format as it's nice to essentially get paid to develop a story, but it's obvious that a serial and a discrete novel are two different types of projects. Each has it's advantages.

Hide In Plain Sight Update - May 2022

One major change is that I've decided to use the original ending that was in the early drafts. The events in my book actually ended a few weeks before Ivy passed away, and including that sad time made it necessary to rewrite the second half, or more specifically, create a new set of chapters to cover that and the aftermath. The book had to be built up to a different ending and the new chapters never felt like a good fit.

The original drafts were a bit dark, though I rarely revised the wording of the key passages. One of the things I had to deal with out there was the constant fear and fatigue from irregular sleep. That affected how I behaved and it shows in the pacing and wording of the early chapters. It’s important to keep that feel, as the later chapters are about coming to terms with the situation and the help that people on the Internet began to give me. 

I struggled out there, but Ivy, a rescue dog with some issues from her past began to blossom and became quite happy and settled. She became my therapy dog and her part of the book should be a celebration of all that, and how inspirational it was. 

The best tribute would be to put out the book as originally planned, where both Ivy and I found a way to survive and even find some happiness out there, as unlikely as that might seem to someone who hasn't been a homeless person.

Even the worst luck eventually changes. Unless one can shed the shame reflex, blame, depression and fear and keep oneself whole, you won't be in any condition to respond when the opportunity to get out comes along. I think the original version does a good job of showing how we managed that. Having everything in it is more like a biography, which is a different kind of book, and not my intent.

The original book was 3/4 done. That means it should be completed for sure this year and it'll feel good to finally get it out. To paraphrase Henry Miller, I want to get this book done so I can get working in the next one.

..Chapter Excerpts...

Chapter 4: Nym’s Cool World

"It's a crisp August evening in the sin section of Broadway Street. The summer crowds are gone, and the sound of cars and busses are replaced by the shrill, desperate pitches of strip joint barkers now fishing in depleted waters.

Night is the best time, there's less detail, and the world’s simpler. It's easier to be me, enjoying the feeling of knowing I’m coming back to play again.

I’m skipping the third band, and just workin' on my Punk 'tude outside the pinball parlor next door. I'm puffing on a French cig, which adds cool and helps me resist the rich smell of Phillipino food from the restaurant section of the club. My macaroni and cheese dinner with a coke chaser is starting to wear off."

Chapter 5: The Negatives: A Punk Action Movie In Real Life

"The crowd’s colliding like bumper cars, so Ross jumps and twists in the air, giving the tourists a picture of wild, chaotic energy. 

It's like a modern art painting in motion! The Negatives' show has something for everyone! 

I'll have to ask Ross how he manages to get so much of his tongue hanging out like that. Whenever I try, I start gagging.

The fourth song, "Planet Toe Jam" is slower, which cools down the slam dancing. They want the crowd to just stand there, which sets up what's coming next. Plus in a longer set, it helps to have a romantic number so people can slow dance if they want to."

Chapter 6: Herman Hesse's Glass Bead Game - The Punk Version

"I gotta say he looks the part of a great artist; a big burly skinhead type who named his band after a Hermann Hesse novel. He says names like "Steely Dan" from Burroughs' "Naked Lunch," are too New York for his taste. Besides, being named after a dildo is so 60s!

I took Ida to see his show last month, and after she calmed down and agreed to not press charges, described the act as "Butt Love horseplay masquerading as performance art. It's definitely not entertainment."

I told Stew what she said, and he had the comment added to the group's press kit and asked me to thank her for the great review!"

Chapter 7: Marly Tells A Punk Bedtime Story

"Marly cuts the horn, then freezes like a brave knight who's just slain a dragon, which seems odd until I realize that some tourists are taking pictures. 

I subtly turn so my left side faces the cameras and pout at the ceiling. I take the goolie out of my mouth and hold it with two fingers near my chin, so the smoke curls near my face. Keeping it in your mouth makes you look like a puppy chewing on a biscuit, not very punk."

Chapter 8: Celebration At The Pup Chuck Wagon 24 Hour Hot Dog Diner

"There's no better place for a rising star to bask in new found glory than Pup Chuck Wagon, the 24 hour hot dog diner, a haven for San Franciscans who have more coolness than cash. Cheap food and everything you sit or eat on is washable!

I can afford a mustard dog, small fries and coffee if I use my bus money. It's only a half hour walk home and this night of achievement calls for a feast!"

Chapter 9: Nym's Walk Home

"How did you know I spent my bus fare?"

Jesus guy sighs, "You passed a bus stop on Stockton without stopping, I'd have given you the fare but Phil came, so I just took the next bus."

"You assumed Phil would give me fare money?"

"I ordained it, it's what I do child, besides, I can't go giving you cash every time you go broke, my wallet would be so light it'd float me back into Heaven and I'd have to do the Resurrection all over again."


The Al & Ivy Homeless Literary Journal Archive:

There are earlier blog entries on the Delta Snake Review section of this site that aren't on the On The Road page:
http://deltasnake.blogspot.com





Cover Reveal For Hide In Plain Sight


This is the cover for the upcoming book, Hide In Plain Sight, hopefully out sometime in 2022.


