The day the music died poster, Haring’s boyhood room, Fran Leibowitz, Anna Delvey, oulaw fetish, gas station chargers, more.

Color of the day…Glacier Gray.

It’s an oatmeal morning; brown sugar, butter, milk, oatmeal, stick-to-yer-ribs morning. The sky is Pantone P 179-2-C gray. Not a color of any year, not even last year. Wet. Cold. The calendar says it’s Human Rights Day. Tell Putin.

Enough of that. This could be the best day ever. Or just okay; I’ll take that. On my first walk of the day, I pass a parked pickup at the tractor fixit place; a deer in the bed. In the metal building another deer is strung up and two men, one of whom I know, are skinning it. Bounty of the season. Freezers full of venison this and that. Cost of gas, ammo, license etc figured in to fight inflation. I wave, walk on remembering the taste; sausage, deer chili, gamy tough cuts, stepdad insisting how good it is. The chili was okay.  When I return, there’s a Chewy carton and a mystery box for F. The dogs are happy; treats from the driver or not.

Got one of these? I’ll give you a hundred bucks for it.

So starts the day. How’s your day? Good, I hope. Maybe you’ll find something of interest in the following melange (gallimaufry to you, Skip) of tips, facts, links, books.

Some of us remember The Gray Day The Music Died.

It’s a safe bet that none of us have the concert poster of that day that just went for $447,000 at auction. It might be the only one ever discovered. Think of that. Think of the guy in charge of posting these; he had a big sack of them, some of which probably got tossed. This one had been stuck to a phone pole in Minnesota; a maintenance man found it on the ground, put it in a closet, forgot it for 50 years. (Link)

 

Speaking of finding great stuff:

Photo Courtesy of Scott Garner

I really liked this story because of what they did with the art. Short version; Keith Haring lived in this house as a boy, painted one of his quickie, later to become iconic people on the wall near a light switch in his bedroom, years passed, they moved, the Garner family that bought the house and moved in thought the wall drawing was familiar. They didn’t paint over it. Whew. (Link)

 

And Fran Lebowitz interviewed by Questlove. You’re welcome.

A few minutes, a lot of laughs.

There’s a commercial for Scotch but it’s okay, then, in the first couple of minutes FL defines New Yorkers and discusses leafblowers (not a NYC sound) that she encountered outside in “quieter places.” QL and FL, wow. Worth watching. Maybe fifteen, sixteen minutes. (Link) I love Fran Lebowitz and for Questlove’s first interview, it’s a solid five stars. And a bonus interview: me by Roz Morris. Hey, it’s my blog, I can do this.

 

Casey Kelbaugh for Variety

Remember Anna Delvey/Sorokin? Con artist, Netflix series, house arrest? That Anna.

Her “art” sells for a lot. I’m going to say it’s because of her celebrity, no sour grapes here; she worked hard for it. And, at least she wasn’t Caril Fugate, pulling the trigger on innocent farm people with psycho partner Charlie Starkweather, but she did commit financial mayhem between Manhattan and Marrakesh. Fugate, by the way, is another story, one that I was going to write some years ago and pitch Esquire with. She’s still living—maybe I’ll do it yet. Clyde’s Bonnie, Manson’s “family” and Charlie’s Caril were possibly affected by hybristophilia, a condition of attraction to outlaws (to oversimplify), an angle I was going to follow in the Fugate piece. Anyway, Anna says she’s living well under house arrest, “better than most.” You go girl, but don’t ask to borrow my platinum/titanium Amex card. (I don’t even have a zircon one anyway.) (Link)

 Gas station chargers; as good as gas station food, gas station aviators?

Some “Review Geek” is above me; things like building your own PC or how to blockchain your VPN put a glazed expression on my face and tickle my ‘delete’ gland. But the geek often comes closer to earthtalk and those articles are worth a read. Here’s why you’d be better off spending your dough on a pine tree air freshener or a pair of reflector aviator shades that might last a week. At least they won’t damage your phone’s battery or leave you stranded. (Link)

And that’s about it.

Except for a “buy this book” and a stolen Garrison Keillor joke. The book is Chickens One Day, Feathers The Next, nonfiction by me. And if you’ve already bought it, thank you! If you’ve read it, please leave a review. Dog walks into a bar. Says to the bartender, “Got a drink for a talking dog?” Bartender says “Sure. Rest room is down that hall, first door to your right.”

 Happy December. xo G

 

 

 

 

 

 

It used to take a village to raise an idiot…

But now they’re everywhere; even in the Pelosi kitchen in San Francisco.

This particular idiot attacked Mr. Pelosi, an octogenarian like me, with a hammer. Not much, anymore, causes me to say “Wha…?” to news headlines, but this one did. I did some quick searches for line of succession to the presidency, because another idiot got lots of traction with the statement that Mrs. Pelosi was second to Kamala Harris if Biden didn’t serve out his term. Not so. Harris would select a VP. So lay that one to rest.

