"Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

It was 127 years ago that Ernest Lawrence Thayer published his immortal poem "Casey at the Bat" in the San Francisco Daily Examiner. Baseball had been around since the days of Cooperstown, New York but had recently been catching on like wildfire all across the country. By the 1890's it was recognized as our National Sport. So in the interest of anyone who has not read this poem, or for those of you with kids who have never heard it before, I thought I'd reprint it here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I was about 8 years old and heard it for the first time. There is also some fun history associated with the poem.

Thayer was a rich kid, went to Harvard, joined the Hasty Pudding Club and edited the Harvard Lampoon. He also became interested in baseball along with his best freinds, Sam Winslow and William Randolph Hearst. After college he was presented with a choice, work in the family mill business back East, or take a job managing the San Francisco Daily Examiner for William Hearst's father. He packed his bags and headed West.

He soon began writing columns and some verse for the paper and on June 3rd, 1888"Casey at the Bat" made it's appearance to little fanfare. A writer named Archibald Gunter clipped it from the paper and placed it in his wallet. There it would remain until August 14th, 1888. A strange confluence of events occured that day. Gunter was in New York to visit two friends, William DeWolf Hopper and Digby Bell, who were both actors and baseball fans. They convinced their boss, a Colonel McCaull to accompany them to the Polo Grounds for a game between the New York Giants and the Chicago White Stockings. They hoped to do a little advertising at the game for their show and invited the players to attend it that night.

The game was won by the visiting Chicago White Stockings with a score of 4-2. When the game ended Mr. Gunter pulled out the tattered poem from his wallet and DeWolf Hopper strode out onto the field and read the poem in his deep, thundering voice. The crowd went wild. DeWolf Hopper made the poem famous and the poem made him a star. It was also Ernest Lawrence Thayer's 25th birthday.

"Casey at the Bat"

It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville nine
that day,
The score stood four to six with but an inning left
to play.
And so, when Cooney died at first, and Burrows
did the same,
A pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the
game.

A straggling few got up to go, leaving there the
rest,
With that hope which springs eternal within the
human breast.
For they thought if only Casey could get a whack
at that,
They’d put up even money with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, and likewise so did
Blake,
And the former was a pudding and the latter was a
fake;
So on that stricken multitude a death-like silence
sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey’s
getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single to the wonderment of
all,
And the much despised Blakey tore the cover off
the ball,
And when the dust had lifted and they saw what
had occurred,
There was Blakey safe on second, and Flynn a
hugging third.

Then from the gladdened multitude went up a
joyous yell,
It bounded from the mountain top and rattled in the
dell,
It struck upon the hillside, and rebounded on the
flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the
bat.

There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped
into his place,
There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile on
Casey’s face,
And when responding to the cheers he lightly
doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt, ‘twas Casey
at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his
hands with dirt,
Five thousand tongues applauded as he wiped them
on his shirt;
And while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into
his hip —
Defiance gleamed from Casey’s eye — a sneer
curled Casey’s lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling
through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur
there;
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded
sped —
“That hain’t my style,” said Casey — “Strike one,”
the Umpire said.

From the bleachers black with people there rose a
sullen roar,
Like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and
distant shore,
“Kill him! kill the Umpire!” shouted some one
from the stand —
And it’s likely they’d have done it had not Casey
raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s
visage shone,
He stilled the rising tumult and he bade the game
go on;
He signalled to the pitcher and again the spheroid
flew,
But Casey still ignored it and the Umpire said
“Strike two.”

“Fraud!” yelled the maddened thousands, and the
echo answered “Fraud,”
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience
was awed;
They saw his face grow stern and cold; they saw
his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey would not let that ball
go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip; his teeth are
clenched with hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the
plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he
lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of
Casey’s blow.

Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is
shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere
hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere
children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has
“Struck Out.”

John Prine - "The Happy Enchilada Song"

If you are a John Prine fan then you will know this song as “That’s the Way the World Goes Round.” It’s a staple of any John Prine concert and a favorite of his audience; which ranges in age from 9 to 90. But this is not the version you generally hear on the radio. It is, however, the one you will hear when you are in my car. 