Also check out my channel on YouTube, The Electric Fog Factory!







Thursday, April 14, 2022

On The Road With Al And Ivy: A Literary Homeless Chronicle - April 2022



 "And now you hear not only a Handel who, disfigured by radio, is, all the same, in this most ghastly of disguises still divine..."

- Hermann Hesse (Steppenwolf)

In 3000,098,5678 B.C., neanderthal man had perfected a culture that would be hailed as the apex of sexist behavior in the 21st Century. Those restless go getters weren't satisfied with mere domination of saber tooth dinosaurs and women. They wanted to take it to the next level by evolving a new role for man that involved less physical labor and enhance their ability to attract optimum non-animal candidates for breeding and making sandwiches.

I'm talking about rock and roll, of course, and the earliest known rock concert in the Stone Age (note clever reference) was documented on an ancient Babylonian healing crystal that was accidently included as a prize in a collectable Happy Meal box on sale in the 5th Avenue Salvation Army store in Chicago and dated by an anonymous Internet expert as being from the middle Yabadabadu period.

By this time the science of rock music was only five minutes old, yet a translator from the Ivydog Institute Of Ancient Stuff documents that the inscription on the crystal reads,

"Sabertooth Delaney phones in a rote recitation of boring rehashed cliches; a pathetic attempt to squeeze out one more payday by a washed up rocker well past his prim." [Citation needed: some scholars assert the translator plagiarized a review from a 1975 issue of Playboy Magazine, though the word “prim” appears to be an autocorrect error and should read “prime”]
     
Not only does this confirm the early existence of rock concerts, but literally five minutes after, the first rock magazine and Music Critic was born. [Citation needed: being inscribed on a crystal only makes it a rock magazine in the literal sense, and a bad attempt at a joke]

...rock and the Bible...

All references to rock and roll were excised from early Biblical tracts after the Council Of Vizine in 768,1234 A.D. An account of that period survives in the Lost Gospel Of Murgatroyd, page 115, paragraph 5 which relates that several scholars who happened to be Heavy Metal fans attempted to insert erotic Satan worship poetry into the Bible to stimulate sales and were rebuffed by then noted Bible critic, Saul Saint Patrick, who said "there's already enough sex, violence and references to Satan in the text, thank you, and no one's going to try to make money off of religion anyway."

That was also the last historical reference that has the words “Heavy Metal fan” and “scholar” in the same sentence. A recent search on the Internet could find no other examples.

...the purpose ..

It may appear that a music critic's primary job is to help a publisher sell advertising and subscriptions, but look a little deeper and you'll see that it also provides gainful employment for the musically inclined who wish to avoid physical labor but can't play an instrument (or can't play competently enough to satisfy other critics).

Before the first negative one star review (which was first seen in an Assyrian astrological chart in 2345 A.D.) there are documented oral traditions among the early bronze age tribes in a primitive region that survived into modern times as Indiana which relate that music critics were once just fans like you and me, but became ridiculed as "industri numsekysser" which roughly translates to "industry butt kisser." [Citation needed: the words also can mean "politician" in some languages that are similar]

By 1635, it became essential to ensure that at least one writer on a musical review staff was an "arrogant pedant" (defined in the 1917 edition of Webster as "a man who treats all mankind like his wife) so that the Recording Industry would respect the journalistic integrity of the publication and have to buy expensive ads to get positive reviews.




…the rise of democracy…

The Internet dealt an almost fatal blow to the exacting discipline of music criticism when the process of denigrating artists was democratized by the Internet, which also gave everyone easy to learn open source software to create a fake background in the arts if a title was required.

Fortunately artists and labels can use the same tools to create fake fans and positive reviews, which shows that Mother Nature always asserts it's power to restore balance and maintain a receptive environment for commerce.

Indeed, due to the unavoidable drop in literacy and musical knowledge caused by the larger pool of critics and Influencers who'll rave about any product for money, the need for deep penetrating analysis of the arts has increased. [Citation needed, it's not clear where the demand is]

…the choice…

The dilemma that the Music media wrestles with is that unlike the mainstream news organizations, they rely on a specific industry or genre for advertising income. A major network can trash the President (along with everyone else) who has no choice but to buy advertising during an election cycle. A music magazine that crusades against corruption or crappy music risks the loss of ad dollars and goodies if it maligns the industry or pisses off the artists or labels.

Most strike an organic balance by keeping an acerbic grump on staff to make it clear that they aren't doormats but the rest sticking to an informative/promotional role with data thoughtfully provided by publicists and agents.

The reason the business side can seem cynical is because modern man has, like it has in other cases, used money to quantify an intangible, and create distinctions between "amateur" and "professional" (and even good or bad). Such distinctions can be confusing. One fan may think an artist is more popular than Jesus while another might consider that opinion as proof of early onset cretinism.

Which is sorta kinda sometimes true but often maybe in many cases not. Most parents, for example, prefer the technically inferior performance of their spoiled brat at a recital to a thousand dollar front row seat at a rock concert, which can be priced even higher if necessary to keep ordinary people from getting too close.