Best revenge ever for recovering from a hammer attack…

There are circumstances that could put Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office, but they’re remote. But even so, one would think the Pelosi household would be better protected. I heard they’re wealthy, (NYT says Mr. P got a DUI in his Porsche 911 and they start at $100k) so maybe the platinum tier of SimpliSafe is within their means. I hope he recovers fully—they say he will, but 80+ and worked over with a hammer? There’s only so much a guy can take. Get well, Mr. P—enjoy that whale tail some more on those North California twisties. And a good wine, after.

Hey, a few more signed up for The View from Wise Acres.

 Welcome! And thanks to you other guys for checking in for the occasional blog. I take Garrison Keillor’s blog and Austin Kleon’s among others but they both tell me I can get the really good stuff by paying. Excuse me, but I refuse to pay for a blaawwwwg, man. It could have the secrets of the universe, but I’ll settle for the free hints. I do write books and they cost American dollars. More about that in this link.

 What I’m reading, enjoying, and, hence, recommending.

 I got the New Yorker decade books, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, but kind of cheated, as I bought remainders and library dumps. I read most of the 50’s decade, as I was a kid then and look back in awe on the era of McCarthy, Elvis and the like. The articles on Modern Jazz were really informative; it was new then and exciting and the discourses on it are intelligent and respectful. But the 60’s…I was a little older and more of an actual participant; exciting times, turbulent times. Good books. They all feature the New Yorker poetry, articles, fiction and zeitgeist of the eras defined.

Braided Sweetgrass was a gift from a lovely person (who subscribes to this blog—thank you, lovely person) and it is proving to be quite charming; it’s getting some fine reviews. It’s also sad in areas that touch upon the treaties drawn up with the original inhabitants of the U.S., treaties made in unutterably bad faith; we know this unless living under a rock for the last century. By Robin Wall Kimmerer, the rest of the title is: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. I look at pecan trees a bit differently after the first chapter. Highly recommended.

Just started Heart of Darkness* for the umpteenth time, having dug out my well-worn old 1981 Penguin Classic for a Conrad language fix. *(except some raciaIly insensitive epithets) I had an earlier paperback but it fell apart; no matter--it was underlined to the point of distraction. To be read slowly and with relish. Watching Apocalypse Now is a good thing, before or after, as it’s (somewhat) based on the book here and, especially, there. Both are masterworks in my opinion.

But then, this came, UPS, today…

Heat 2, by Michael Mann and Meg Gordimer. Heat, the feature film, is one of my all-time favorites, and after reading a few lines of this book, I knew I had to have it. It’s the earlier stories of the characters in the film and a sequel moving into their futures. Val Kilmer, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro are already gesturing to me to hurry up and get into this. I never tried alternating four books at one time, so I may have to read this one and get back to the other three.

So I’m booked up for awhile; not the worst thing to happen to an avid reader.

 New blood in the olde village…

Welcome, Austin…and welcome back, Farmall…

The average age in New Lancaster (Resume Speed, Kansas), was just lowered drastically when Austin Boatwright moved into the Guernsey Estate on the south side of the town square. He rescued a 1949 Farmall Super C tractor which I had sold five years ago, and which had been left out in the weather all this time. Austin got it started and drove it to Wise Acres to pick up the mower that goes with it; an old Texas King Cutter. I used to mow pasture with this outfit and it would run all day long. Hopefully it will again, and Austin is talking restoration. The old C is worth it, as a user or a future showpiece.

As always, thanks for dropping by Wise Acres. May we all see fewer crappy headlines, and more smiles from friends. xxoo G

Jessica Bell, multi-achiever

She wrote the book on book covers

Her latest book, which comes out this month. So does “Chickens One Day, Feathers The Next.” She designed that cover, too.

“Can you make the title bigga?” And a lot of other books besides. Where does one begin with Jessica Bell? She looks young but she’s been a lot of theres, done a lot of thats, and left her mark on all of them; singer, performing artist, songwriter, musician, author, publisher, actor, designer, poet, fine artist, and maybe more, probably more. She’s accomplished. And she’s a mother, which as mothers know, is a job in itself. She could write a book. Books. Ten, so far.

 So, let’s pare this down, choosing one line item; book cover design.

 GW  I was blown away by your cover design for “Chickens” as well as so many other covers you’ve done for Vine Leaves Press. In your newest book, you reveal some of the thinking behind your covers. Is it tough to do your own covers, and do you apply the same basics to yours as you do others?

