"Black Fire" by Robert Graysmith (2012)

When Mark Twain was living in San Francisco during the 1860’s, he became acquainted with a man named Tom Sawyer. That’s right; there really was a Tom Sawyer. And, as a bonus for me, he came from Brooklyn, New York.  Twain met Sawyer at the bath house run by Ed Stahle on Montgomery Street when the young Twain was working as a reporter for the Daily Morning Call. While in the bath house the two would play cards and swap tales. Mr. Sawyer’s adventures were so awe inspiring, and far ranging, that Twain never forgot about them, later incorporating them into his iconic book.

Robert Graysmith, author of several books, including “The Laughing Gorilla”, has done it again. He has taken on the subjects of Mark Twain, the history of San Francisco during the Gold Rush;  and all the characters of those heady days; weaving them together in a rollicking and highly entertaining fashion, to form this book.

The history of fire fighting in San Francisco is in many ways the same as in other cities of the time. Different private fire fighters competed with one another to be the first on the scene of a fire. There were pitched battles waged between these competitors, even while the fires raged, consuming the buildings the firemen were fighting so hard to protect. To make matters worse, there was no real building code to speak of, and houses were built of any available material, including oilcloth and canvas. Along with the wood used in almost every structure in town, the place was just waiting to burn down.

And burn it did; six times; between Christmas Eve of 1849 and the early summer of 1851. To help matters along there was an arsonist; or more than one; who may have even been a firefighter.  Mr. Sawyer’s gripping accounts of the battles waged by the competing fire companies, along with the complete indifference of both the populace and their elected officials to the formation of a Fire Department, would make this a great book all by itself. But, by exploring the relationship between Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer, the author has gone further in giving this book a special place in any collection.

In his usual, almost lyrical, fashion the author has given life to the cold hard facts of how many buildings were destroyed and how much it all cost in dollars. The description of the horror could only be described by one who not only lived it, but by someone who fought the blazes and ate the smoke.

Sawyer was a firefighter in New York before boarding a ship that took him around the horn of South America and on to San Francisco. He was, at times, a firefighter, a seaman, and eventually; playing upon the notoriety brought on by Mark Twain’s book; he became a very well-known saloon keeper.

Although the story of the real life existence of Tom Sawyer has been told before, it has always been a short footnote explaining that there really was a Tom Sawyer. And that’s about it. Mr. Graysmith is; I believe; the first author to seriously undertake the telling of the entire story of both Mr. Sawyer, and how his real life exploits came to inspire Mark Twain to write one of the most beloved American novels.

The Day the Music Died

Today marks the date on which the plane carrying 3 of America’s greatest pop artists of their time crashed, killing all three on board. We all know the story of how Waylon Jennings was supposed to be on that plane but gave it up at the last minute. Pretty dramatic stuff considering what happened.

Here is a 1972 performance by Don MacLean of his memorable hit recording “Bye Bye Miss American Pie”, which not only chronicles the events of February 3, 1959, but also goes on to make quite a statement about rock and roll, and the direction it was taking, in the early 1970’s. The Beatles were gone, Dylan was hibernating, and disco was about to explode on the scene at the time Mr. MacLean wrote this lament to a by-gone and seemingly dying era.

See how many of the musical artists you can identify in the song. I have always looked upon “the joker, on the sidelines in a cast”, as being Bob Dylan. The princes and queens all represent other musical acts that, though current, were in Mr. MacLean’s opinion, falling short of the original glory of rock and roll. Hence the refrain - “the day the music died.”

Of course, he was wrong. Disco came and went; country swept the nation during the 1980’s, encompassing rock and leaving the genre forever changed; and the current independent music scene all serve to show that music never really dies. It just changes from time to time. But the good stuff, like cream, always rises to the surface and remains. (There’s a joke in that last sentence – see if you can spot it and let me know.)

"The Pooch" with The Little Rascals (1935)

This is the first time I have ever seen an episode of the Little Rascals in color. I didn't think that I’d enjoy it as much as I did. I was the same way with the colorization's of many of the classic movies when that was first being done in the 1990’s, but I have come to really enjoy it with some films. Of course, certain movies; like “Casablanca”; should always be viewed in black and white, but for the most part, the colorization process does lend a certain clarity to the old films. It’s also kind of interesting to see the color patterns of the home furnishings, as well as the clothes. There’s a lot more detail to be appreciated, which I did not expect.

In this 1935 episode, the gang struggles with the everyday struggle to find enough food to eat. In the midst of the Great Depression this was not an isolated problem, but one with which audiences could readily identify. Even if they themselves were not on some sort of Public Assistance, fully 25% of the country was.

Woven into the story is a bit of Social Injustice, as Stymie loses his dog to the Dog Catcher, and unless he can come up with the $5 necessary for a license, the dog will be gassed by the end of the day. With no money for food, it’s a stretch of the imagination to figure out where he is going to get that money. But, they say the Lord hears the prayers of the little children first, so when Stymie prays for that $5, and it floats in on the wind, it is really no surprise. Neither is the policeman who chases him thinking he has stolen the money.

When they finally arrive at the Pound with the money, they are told by the sadistic Dog Catcher that their dog is dead. He actually smiles when he tells them. But things usually work out in these old shorts, and this one is no exception.  I used to watch these old shorts every day before school. As a kid I readily identified with their problems and the injustices heaped upon them by the adults. And, at 58 years of age, I still do.