…the heart of rock and roll…

Fandom is the real heart of music criticism. Most reviewers are drawn to the business by a love for music. Also, though it was (and still is) common practice to have staff rewrite press releases to fill the news end, the classic formula is a mix of news and opinion that's ideally featured in discreet sections and clearly identified.

The most common critic stereotype is the snobby purist, which is so common in movies and TV that it hardly needs describing. It's a negative image, often deserved, but also misunderstood when always portrayed as a person who is just being toxic. It's easy to forget that even the worst hit piece is simply an editorial, even if the writer doesn't think so.



...on to Herman Hesse...

One of the interesting things about Hermann Hesse's classic "Steppenwolf" is that music, or the love and context of it, is one of the primary themes and the main character is an archetype music snob with all of the deep love and snobbery of an grouchy critic.

I should note that the book covers a wide variety of themes and meaning, so my narrower focus shouldn't be taken as a detailed analysis.

Hesse was a music lover who loved American jazz and was said to have based the musician character, Pablo, on the now legendary Sidney Bechet.

...three points of view...

There's three sensibilities at play here. The main character, Harry, is a Luddite with a deep spiritual view of music that centers on his love of Mozart and a hatred of what radio and phonographic technology has done to spread the music. It's a purist view that is often seen in audiophiles.

There's one scene where he sees Mozart queueing up a 78rpm record, and thinks "to my indescribable astonishment and horror, the devilish tin trumpet spat out, without more ado, a mixture of bronchial slime and chewed rubber; that noise that owners of gramophones and radios have agreed to call music."

It's overblown, of course, though I've seen music reviews with a similarly bombastic tone.

...there's Pablo...

Pablo the sax player is the universalist who says "We musicians must play our parts according to our duties and our gifts. We have to play what is actually in demand, and we have to play it as well and as beautifully and as expressively as ever we can."

That passage encapsulates what music is in the real world; a diverse form that includes ceremonial, leisure, functional, and artistic. Sometimes the lines get blurred, but many composers such as Mozart differentiated between the creative and functional (aka divertimento, now called background or elevator music).

...speaking of Mozart...

The third voice, the ghost of Mozart, is the aesthetic and tech view. In one key passage he states "When you listen to radio you are a witness of the everlasting war between idea and appearance, between time and eternity, between the human and the divine."

The Mozart character later makes an even more interesting observation while commenting on composers like Wagner who came after him, "Thick orchestration was in any case neither Wagner's nor Brahms' personal failing. It was a fault of their time."

Obviously there's an aesthetic there that can be disputed but in the modern era there have been judgements made about artists who, for example, put out psychedelic or disco cuts during those crazes that were attacked for being a lapse in integrity or greed. [Citation needed to confirm if there's other motives besides greed].

...Hesse's view...

Hesse's overall view is kinder, realizing the tension between artistic purity and the realities of the real world. He was too good of a writer to create a single character who would spew out a monolithic view, and had the various viewpoints expressed by different characters. Shakespeare's King Lear has a similar approach where many of the astute observations come out of the mouth of the Jester and not the King. It's an excellent way to illustrate nuance or contradictions.

If one is trying to discern Hesse's own view of music, it's mostly likely an amalgamation of the three character's sensibilities which encompass aesthetics and context.

...the narrow road...

Reviews that express a single or uncompromising sensibility can be taken as a sign of purity but also seen as narrow or uninformed. A good critic, like Robert Christmas or Robert Palmer (not the singer) would pan a work, but there was always context and a clear identification of the sensibility. Both had low opinions of music I personally rated very high, but I could generally tell where they were coming from. In other words, it was almost always clearly one opinion and had the feel of an open discussion.

Which isn't the same thing as saying all reviews should be positive or open minded. There's no standard, but most people want to hear opinions that are thought out and informative (with the minor exceptions of politics, sports talk, cable news, nutrition, celebrity gossip, comparisons of guitar brands, movie reviews, anonymous comment sections that helpfully identify who's being really stupid, and legitimate attacks on other people's reputation or level of morality).

...Tolstoy and Shakespeare...

Orwell made an astute comment in his essay about Tolstoy's hated of Shakespeare, which was that one couldn't really judge art objectively as good or bad. The only criteria, and he made it a big "if," is survival and if later generations still enjoy it. In other words, there's really no single criteria. 

The earlier eras were different and critics were more important. In the vinyl age, one couldn't easily sample music (except in old stores that still had listening booths) and the main conduit was radio or in-store play. A review was an important way to find out about new music.

Also, artists and labels sell a product with no money back guarantee. You pay up front, and if you don't like it, sorry dude. Unlike software, if the music is improved with a better mix (or with the care it should have been shown in the first place) you're expected to buy it again.

If that's the way the industry wants to do business, then they'll need to understand (and most do) that consumers, and critics who are one of their voices, will sometimes get tough with them.
A good thing to remember is that even the most acerbic critic is essentially on the consumer's side. 