We have all misunderstood the lyrics to different songs at various times in our lives. Usually the mistaken words are fairly innocuous; as in my own version of “Shine Little Glowworm.” I used to sing it as “Shine little glow worm, liver”, rather than “glimmer.” Hey, I was only 4 years old at the time and not yet familiar with the word “glimmer.”  Also, liver was a big thing in my life at the time; my parents were always at me to “eat my liver.”

There have been others along the way as I grew up that were equally banal. And I’m sure you have had some of your own, too. But, in this video of John Prine singing “That’s the Way the World Goes Round” he tells the story of a woman in San Francisco who just may take top prize for mistaken lyrics. 

"On the Road with Janis Joplin" by John Byrne Cooke (2014)

To my mind there has never been a good book yet about Janis Joplin’s life on the road; from Big Brother and the Holding Company through the final days of the Full Tilt Boogie Band. Now there is. John Byrne Cooke was the road manager for all three incarnations of Janis’ career and he was taking notes; and filming some of it on his 8mm. And because he did that we have a great record of what Janis; and the 3 bands she fronted; were doing from early 1968 until her death in October 1970.

Written in the present tense and against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the attendant election of Richard Nixon in 1968, this book is almost animated in its presentation. The 1960’s were lively, to be sure, which can make them difficult to capture on paper. No such problem for the author here. He has done a great job of melding the two into a very entertaining, and yet informative, account of one of the most vibrant stars of the decade.

Along the journey you will hear the story behind some of the stories which have become legendary since Janis Joplin’s passing. The Jim Morrison and Janis fight; in which she smashed a bottle on his head while playing pool and he told her she couldn’t sing the blues worth a shit;  or the slapping of Jerry Lee Lewis, who slapped back; are two great examples of the raucous side to Janis. But there are softer moments, too.

A bit of rock and roll history gets thrown in; the situation which existed in NYC that literally made Bill Graham feel as if he had to open a decent musical venue on the East Coast is explored. The Anderson Theater was right across the street from another old Yiddish Theater. Bill Graham had it up and running in about 8 weeks flat. Big Brother and the Holding Company were the headliners on opening night.

My own memory of “Cheap Thrills” did not include the fact that within a few weeks of the album’s release and ascension to number 1 on the charts in November 1968, the band dissolved by the end of November. Janis was going to front a new band and they were already booked for engagements beginning in January. Many fans were upset with the breakup. Big Brother seemed to embody the San Francisco scene and the album, with its cover by Robert Crumb, quickly became an icon of acid rock and hung on the walls of many bedrooms across the country.

This new band became the Kozmic Blues Band and featured a horn section for the first time. With this album’s releaaseI began to think of Janis as the female version of James Brown. Listen to, and watch, some of the performances and her introductions on You Tube and you’ll see what I mean.

Still not happy with the sound she was searching for led to the Kozmic Blues Band going through many changes in personnel. Mr. Cooke has supplied a listing of personnel associated with each band at the front of the book which comes in handy for reference on several occasions. Just keeping track of the horn section is a chore. They underwent 3 changes in that department before getting it right. Still, they produced a magnificent album with the release of “I’ve Got Them Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama.”

The author also adds a nice touch to the book by showing the dates of almost all of the shows Janis performed with the band during his time as road manager, which was pretty much her entire recorded career from before “Cheap Thrills” until the very end. This lends an air of immediacy to the narrative as you can actually see the hectic touring schedule as you read about what the band was up to in between shows and cities.

With Full Tilt Boogie Band being formed and a new album waiting to be recorded Janis ventures back home for a high school re-union in 1970. I always have felt that this visit; along with the lack of any real acknowledgement of her success by her peers; contributed to her spike in heroin use which finally killed her a few months later. Instead of just giving her a dozen roses and making her feel welcome, she was summoned to a meeting of the “clique” and asked what she “wanted”.

What can you say to that? So, she replied that she was just there to enjoy herself and they took that a license to basically ignore her. That; along with the fact that her parents were away at a wedding for someone else’s daughter; had to have hurt her. You can see it in her face when watching the film of the press conference.