"The Barber of Seville" with Woody Woodpecker (1944)

Released during the Second World War, this cartoon has Woody Woodpecker reporting to the barbershop for a “Victory” haircut in support of the war effort. 

When he finds that the barber is out, he decides to cut his own hair, as well as do a little “business” on the side.  Naturally, he manages to offend every ethnic group in existence with disastrous, but comic outcomes. Remember, this cartoon is from before political correctness was invented.

Released in April of 1944, this was a Walter Lantz Production distributed by Universal studios. This was the 10^th Woody Woodpecker cartoon released. 

Alec Guinness on the Parkinson's Show - 1977

This is a portion of the interview from the Parkinson’s Show of 1977. Mr. Parkinson had a TV show in Britain at the time, and aside from David Frost, was one of the most skilled and affable interviewers around. I suppose that is why the slightly reclusive Mr. Guinness agreed to the interview at all. He was not very keen on doing them. This was the 2^nd time he had appeared on Mr. Parkinson’s show, which; in itself; is high praise from one of the foremost actors of the 20^th century. And make no mistake; there is a difference between an actor and a movie star. Mr. Guinness was, first and foremost, an actor.

In this first clip from the interview Mr. Guinness talks about how he has used animals as inspirations for some of his parts. The elephant story is the better of the two which he relates here; using his remarkable talents of both presence and humility to let us have a peek at his insights and inspirations.

The interview is not short on humor either, as he relates some very funny stories about both himself, as well the people he has encountered   during his career. This one is about a party given by John Wayne. I believe that the fellow he is talking about was “Swifty” Lazar.

Don’t look for this interview in the usual places. Aside from the pieces posted here and there on You Tube, the only place I know to see and hear the entire show is on the bonus disc to “Kind Hearts and Coronets”, the 1949 film in which Mr. Guinness played 8 parts, including that of Lady Agatha. His talents knew no boundaries. Movie stars come and go with the whim of the public; but true actors are eternal, creating roles which will never die. Alec Guinness was of the latter group.

"Awaiting Delivery" by John Wiley

I don’t remember which book I read this in, but it was way back before I was blogging, or even e-mailing for that matter. It meant enough to me that I Xeroxed the story and have kept it for many years, so it’s worth sharing. It was written by John Wiley of Charlotte, North Carolina and was in a book which I had obviously borrowed from a library.

I found it  the other day in a stack of stuff I was putting in order; something I find myself doing more and more these days. Not for any particular reason; except to have a complete picture of who I am and the things which I like. This is one that I like. It cuts right to the random nature of our lives and how one tiny thing can affect another, underscoring; once again; that we are all connected. Here is  Mr. Wiley’s tale;

Awaiting Delivery by John Wiley

I work as a Postal letter carrier in Charlotte, North Carolina. One day a couple of years ago, I drove up to a mailbox. Christy, the young divorcee who lived there, was waiting by the side of the road. She said that she had a story to tell me.

About six months earlier, it seems that I had delivered a letter to her which had her street number on it but was addressed to another house with the same number on a different street in the neighborhood. She had to run some errands, so she decided to drop off the letter at the correct house.

It turned out that the letter had been intended for Stan, who happened to be single. They talked for a little while, and later on he called. They started dating and had been going out together ever since.

I was embarrassed about delivering the letter wrong, but I was pleased that I had brought these two nice people together.

A few months later, a For Sale sign went up in Christy’s yard, and then the wedding invitations were sent out. In short order the house was sold, the wedding happened, and Christy and her kids moved into Stan’s house.

A few months later, I saw a For Sale sign in their yard. I feared the marriage might be in trouble, so I made an excuse to go to their door and check on them.

Christy opened the door, smiled broadly, and pointed to her stomach. “We’re having twins!” she said. “This house won’t be big enough, so we have to move.”

As I walked back to my truck, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that my one mis-delivered letter was now giving two little yet-to-be-born people a shot at life. Awesome.

Note: The above story was originally published in "I Thought My Father was God" which was edited by Paul Auster of NPR's "All Things Considered." The book was released in 2002 and was part of NPR's National Story Project.

Two Guitars - Nesting?

I am not the greatest guitar player in the world; although I probably do enjoy it more than most. Never had a lesson; and it shows; which limits me to simple songs and ballads, along with lots of folk and gospel; but I am capable of figuring out alternative approaches to some of the big band stuff and movie soundtracks; which always amazes me when I do it well, since that happens so rarely.

The other day was a frosty and sleet driven day and I had been out for a few hours in the teeth of the weather. When I came home, one of my guitars; the ash Washburn D-11; was not in its usual place. So, I went looking for it, mainly because all of my things are usually in the place where I last left them, so this was kind of a mystery.

Strolling from room to room yielded no quick answer to this puzzle, which was fast becoming more than a bit annoying. So, I decided to check the one place I was sure I wouldn't find it. The downstairs computer room! Knowing that if the guitar was indeed in that room it was there of its own accord, I crept up as quietly as I could, until I was just outside the slightly ajar door. Quietly, and as softly as possible, I swung the door open and caught them “nesting”. They were a bit embarrassed to be caught in such a compromising state; even musical instruments enjoy their privacy; but apart from the Washburn being a little out of tune from making such an arduous journey; we were soon making music again.

The only thing that bothers me about the whole mysterious affair is that theWashburn is starting to show; so I would guess that we’re expecting a little ukulele anytime now.