…lousy reviews…

Some of the best music I've ever heard had lousy reviews, and no industry figure (or artist) with an ounce of common sense will prefer no comments to criticism. When they stop talking about you, then you worry. Even a bad review that's well written with context can be informative. It can make the reader think about the record and come to their own conclusion.

Take a look at YouTube. It's full of channels where the owner will happily do a commercial for a seller for a fee and call it a review. On the whole, people will trust a bad review as much, if not more than a rave.

...abundance...

There are plenty of mean spirited reviews on the Internet, but mainly in user comment sections where a troll or someone trying to help people earn 2,000 a week in passive income can run wild. Most professional publications have higher standards. Maybe not much higher at times, but higher.

Once mp3's could be sampled online, that made music criticism less important from a consumer point of view, and streaming basically gives market power back to the consumer. It's more complicated than that, of course, but that's what the state of the music market and the critic's role in it boils down to at the present time.

...the music must change...

The beauty of music is that all that churn and turmoil in the marketplace doesn't change what it is any more than the Victorola player changed Mozart’s music in Steppenwolf and that it's sheer diversity and wealth of intangibles undergo constant change and cycles.

Your opinion may be wrong about a piece of music, but not for long. A decade later it may seem like a prescient vision from a prophet when another generation discovers it. At a minimum, any review can introduce an artist to someone looking for something new.

Like Hesse says in the book, it's best to just simply enjoy it. In the case of music critics, it's best to just try to inform or entertain, and avoid autocorrect errors that give people a reason to denounce the review or call you an idiot to a reasonable minimum. 

As they say, everyone's a critic, and that’s the way it should be. It’s your time and money, and historically the music industry will waste both unless you and your friendly neighborhood critic demand the best. 



…update on The Quitters…

I’m sure some of you have seen that the promo has shifted from ads to music videos. It makes sense to use music to promote a book about Punk, and I have a large body of work available to use in the videos instead of the generic music libraries available with video editors.

Also the group I’m in, Handa-McGraw International will be releasing two singles and an album this year. One of the singles (cover reveal in this blog entry) is “Mono Gumbo,” which will have a full length video version on YouTube. Doing the promos helps me learn the software and how to soundtrack a film. These are skills that’ll be helpful when I begin creating film shorts later this year (more on that in a future blog).

The Quitters is now 14 chapters long, and I’ve been experimenting with the Kindle Vella episode format, with the narrative reflecting different first person points of view. The story will shift back to Nym in chapter 16 as the band does it’s first gig as a billed opening act which brings increased pressure to perform well and please the audience.



..Chapter Excerpts...

Chapter 4: Nym’s Cool World

"It's a crisp August evening in the sin section of Broadway Street. The summer crowds are gone, and the sound of cars and busses are replaced by the shrill, desperate pitches of strip joint barkers now fishing in depleted waters.

Night is the best time, there's less detail, and the world’s simpler. It's easier to be me, enjoying the feeling of knowing I’m coming back to play again.

I’m skipping the third band, and just workin' on my Punk 'tude outside the pinball parlor next door. I'm puffing on a French cig, which adds cool and helps me resist the rich smell of Phillipino food from the restaurant section of the club. My macaroni and cheese dinner with a coke chaser is starting to wear off."

Chapter 5: The Negatives: A Punk Action Movie In Real Life

"The crowd’s colliding like bumper cars, so Ross jumps and twists in the air, giving the tourists a picture of wild, chaotic energy. 

It's like a modern art painting in motion! The Negatives' show has something for everyone! 

I'll have to ask Ross how he manages to get so much of his tongue hanging out like that. Whenever I try, I start gagging.

The fourth song, "Planet Toe Jam" is slower, which cools down the slam dancing. They want the crowd to just stand there, which sets up what's coming next. Plus in a longer set, it helps to have a romantic number so people can slow dance if they want to."

Chapter 6: Herman Hesse's Glass Bead Game - The Punk Version

"I gotta say he looks the part of a great artist; a big burly skinhead type who named his band after a Hermann Hesse novel. He says names like "Steely Dan" from Burroughs' "Naked Lunch," are too New York for his taste. Besides, being named after a dildo is so 60s!

I took Ida to see his show last month, and after she calmed down and agreed to not press charges, described the act as "Butt Love horseplay masquerading as performance art. It's definitely not entertainment."

I told Stew what she said, and he had the comment added to the group's press kit and asked me to thank her for the great review!"

Chapter 7: Marly Tells A Punk Bedtime Story

"Marly cuts the horn, then freezes like a brave knight who's just slain a dragon, which seems odd until I realize that some tourists are taking pictures. 

I subtly turn so my left side faces the cameras and pout at the ceiling. I take the goolie out of my mouth and hold it with two fingers near my chin, so the smoke curls near my face. Keeping it in your mouth makes you look like a puppy chewing on a biscuit, not very punk."

Chapter 8: Celebration At The Pup Chuck Wagon 24 Hour Hot Dog Diner

"There's no better place for a rising star to bask in new found glory than Pup Chuck Wagon, the 24 hour hot dog diner, a haven for San Franciscans who have more coolness than cash. Cheap food and everything you sit or eat on is washable!