The Full Tilt Boogie Band had recorded about 10 songs for the new, as yet unnamed, album when Janis died. The numbers ran from a Capella to raw vocal tracks and even an acoustic version of “Me and Bobby McGee”, the song written by Kris Kristofferson. If you look at the material you get the sense that Janis was trying to lay out all of her musical influences and styles in one album. This is a woman who was influenced very early on by Jean Ritchie and her dulcimer; which she often played using a feather. She was also a devotee of Bessie Smith; a la “Turtle Blues.” And she also enjoyed country music, hence her acoustic version of “Bobby McGee.” With her death came the unique problem of what to do with these recordings.

The outcome was a posthumous album which would have made Janis proud; “Pearl.” It was named using the nickname she had bestowed upon herself while on the road. It was a way for her friends not to have to call her Jains Joplin. When Kris Kristofferson was invited to the studio to hear the demo of Janis singing “Me and Bobby McGee” he was only able to listen to the first 2 verses before leaving in tears.

This is still my favorite version of the song. It’s exactly the same length as the overdubbed version on “Pearl”. I have included a link to it here;  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EArR3Qnzg

If you like Janis Joplin you will find this book very enjoyable. If you are interested in the 1960’s there will be much to interest you. And if you enjoy learning about the history of making music this book will fit the bill nicely. 

But the best part of reading this book is that it was written by someone who enjoyed what he was doing then, and is still finding satisfaction in it all these years later. His enthusiasm for his subject is palpable and easily transferred to the reader.

"Ferlinghetti" with Allen Ginsburg and Bob Dylan (2010)

Most people first came across Lawrence Ferlinghetti in the film “The Last Waltz”, which chronicled the final concert of the group in San Francisco. The year was 1976. Lawrence Ferlinghetti had long ago made his mark on the world, but there were still many who had not read his poetry or even knew his name. 

His version of the Lord’s Prayer will forever be cemented in the minds of millions of movie goers who saw that film. (This version is from the film and is slightly different than the published one.)

“Our father whose art's in heaven

Hollow be thy name unless things change.

Thy kingdom come and gone

Thy will will be undone on Earth, as it isn't Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, at least three times a day

and lead us not into temptation too often on weekdays,

but deliver us from evil

whose presence remains unexplained in thy kingdom of power and

glory.”

Oh, man!"

In this film the poet explores the Beat Generation of poets and writers; many of whom appear in the film crediting Mr. Ferlinghetti with having been an inspiration to them. That list includes, Allen Ginsburg, Bob Dylan and Billy Collins. There are too many names to fit on the cover of this incredibly insightful documentary.

Poetry is one of the oldest arts; before stage and screen. It must have come about after people began telling tales around the fire at night. Certainly past the grunts and sounds which early on served as speech. But I suspect that as soon as words were formed someone started rhyming them, and shortly thereafter came free verse. And poetry has been around long enough to leave a complete account of history. "The Epic of Gilgamesh", an epic poem from Mesopotamia, is believed to date to the 18^th Century B.C.  The Greek tragedies are almost modern by comparison! And the poetry we call the Bible is pretty much contemporary in the grand scheme of things.

This film will inform you and entertain you; it will also help you understand the direction which poetry; and what we came to call the “sub-culture” of the post-war era; took in the most tumultuous years of the late 20^th century. 

For one of my favorite poems by Mr. Ferlinghetti; “I Am Waiting”, use this link;

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171598

"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 Beatles - A Ticket to Candlestick Park

It was really impossible to find any good quality footage of the Beatles last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco 45 years ago today. No one was quite sure that it would be the last tour, as the Beatles themselves did not announce the end of live touring until November of that same year. So I have substituted another live performance from 1966 in order to debunk the claim that the group had lost it's musical abilities to perform live.



This is the Beatles only one month before the concert in Candlestick Park. Aside from the bad acoustics, the band is tight, highly charged and still motivated to play live. And below is the interview given just prior to the show in San Francisco one month later, covering a range of topics. It's not the same cute group that landed here 2 and a half years earlier. They are more aware of their power as stars and ability to do and say as they please.



And finally, here is some of the actual 8mm footage, with sound, shot in Candlestick Park 45 years ago this evening. Even with the bad sound, the film still captures the excitement of the Beatles, in concert, along with the flavor of the 1960's.

