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02 November 2005
Home sick. Sweating, exhausted and preparing for surgery on Friday. So, because it'll lift my spirits (and hopefully yours, here's some anthems about rock and roll itself→[More:]
One nice thing, we just got a new boss in my department. We had nodded hello a few times, but never formally met. yesterday, I had a chance to talk to him and told him the whole story. He was like "And you're still coming to work? Damn, you're a trouper."
My nonna called and left a message of support in broken english last night which was cool.
Also, the Dictators song I posted is one of only two songs I know which mention legendary NYC disk jockey Murray The K by name (the other being The Ramones "Do You remember Rock N Roll Radio) which makes it way too cool for school.
On preview: matteo, you must've reched through a lot of viscera to do that. you may want to towel off.
Ah hon - I'm so sorry you're going through this. Stupid kidneys anyway. Good luck with the hospital; I hope it all goes well, speedy recovery and they give you large prescriptions of extremely fun drugs with no nasty side effects.
Good old Richard Price. Along with Handsome Dick Manitoba (and of course, amberglow) he makes up my pantheon of Bronx Jewish Legends. (I actually have a theory that in my last life, I was Mickey Berntein of Burke Avenue, who OD'd in the Fillmore East men's room sometime in 1970, but I digress).
I bought my first copy of his first novel The Wanderers (after devouring a library copy in high school) at a used bookstore on B'way & 80th in college. Then about a year ago, Crazy Book Lady on 31st & Ditmars was selling old hardcovers, and (miracle of miracles) had 1st editions of both The Wanderers and Ladies Man, which I snapped up for $10 and gave my tatterred paperbacks to my pal vidiot, who I believe has yet to read either one. Then i promptly misplaced my hardback Wanderers. So I bought another paperback last night (along with george saunders latest) to have something to read in the hospital.
I had a similar experience with my copies of Tom perrotta's The Wishbones which pips gave to one of her Freshman Comp students down in Fla. But books that good are meant to be shared.
and matteo, the fact that you're a big Price fan (I dunno if you've only read the new stuff or if you like the old stuff, too) is one reason i decided you had to be cool.
not that I don't appreciate the well wishes, but is anyone hoovering up the tunes? or are their any stealth Price fans besides me, the Wino, Hugh, & matteo out there? (I absolutely demand that wolfdaddy & tr33hugger read Ladies Man, and hopefully some of our female MeCha's, since I'm dying to have people to palaver about the man with).
I had baby lima beans and corn. . .(some would call it succotash!) for lunch, and I am putting Mr. Price on my library list. And whether you like it or not, I'm sending well wishes. You'll feel better and have some great stories to tell.
then I feel obliged to warn you: his books (especially the early ones) are not for the easily offended, lots of graphic sex, violence, unpleasant racial and gender sentiments.
I don't. But I'm covering my bets. This site is a Mefi-offspring, and I don't want some reader sending me an angry email saying "how could you reccomend this racist, misogynist, peice of pornography, you sick bastard?"
(the racial stuff is mainly in The Wanderers, but it is about an Italian-American street gang in the Bronx of 1963, to write it any other way would be dishonest and unrealistic)
If that kinda slice-o'-life stuff is yer bag but drammer is more yer speed, might I recommend Miguel Piņero? Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon comes to mind, but his other plays are just as good. Long live the great filthy underbelly, cirrhotic and raging!
jonmc, how could you recommend this racist, misogynist, piece of pornography, you sick bastard?
Thanks for the tunes. I will refrain from offering any slice-o-life recommendations other than you get the hell well after your surgery. I'll be thinking about you.
giovanni -- of the old stuff, only The Wanderers and Ladies Man (I liked the latter more, sue me -- love it)
I've read mast of the newer stuff. and probably Freedomland, well, parts of it, is my favorite -- some moments are just terrifyingly good, as in Balzac-good.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, jon. I've had some good friends go through the same thing and they made it through although several mentioned that there were times when they wished that they did not. Tough times ahead but hopefully there's some light at the end of the tunnel.
Take care and maybe crank up some Cake - "I Will Survive" (yes, I prefer it to Gloria Gaynor's).
on preview: I agree that Wanderers and Ladies Man (alternately tears-streaming-down-your-face hilarious and utterly horrifying) are his best, but none of his books are anything less than good reads. I personally think Samaritan is underrated, since it's central theme is more diffuse, but Nerese Ammons in one of his best drawn characters. Bloodbrothers, (which inspired the title of the Dictators third album) is often funny as hell and moving, too.
In honor of jon, today I am having nothing but fat, greasy, sodium and cholesterol-laden food. I propose that each of us volunteer to assume this burden (to make up for the loss of jon's intake), one person per day, each day until his diet is back to, er, normal. *eats frito pie*
Oh, and Ladies Man is on my list too, jon, forgot to say that down there in another thread somewhere...
There's a couple of plot twists that are going to delight the shit out of you, wolfie (or at least make you die laughing), despite the title this book is about what it's like to be a sexual male, period, not straight or gay. and I'd be really interested in your interpretation of the ending.
I did hoover the tunes! And I WILL read Ladies Man as soon as I finish my current read, cross my heart, hope to die, stick my fingers in kidney pie.
(Aside - Mrs. Tr33 and I were talking about MeCha over many drinks over the weekend, and I mentioned that if and when we get out to NYC I'd like to meet some of you (nods at jonmc). She doesn't really understand the whole MeCha thing, and seemed taken aback. Said something to the effect of "but how do you know those people aren't psychos, or serial killers?" I found it quite hilarious. Don't worry though, I'll convince her!)
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