I can afford a mustard dog, small fries and coffee if I use my bus money. It's only a half hour walk home and this night of achievement calls for a feast!"

Chapter 9: Nym's Walk Home

"How did you know I spent my bus fare?"

Jesus guy sighs, "You passed a bus stop on Stockton without stopping, I'd have given you the fare but Phil came, so I just took the next bus."

"You assumed Phil would give me fare money?"

"I ordained it, it's what I do child, besides, I can't go giving you cash every time you go broke, my wallet would be so light it'd float me back into Heaven and I'd have to do the Resurrection all over again."


The Al & Ivy Homeless Literary Journal Archive:

There are earlier blog entries on the Delta Snake Review section of this site that aren't on the On The Road page:
http://deltasnake.blogspot.com









Cover Reveal For Hide In Plain Sight


This is the cover for the upcoming book, Hide In Plain Sight, hopefully out sometime in 2022.


Also check out my channel on YouTube, The Electric Fog Factory!





Saturday, March 19, 2022

On The Road With Al and Ivy: A Literary Homeless Chronicle - March 2022



"If she moves her eyes and opens her mouth just a little, the world she's trying to refuse will rush into her instantly..."

- Yukio Mishima (The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion, 1956)

The first historical example of free speech was in 200,000,000 B.C. which was documented on a Sumerian cuniform tablet unearthed during a Huntsville, Alabama Easter Egg hunt in 1978 by a child who unfortunately damaged the document by trying to eat the relic thinking it was a peanut butter chocolate egg. [Citation needed, some critics claim that the petrified fragment was actually a boiled Easter egg that was left in the field from the previous egg hunt in 1977]

The ancient excerpt, which an internet expert (who declines to identify himself) says is part of the first volume of the Lost Gospel of Murgatroyd, relates that the great King Nubilecanazzer McDougal the Glorious One, had just sentenced a peasant to several days of torture for unauthorized viewing of the Queen's royal buns (everyone just wore jewelery and yoga pants in those days) and the wag replied that said offense was impossible because the blinding light from such a shiny glutus blinded his wretched eyes.

This clever paradigm of free speech lasted about two minutes before the Monarch ordered a guard to cut the trailblazer's head off. The King's proclamation specified that any remarks the head might make while on display in the parking lot of the local supercenter were not subject to the King's approval. This was the first known example of protected speech as a matter of law.

...further evolution of free speech...

Internet scholar and Shitzu U Professor IvyDog noted that ancient tribes living in what is now the city of Chicago determined that it was probably better that any last words be spoken before execution, and to allow wide latitude over the subject matter, since any smartass remarks would be punished in the afterlife by the God's in a galaxy far away.

There's always been free speech. The question was how long the speaker would live afterwards, or if the point was worth the calories necessary to move the mouth muscles to form the words.

The Founding Fathers who created the U.S. Constitution kept the matter purely in the legal sphere, if for no other reason that it's virtually impossible to prevent societal suppression which ranges from angry mobs, gatekeepers, cancel culture, commissar types, or anyone offended enough to beat the crap out of the speaker. 

Think in terms of adolescent behavior and you'll get the picture. In the words of the great German theorist and war monger, Santaclausewitz Dill, "War is just a continuation of high school scheisse."

...the First Amendment...

The savvy Internet user knows the First Amendment was created to allow people to insult each other and express banalities that no one wants to hear in the hope that something profound or relevant might be expressed, though decades of web activity indicates that it's a long shot.

Indeed, free speech needs to be nurtured and protected, unlike butt kissing, compliments, flattery, arguing about football, lying on dating site profiles, deceptive sales pitches and claims of superhuman sexual prowess or spiritual divinity (particularly in the music industry) which historically have met with enthusiasm and acceptance.

The thing about the concept of free speech is that the letter of the law states that it's an absolute, but like the Gospel or the process of scientific discovery, mankind has added the innovation of the "spirit of the law" concept which allows such pure ideals to be riddled with loopholes, exceptions, abuse, and of course, anything that expedites the process of squeezing every last dollar from people.

In other words, you can say wherever you want, but you'll be punished for it by every legal and extralegal means possible. A person can publish a controversial book, for example, but others may ban it, burn it, give it an insulting one star review or heaven forbid, not buy it. Married couples and families say things to each other that would normally require trauma counselors in the public arena.

...just sayin'...

Actually, just talking will get you into trouble these days, particularly on the Internet which guarantees the right to punish free speech. American jurisprudence recognizes this and the Fifth Amendment protects the right to clam up and not say anything that might incriminate them. 

It goes without saying that it also means that others will assume guilt, put words in the uncooperative poltroon's mouth, concoct outrageous theories to explain the silence, and relentlessly try to badger and  intimidate them into speaking, and that's just sports talk radio and cable news; it gets even tougher in the real world.

Silence is often considered a sign of submission but if that was all there was to it, then despots wouldn't need secret police and informants. No fascist is truly happy until they control what's going on inside people's heads.

...a penny for your thoughts...

Suppressing free speech is generally about thought control, or as George Orwell put it in his essay, The Prevention Of Literature, "Even a single taboo can have an all-round crippling effect upon the mind, because there is always the danger that any thought which is freely followed up may lead to the forbidden thought."