Rooftop Turns Two - First Review Revisited

Today is the 2nd anniversary of Rooftop Reviews, a mile stone which I never thought of back then when I began this blog. I got about 15 hits a day at the time, and was amazed! I now get over 10 times that, and have soared, on occcassion, to over 300. Not world shattering, not even close to going viral, but satisfying all the same. And, as I've said before, at 7 articles per hit, for free, it's the best buy on the net!

I have learned a few things since then, like the proper, or most effective, use of a comma in putting across a point of view. And along the way I have corresponded with many of the authors whose books I have reviewed, and a few celebriities, too. Olivia DeHavilland and Tommy Chong are still my all time favorites in that regard. And of course, becoming acquainted with record industry pioneer Eddie Ray has been a pleasant surprise, which still amazes us both.

It's been fascinating to watch the process unfold, and it has given me great joy. The e-mails, and the input, which I have received from you, the readers, has been a wonderful experience, for which I am truly thankful. I still can't believe that you actually read this stuff!

So, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at my first blog, which was really featured as a "guest" blog on http://getlitsf.blogspot.com/ That site, and my friendship with Suzy, the author of it, are what prompted me to start "Rooftop Reviews." Well, here it is, my first blog, without illustration, (because I didn't know how to "upload" back then) wart's and all, a review of,

"The Sugar's at the Bottom of the Cup" by Elda Del Bino Willitts and Patricia Henley

Ever wonder what the Marina District along the Northern edge of San Francisco was like in 1916? Or what Ocean Beach was like before all those houses arrived in the Richmond and Sunset Districts? Then “The Sugar’s at the Bottom of The Cup” by Elda Del Bino Willitts is a book for you.

With a sparse and direct approach to the subject, Mrs. Willits takes you back in time to an era when steamships still arrived daily in San Francisco and filled the streets with newly arrived Americans from all over the world. Adding to this mix was the influx of European immigrants arriving by train from the East.

Elda Del Bino was seven years old when she stepped off the train and into the fast moving cosmopolitan world of San Francisco. With straightforward prose she vividly describes her journey by ship to New York and Ellis Island and then the train trip across rural America prior to the First World War, arriving in San Francisco in 1916.

Taking up residence in the Cow Hollow area South of Lombard Street and the present day Highway 101, finding jobs, enrolling in school, learning English, Mrs Willitts draws a clear and accurate picture of San Francisco’s bygone era. Through the changes of the 1920’s and the dark years of the Depression, the book captures the flavor of a changing city. The World War Two years in San Francisco and the changes in morals and values that flowed from that war are all here to examine in the life of one elderly woman.

Full of wit and inescapable charm, Mrs. Willitts has written a wonderful and informative book about San Francisco, the City by the Sea.

This review has also been featured on Garden Lust Journal: http://mendogardens.blogspot.com/

"Odds and Ends" by R. Crumb

This collection of odds and ends, is exactly what it claims to be. A book filled with odds and ends from one of the most prolific, and influential, artists of the comic book genre. His characters are more plentiful than all of O. Henry's rouques, combined with all of the minions ever dreamt up by Damon Runyon. That is saying quite a lot, but it is true.

From the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers to the antics of Mr. Natural, Robert Crumb entertained an entire generation during the 1960's and early 1970's with Zap Comics. Those were some of the edgiest comics ever seen.

But what happened to those pieces that never made it to print? Like Hollywood, often the best bits are left on the cutting room floor, or in the case of Mr. Crumb, in the wastebasket. This book is like going through his outtakes. And what a journey it is!

There are portraits of blues artists such as Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson, The North Carolina Ramblers and many others. There are also invitations, like the one to the 1999 celebration of Jesse Crumb and Erica Detlefsen's "Fifteen Year Thing Together." (They didn't know what else to call it.)

There are portraits of George Jones, weird machines grinding meat, there is even a section titled "R.Crumb's Early Weirdo Period 1981-85." That kind of threw me a bit, as I have always considered his work to be slightly off center, that's what makes it so enjoyable. If I wanted normal I'd read "Batman", not that a caped man with a young boy speeding out of a cave in a Batmobile is any less strange, but it is an "accepted" norm of the genre.

One of the funniest sections in this collection is composed of illustrations with captions we have all heard spoken in movies, or cheap novels. "He couldn't get a piece of ass in a whorehouse with a fistful of fifty dollar bills", is a line I have actually heard spoken aboard ship concerning a fellow shipmate. The illustration of this line, provided by Mr. Crumb, actually had me in tears of laughter. The same is true of his illustration of a "Belt Buckle Polisher", which is an expression I have heard used to describe people who dance seductively in public, holding one another close and grinding their loins against one another.

Filled with illustrations of street scenes and various character studies, this book will have you turning pages faster than the leaves falling from the trees in November. Though some of the art is from the 1990's, indeed a good bit of the book is composed of his post 1970's work, the style and wit are all intact. It was interesting to find this in the Library, and just one more example of why I love the Library so much. It's kind of like "Alice's Restaurant", you know, "You can get anything you want..."

"Impact" with Brian Donlevy, Charles Coburn and Ella Raines

I thought I had seen all the film noir there is to see, but somehow I missed this one. Charles Coburn, usually the guy who plays a beleagured father in law, or industrialist, is delightfully cast out of character in this film as Detective Quincy of the San Francisco Police Department. Brian Donlevy is the hapless and unlucky Walter Williams, a self-made businessman so in love with his wife that he cannot see what is about to happen to him.

When he leaves for a trip to Denver, where he has just purchased 3 new factories, his wife, Irene, played by Helen Walker, arranges to have her husband give a lift to a relative named Jim Torrance, played by Tony Barrett. Tony, who is not a relative, has been having an affair with Irene, and the plan is to have him kill Walter en route to Denver. Irene and Jim then plan to leave the country for Mexico. But it never comes to pass.

After nearly being killed by Jim, Walter Williams is left for dead on the side of the road. When Jim speeds away in Walter's car, he crashes into a gasoline tanker and dies in the inferno. His remains are beyond recognition, so the authorities assume that the dead man is Walter Williams. Meantime Irene is packing, getting ready to leave town with her lover. But, as the days tick by, she becomes increasingly concerned that Jim has double crossed her.

Walter, by this time, has recovered enough to realize just what has happened. Finding himself battered and alone on the road he ends up in a small town, where he lands a job at a service station, fixing cars. The owner of the station is a war widow and soon the two find themselves falling for one another.

As all this is happening, Detective Quincy is pursuing the case. As the circle tightens it begins to look as if Walter discovered the plot to kill him, and then murdered the would be murderer. Irene captilizes upon this twist, leaving the viewer in suspense as Detective Quincy tries to make sense of it all. When Irene is finally arrested for the plot to kill her husband, Walter still remains in the small town, following the case in the papers, relishing the irony of his wifes predicament. Will he remain undercover? Or will he come forward to see that justice is served, and to reclaim his life?

A very tightly written script by Jay Dratler and Dorothy Davenport, combined with the taut direction of Arthur Lubin, make this film a keeper. With wonderful vistas of San Francisco in the late 1940's, many of the scenes were shot on the streets of the city, this is a very entertaining film.

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin passed away 40 years ago today at the all too young age of 27. Her image as a hard drinking, heroin shooting blues singer has endured the 4 decades since her death. But there was so much more to this woman than the hype of drugs and booze. She really was a very talented singer who was in control of her career, and it's direction, right until the end.

With both movies and books depicting her as merely a stoned out blues singer,acting at the direction of others, it is often hard to keep sight of the vision and talent she possessed. Not many artists can take a song, which is already a hit by someone else, and make it their own. Janis Joplin did this several times.

From George Gershwins "Summertime", and The Chantels "Maybe",and even such standards as "Little Girl Blue" by Rodgers and Hart, time and again Ms. Joplin was able to transform established songs into new works that still resonate today. Take Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" as an example. This was a country-folk song written and recorded by Mr. Kristofferson in 1969. It was one of his first big hits and made him a star. But when that record comes on the radio, even Mr. Kristofferson has to pause and listen. Here is the demo that Ms. Joplin recorded a few months before her death. She simply walked into the studio, announced that she was doing this song and ends it by saying it needs an ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnWzQyp3BEA

The finished version is exactly the same length as this demo. The only change is the addition of the electric instruments and her improvised vocal ending. This lady had some serious talent and vision.