Although the most common examples are religious or political; suppression of free speech and thought is also present in the social or artistic spheres. The desire to create unity or agreement often degenerates into conformity, coercion, peer pressure, and expensive vinyl record box sets.

Whether this or that group eats it's own or turns into a snake pit is irrelevant to most people (if they're consenting adults) but it's a issue for an artist doing a noncommissioned work. There's always a conflict between integrity and compromise.

Political oppression is or isn't a factor depending on what country you're talking about. In the U.S. an artist can get away with almost anything in the political sphere (in their melancholy search for controversy). Pressure generally comes from society or peers which can result in being shunned or a tendency to self-censor.

...perception...

That's as far as I'd go in commenting on the political aspect as, particularly in regards to the Internet, because the further one goes into the subject, the more it becomes about perception and context.

It's the same with maintaining artistic integrity in the face of market forces. The line between that pressure and the artist's ability to produce salable art can get pretty blurry. An artist can create a work that glorifies or advocates commiting a crime or socially unacceptable act, but any resulting controversy can't necessarily be characterized as an attack on free speech if the aim was to get people to fork over the cash.

A classic attack on free speech uses tactics or measures to prevent it in the first place. Once the idea is openly expressed any oppressor is half-beaten. That's why totalitarian forces use secret police and informants. They don't worry much about the public acts of defiance. As John Lennon once said, they know how to deal with open violence. The ideal solution is to ensure no one discusses freedom in private, where most revolutions are born.

In the artistic sphere, that means compelling artists to self-censor. Orwell describes the result as, "If he is forced to do so, the only result is his creative faculties will dry up."

...freedom of thought...

The underlying issue is freedom of thought. To quote Orwell again, "Freedom of the intellect means the freedom to report what one has seen, heard, and felt, and not be obliged to fabricate imaginary facts and feelings." [Note: Modern writers understand that exceptions include political speeches, rock star biographies, cable news, health food claims, and legitimate attempts to ruin someone's life by spreading vicious gossip on the Internet]

Intellectual or artistic freedom is very much about nuance and context, which are products of an artist's perception or intent and the details most often attacked in a controversial work of art.

...Temple Of The Golden Pavilion...

One good example is Yukio Mishima's "Temple Of The Golden Pavilion," which was based on a true incident that shocked Japan in the 50s. It's not so much an example of free thought as the product of it.

The novel is about a young Monk who inexplicably sets a fire that destroys the famous Kinkaku-ji temple, aka The Golden Pavilion in Kyoto in 1950. On the surface it appears to be a senseless act and the young Monk gives no explanation at first. His motive eventually comes out in interviews with the police, and Mishima researched the reportage and even talked with the young man in prison before writing the book.

The book is considered one of Mishima's finest, and is well documented on the web, so those who want to know all the details can research it using their favorite search engine. 

What's remarkable is that Mishima wrote the book entirely from the point of view of the young Monk, a true dispassionate account. As I've said in the past, that can be a rare kind of book. Particularly in the Internet era, that kind of nuance can be construed as sympathy or even tacit approval of a behavior or point of view.

Also, Mishima was a person who would have been controversial right now; a militant right wing Nationalist who wasn't "politically reliable" due to his artistic side, and thus found himself at various times criticized and attacked by both sides of the political spectrum.

...the temple...

Mishima writes long descriptive passages about the temple in the book, which makes sense as it became the young Monk's obsession, but he mixes in thoughts, commentary about the war (WW2), various interactions, and what can seem like off the wall details that subtly add more depth to the narrative. It's an early example of that Japanese form called an "essay novel," which combines historical narrative with story details so that by the end, you've have the backstory but also a feel for the Monk's personality.

The young arsonist in real life was a schizophrenic, but Mishima doesn't use that label or include medical details about that mental illness. Explaining the technical details in the narrative is something a modern writer might do, but here it's all about what's going on inside the character's head.

That's a subtle distinction but an important one. The young accolyte obsesses on details that most would consider petty or strange, and the author follows those trains of thought and behavior, making no attempt to rationalize any of it or offer any explanation. It takes discipline and a willingness to trust the reader and to resist the temptation to explain or judge to avoid having people think that it's really the writer's thoughts or to showcase how thorough the research was.

...the nurse...

One central incident is the Monk's hatred for a young nurse he hardly knows, and the conviction that his will caused her later death. In actual fact, there was virtually no connection, but in his mind, there was an obsessively detailed narrative that's more chilling than any clinical description a psychiatrist or expert could give.

In other words, an author can explain that this or that obsession is dangerous or venal, or a movie can show the emotion or violence, but not the kind of insight one can get from seeing the actual thought process or inner dialogue.

Mishima understood one aspect of obsession, which was every detail has the same weight or effect. One very small encounter with the nurse turned into a significant incident that became part of the narrative of the imagined relationship. Later on, though he was only a distant observer of her death, it felt as personal as if he'd done the deed himself.

Mishima wrote this book in an era where there was less incentive to make it more marketable by sensationalizing the weird details, so the build up towards the final obsession that compelled an act of arson on a national treasure has a twisted and detailed logic. It was the culimation of a lifetime of perceived slights and injustices.

...reads like poetry...

Another aspect of Mishima's style was that many of the passages are poetic, at least in the Japanese sense of the word. There's lots of interesting imagery, described in a spare, zen-like style, and digressions that fans of Marcel Proust or James Joyce would be familiar with.

The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima was one of the best psychological novels of it's time and is still highly regarded now. The passages that combine stream of consciousness, historical events, and action are worth reading by anyone who studies the art of writing.

Mishima was a man who blew hot and cold and his own life was a series of spectacular successes and failures, but he could put that all aside and put himself into the mind of another and tell that monk's story. Perhaps that was possible because he saw something of himself in the extremes of that young man's personality, but the compelling story that resulted showed that above all else, Mishima was an artist. 

That's probably why, as Orwell would have said, he was politically unreliable, but that's also why the art he created was so great.







...March update on The Quitters...

I'm well into the third month of "The Quitters" and while it's had it's ups and downs, it's been a great experience. I enjoy writing, so how could it not be? 

The Amazon bonus system on Vella was a pleasant surprise. I'd keep writing even the readership was nonexistent, but it's still nice that the book is generating income on top of the royalties.

The promo has evolved from pics to music videos/book trailers. I have a sizable amount of instrumental music on the Electric Fog Factory YouTube site so these videos combine my two main projects. It's quadrupled the traffic to the music site so it's working out well. 

Those who've seen the video have noticed that the music is eclectic and that the "theme song" that's played during the last part where the book info is shown sounds more New Wave or Alternative. Which is sort of true, but the cut, "Rug Becomes Sky" is very much in the mold of one of the legendary First Wave bands, Television. 



Music Video Book Trailers one and two for "The Quitters" by Al Handa, a Serial Novel on Kindle Vella. Both 1&2 now on YouTube! Features 60s rock, #EDM #Dub, rockabilly, psychedelic, acid jazz and #punk music from DJ Boogie Underground, Mark McGraw and Handa-McGraw International on YouTube. 



...punk in 1977...

Punk in 1977 was diverse, and hadn't narrowed into the hardcore image that many have of it today. In fact, it was so varied that even Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were initially identified as a punk band. In other words, it was difficult to put a label on it, though the press focused on the Sex Pistols and the leather crowd.

But, it was all good. Some of my favorite bands of all time came out of that first wave, like Television (and the solo work of Tom Verlaine), XTC, Wire, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash, Buzzcocks, Chris Spedding, Siouxie, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Nick Lowe, Blondie, Patti Smith, and Talking Heads. Add in the ones I didn't name and you have a wide variety of styles and sounds.

...coming in April...

April will be a big month for the book, as the exposition phase is almost done, so I can move the various story arcs into meatier subjects like music industry corruption, payola, rock press, myth making and good old boy sexism. That's an important point as myth often becomes popular history.

The time period of this book encompasses the early days of feminism and the sexism females experienced in the music world (which was nothing new). The punk mythos was that more female bands and stars emerged than in rock, which was true, though nowhere near the number Top-40 produced.

Most of the opportunities for females in the music industry were in classical, popular or Top-40. It doesn't need to be argued that rock and roll was a boy's club. Just look at the existing documentation and music charts. The small number of exceptions only make it more obvious.

...women and opportunity...

Women did find more opportunity in the early punk movement, and if able to find their own sound and move past the hardcore punk genre, found great success in the more mainstream categories like New Wave, power pop, alternative, etc, particularly with the rise of MTV which helped them bypass the normal channels in the industry.

Feminism in the 70s was just past the "bra burning" stage and still finding it's way. Even liberal males resisted the movement though perhaps willing to pay lip service to the concept of equality. There were exceptions but none that showed that sexism didn't exist. My book won't be a definitive look at the movement, which is better documented elsewhere, but it was a factor so it's addressed in the book.

It was never my intent to write another fluff tale (like the Buddy Holly Story movie) so the episodes coming in April should make for interesting reading and on my end, enjoyable and rewarding to write.



Chapter Overview With Samples:

With eight chapters live, those who've read the book can see that the various plot and character arcs are starting to really develop. The first three chapters, which describes an audition gig in real time, has bits and pieces along with the action passages that begin to flesh out the personalities involved.

As you can tell from the chapter titles, this isn't going to be a mythological bad boy punk story where everyone wears ripped t-shirts. If for no other reason, SF Punk wasn't like the press photos and canned interviews. There was a definite intellectual or anti-intellectual atmosphere in the scene, and plenty of tongue-in-cheek talk. There's a definite strain of black humor (and slapstick) in the proceedings. You really had to have a sense of humor in that scene.

Also, how Nym's personality and musical skill develops is important later when the scene shifts to Southern California, with it's considerably larger and more diverse music scene.

Chapter 3 and 4 are a break from the fast paced action, and gives the reader a glimpse of Nym's world, of the motivations and aspirations, introduces a new character, and creates a more complex picture of Jesus Guy, who comes off a really weird dude in the earlier chapters.