She did the same thing with the seemingly banal "To Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees, turning the 4 minute pop song into a lengthy blues number backed by a brass section. And who can ever forget her ballsy live version of Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton's "Ball and Chain" from the album "Cheap Thrills." Also on that album is a real gem written by Ms. Joplin, "Turtle Blues."

When it came to cover art, Ms. Joplin was as far reaching as you can imagine. Take this cover by Robert Crumb for the 1968 release "Cheap Thrills." You can literally spend 20 or 30 minutes digesting all the wacky and colorful things which are crammed in this 12" x 12" space. The covers of her subsequent albums were equally daring - the out of focus photo taken under the red and blue stage lights that adorns the cover of "I've Got 'Dem Old Kozmic Blues Again" album is a great example.

Working with Big Brother and the Holding Company really pushed her into the light, but that band was a bit confining for her. She wanted a band like James Brown had, complete with brass. With that thought in mind she formed The Full Tilt Boogie Band, which would be her last. They were the epitome of the Stax Record sound. When viewing live performances of her on YouTube you can see the transformation in her style of singing, often delivering spontaneous blues "raps" in the middle of her numbers. This was standard James Brown procedure, really preaching the blues to a more than receptive audience.

We will never know where Ms. Joplin's career might have taken us. What direction was she going in next? But her unique style of delivering the blues will always be with us to enjoy. Just hit YouTube sometime today and check out the live videos from TV shows like Tom Jones, Dick Cavett and all the rest. You will be amazed at the vitality and sense of humor that ultimately define her.

"The Poker Bride" by Christopher Corbett

This is a multi-faceted book. It is the story of a Chinese concubine named "Polly" and her life as the wife of a gold miner. She seems to have arrived in 1851 and the story follows her through the early years of the Gold Rush and on into a life of seclusion with a husband in the secluded area of the Salmon River in Idaho.

It is also the story of the first Chinese in America and the various jobs they held. From camp cooks to railroad workers, the Chinese immigrant of the time did so much to change the face of America. The Chinese women, who came later, were largely bought over as concubines for the more wealthy, and as prostitutes for the more desperate.

Mirroring the sex trafficking of the present, Chinese families were often forced, by economic hardship, to sell their daughters into servitude. This often meant sending them to America where they would become "camp girls" or prostitutes. Lucky ones, like Polly, would be wagered at poker games and some, like Polly, would fall into the hands of a kind man and become wives. This is what happened to Polly.

Charlie Bemis was a native of Connecticut when he caught the "gold fever" and headed west. There he set about, like so many others before and after him, to seek his fortune up and down the "gold coast". It was during this period that he engaged in, and won, a poker hand that included "Polly" as part of the stakes. He wins and then takes her hand in a marraige that spans decades.

More than just the story of Polly Bemis, the book is a chronicle of life in San Francisco from the first cry of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 to the 1930's and rural Idaho. By that time, Polly Bemis was a widow and cared for by two prospectors who lived on an adjoining piece of land. Mrs. Bemis left them her land in exchange for their years of care.

Twice yearly she made a trip down the mountain and into the town. It is there that she sees her first automobile and moving picture show. But she always returns to the seclusion of her home.

Incorporated into this book is a history of the Gold Rush Era as well as a sociological look at the make up of mining towns. Composed mostly of men, chores usually left to women become the province of the men. Laundry, cooking and cleaning were relagated to the Chinese workers who came by the droves to earn money in the gold fields.

It is interesting to note that neither James Marshall, nor John Sutter, the owners and operators of the sawmill where the gold was first discovered, ever made much of their lives after the discovery. Marshall became a drunk, while Sutter spent the rest of his life trying, without sucess, to sue the government over land rights associated with his claim.

This is also a book about San Francisco and it's early growth from a small port to a great metropolis. The author explores the social, as well as the financial, aspects of this growth. It takes you into the history of the Chinese "hatchet men", who were the forerunners to the Triad and the counterparts to the Italian Mafia.

One section of the book deals entirely with prostitution. It describes some of the myths surrounding the issue. For instance, in a typical gambling hall, the women were free to engage in sex or not. Their primary purpose was to entice the men to drink and gamble. To that end, women became croupiers and dealers. It was far easier to get the men to a table where a pretty woman presided over the games.

Dancing halls were also a way for the women to make money and stay vertical. The price of a dance was one dollar. A woman was expected to dance with fifty men a night and split the money with the owner. A good dance hall girl could make up to $100 a night. This was more than the average prospector could hope for.

This is a fast paced and informative book that will leave you with a new impression of the Old West.

The Laughing Gorilla by Robert Graysmith

This is a sprawling account of America's first transcontinental serial killer,Slipton Fell. Raised by parents engaged in the Funeral business he learns to do autopsies and has an obsession with death. A huge man with large hands he is quickly dubbed "The Laughing Gorilla" due to the insane laugh he emits as he leaves his crime scenes.

This book is also the story of the Police Detective in San Francisco, Captain Charles Dullea, who pursues the Gorilla Man for almost a decade. While trying to solve the case he is also faced with cleaning up a very corrupt Police Department. To complicate matters the Public Defenders Office has become a clearing house for criminals and crime. A string of safecracking heists is finally solved only to discover that the ring is lead by a Policeman. He gets his cohorts from the Public Defenders office!

When I refer to the book as sprawling I mean that the author takes you from the initial crimes in San Francisco in 1926, to the wilderness of Canada and the interior of the United States as we follow the trail of the killer. Which murders are the work of the Gorilla Man and which are copy cat killings? In the days before forensic science had reached it's current state, this was no easy question.

The book is loaded with characters, some who rival even the most imaginative creations of fiction. There is Police Chief Quinn with his armored automobile complete with a machine gun mount; there is the "Flying Squad", an elite motorcycle unit used to battle the criminal gangs along the waterfront; there are Madams and Longshoreman. They are all locked in a struggle to survive the daily life along the San Francisco waterfront of the 1920's through 30's.

While Captain Dullea battles his own demons within the Department he never loses sight of the Gorilla Man. He let him slip away once and has never forgotten it. When the Gorilla Man returns to San Francisco after an absence of almost 10 years, Dullea is determined to bring this monster to justice.

A must read for lovers of San Francisco and its' colorful history. The authors descriptions of the wharves and the Embarcadero,the Clock Tower and the daily grind of San Francisco all ring true. Set against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge being built, you get a sense of a city emerging from it's past and building to a future.

Written by Robert Graysmith, the man who idenitified the infamous "Zodiac Killer",this book is a product of the same painstaking research skills which aided in cracking that case.

The Sugar's at the Bottom of the Cup

By Elda Del Bino Willitts and Patricia Henley Reviewed by Robert Williams

Ever wonder what the Marina District along the Northern edge of San Francisco was like in 1916? Or what Ocean Beach was like before all those houses arrived in the Richmond and Sunset Districts? Then “The Sugar’s at the Bottom of The Cup” by Elda Del Bino Willitts is a book for you.

With a sparse and direct approach to the subject, Mrs. Willits takes you back in time to an era when steamships still arrived daily in San Francisco and filled the streets with newly arrived Americans from all over the world. Adding to this mix was the influx of European immigrants arriving by train from the East.

Elda Del Bino was seven years old when she stepped off the train and into the fast moving cosmopolitan world of San Francisco. With straightforward prose she vividly describes her journey by ship to New York and Ellis Island and then the train trip across rural America prior to the First World War, arriving in San Francisco in 1916.

Taking up residence in the Cow Hollow area South of Lombard Street and the present day Highway 101, finding jobs, enrolling in school, learning English, Mrs Willitts draws a clear and accurate picture of San Francisco’s bygone era. Through the changes of the 1920’s and the dark years of the Depression, the book captures the flavor of a changing city. The World War Two years in San Francisco and the changes in morals and values that flowed from that war are all here to examine in the life of one elderly woman.

Full of wit and inescapable charm, Mrs. Willitts has written a wonderful and informative book about San Francisco, the City by the Sea.

This review has also been featured on Garden Lust Journal: http://mendogardens.blogspot.com/