The idea is to give the free chapters more substance, and insert a new one that I was going to write later, but decided needed to be earlier in the story. Most readers who visit Vella will get 200 free tokens, so the changes don't affect my chapter plan. That many tokens will get you through most of the book.

The new Chapter 3 will follow Nym after the gig. This will give the reader more insight into Nym's personality. This new chapter will be live around Feb. 17th or sooner if it's completed before then.

Chapters 5 and 6 pick up the pace, though each features more character development. Both Ross and Stew show flamboyant public personas which turn out to be more interesting and detailed in Chapter 8. 

Chapter 7 focuses on Marly, the promoter who's infamous for his tough comedy routine to clear the Club before closing. As you go deeper into the book, it'll become obvious that a large part of the Punk scene is part of his long range plan that mostly succeeds, but also has the seeds of future discord and division.

Chapter 8 is a personal favorite (along with 4 and 6), as it gives me a chance to put many of the characters in one place and able to talk casually. There's a hint of future controversy that'll create a lot of turmoil in the later chapters.

The chapter 9 excerpt is from an episode that isn't completed yet, but Nym's personality is fleshed out further, both in inner dialogue and as seen by a couple of other characters.

...Chapter Excerpts...

Chapter 4: Nym’s Cool World

"It's a crisp August evening in the sin section of Broadway Street. The summer crowds are gone, and the sound of cars and busses are replaced by the shrill, desperate pitches of strip joint barkers now fishing in depleted waters.

Night is the best time, there's less detail, and the world’s simpler. It's easier to be me, enjoying the feeling of knowing I’m coming back to play again.

I’m skipping the third band, and just workin' on my Punk 'tude outside the pinball parlor next door. I'm puffing on a French cig, which adds cool and helps me resist the rich smell of Phillipino food from the restaurant section of the club. My macaroni and cheese dinner with a coke chaser is starting to wear off."

Chapter 5: The Negatives: A Punk Action Movie In Real Life

"The crowd’s colliding like bumper cars, so Ross jumps and twists in the air, giving the tourists a picture of wild, chaotic energy. 

It's like a modern art painting in motion! The Negatives' show has something for everyone! 

I'll have to ask Ross how he manages to get so much of his tongue hanging out like that. Whenever I try, I start gagging.

The fourth song, "Planet Toe Jam" is slower, which cools down the slam dancing. They want the crowd to just stand there, which sets up what's coming next. Plus in a longer set, it helps to have a romantic number so people can slow dance if they want to."

Chapter 6: Herman Hesse's Glass Bead Game - The Punk Version

"I gotta say he looks the part of a great artist; a big burly skinhead type who named his band after a Hermann Hesse novel. He says names like "Steely Dan" from Burroughs' "Naked Lunch," are too New York for his taste. Besides, being named after a dildo is so 60s!

I took Ida to see his show last month, and after she calmed down and agreed to not press charges, described the act as "Butt Love horseplay masquerading as performance art. It's definitely not entertainment."

I told Stew what she said, and he had the comment added to the group's press kit and asked me to thank her for the great review!"

Chapter 7: Marly Tells A Punk Bedtime Story

"Marly cuts the horn, then freezes like a brave knight who's just slain a dragon, which seems odd until I realize that some tourists are taking pictures. 

I subtly turn so my left side faces the cameras and pout at the ceiling. I take the goolie out of my mouth and hold it with two fingers near my chin, so the smoke curls near my face. Keeping it in your mouth makes you look like a puppy chewing on a biscuit, not very punk."

Chapter 8: Celebration At The Pup Chuck Wagon 24 Hour Hot Dog Diner

"There's no better place for a rising star to bask in new found glory than Pup Chuck Wagon, the 24 hour hot dog diner, a haven for San Franciscans who have more coolness than cash. Cheap food and everything you sit or eat on is washable!

I can afford a mustard dog, small fries and coffee if I use my bus money. It's only a half hour walk home and this night of achievement calls for a feast!"

Chapter 9: Nym's Walk Home

"How did you know I spent my bus fare?"

Jesus guy sighs, "You passed a bus stop on Stockton without stopping, I'd have given you the fare but Phil came, so I just took the next bus."

"You assumed Phil would give me fare money?"

"I ordained it, it's what I do child, besides, I can't go giving you cash every time you go broke, my wallet would be so light it'd float me back into Heaven and I'd have to do the Resurrection all over again."





The Al & Ivy Homeless Literary Journal Archive:

There are earlier blog entries on the Delta Snake Review section of this site that aren't on the On The Road page:
http://deltasnake.blogspot.com





Cover Reveal For Hide In Plain Sight


This is the cover for the upcoming book, Hide In Plain Sight, hopefully out sometime in 2022.




The American Primitive Acoustic Collection by Handa-McGraw International can be streamed on all of the major services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and dozens of others. Note: only available on YouTube until April 21st



The Music Of Handa-McGraw International can also be heard on the Electric Fog Factory on YouTube. You can hear the album, and dozens of unreleased cuts and demos, plus exclusive video of Ivy.