JB I used to find it extremely difficult designing my own covers, because, my pre-conceived ideas are loaded with both my attachment to the story, and my visual ideas, and my idea of what kind of readers would like my books. I’ve tried targeting various audiences, but I reached a point where I decided to just be true to myself as an artist, since nothing I tried worked with my own books because I couldn’t be be objective enough. I do have success with other people’s books though:

For my last novel, How Icasia Bloom Touched Happiness, I ended up designing a whole bunch of covers and then got votes from my followers, and also ran a poll on PickFu, because I really needed to find a way to nail my own covers (and not second-guess myself!) The cover that was the most popular, was not the one I wanted to use. But I decided to trust the public, and so far so good! It’s the first novel of mine that sells consistently and I continue to get comments saying how the cover made them want to read the book.

GW  In a happy coincidence we both have books coming out about the same time; in terms of your new book, “Can You Make the Title Bigga?” How did you design the cover for “Chickens One Day, Feathers the Next”?

JB  Since you never sent me any notes about visuals (naughty!) I had to wing it. I worked off your book blurb, and the endorsements you’d been given. I read a couple of essays, and then launched into it. I also did a bit of research on other essay collections. Then I made a list of visuals I wanted to include: chickens running away, a mushroom cloud, a writer navigating an explosion of feathers, lots of color, but not too bright.

I didn’t quite get a ‘writer’ but I certainly found an image of a man that didn’t look like he belonged in his environment (ha!) The ‘mushroom’ cloud extends from his back which I think really represents the passing of time and all the particles in it represent the varied experiences he’s had. The mask is also protecting him from the onslaught of the unknown, and from breathing in the aftermath of life.

I originally included a cartoon chicken running away, but Amie (my partner at VLP) and I both agreed that it looked too gimmicky, so I added, instead, chicken footprints as a suggestion of a chicken having been present (which it turns out matches the title a lot better anyway!)

 As you can see, I also wasn’t happy with the last three letters of ‘feathers’ so I fiddled with that too, and I also toned down the pinkiness of the cover as a whole.

 GW   You have an impressive blend of careers (singer, songwriter, publisher, graphic designer, author, voice-over actor, and more). How do all these disciplines complement one another, and which one did you pursue first as a kid?

 JB Well, I think the writing and design know-how contributed to the success of Vine Leaves Press. I know what makes a good book on the inside, and I know how to sell a good book from the outside. I think they all feed very well off each other. Despite that beautifully aligned synergy, I get bored doing just one thing. I really thrive off having a variety of creative tasks to sink my teeth into.

As a child of parents who were songwriters and musicians, and also artists in other ways such as painting and drawing, I was singing before I could speak. Around the age of 11, this turned into poetry writing, and then song writing, and playing piano and guitar. When I reached high school, I became extremely passionate about creative writing too. Already by age 16 I was writing short stories and at least one new song a week on my 12-string guitar. So, I guess the first thing was singing!

 GW   Who did you write “Can You Make the Title Bigga?” for?

1)    For authors self-publishing to inspire them with practical, actionable advice and information.

2)    For people who work in marketing or graphic design in a publishing house, since it offers an invaluable resource.

3)    And those studying graphic design, or already designing book covers professionally—or with dreams of doing so, to encourage inspiration for designs, workshops and classes.

For more of Jessica’s book cover designs, check out her design website jessicabelldesign.com and her publishing house website vineleavespress.com

Subscribe to her newsletter: bit.ly/JBDsignup

To connect with her on social media:

Instagram: @jessicabelldesign and @yesiamjessicabell

Twitter: @iamjessicabell

Facebook: @jessicabelldesign and @jessbell.vineleaves

YouTube: youtube.com/c/msbessiebell

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicacarmenbell

 

"Best omelette I could make with a chainsaw" Thomas McGuane. Available for pre-order.

The title story could make a whole book.

But it won’t; aside from a couple of essays on art and a book review or two, this book took 84 years to write. The title comes from how a very good friend looked at death. Captain A. Rudolph Green, USMC. Rudy. I miss you, brother, but what times we had. Other good friends, brothers, pop up in “Chickens,” as do some strong women. I dash about being ten years old on one page, forty-seven on another. Some memories are fresh as yesterday, some are clouded. But I’ve presented them the best I can, and after seven books, I do believe I’m getting better at this. I’ve relived a lot on these pages. I don’t think you’ll be bored. Pre-order it here, if you’re the pre-ordering kind.

Believing is seeing.

An aspect I must mention here, is visualizing. It comes up more than once in “Chickens,” and is the subject of one piece entirely. I won’t get all mystic on you here, but there are perfectly natural universal forces out there you can gather in order to propel you to another level. Napoleon Hill touched on it; his original, unchanged, books are well worth reading. Maxwell Maltz. Viktor Frankl. Others. When one is in the groove, one feels it. Things break your way. Again, not to be occult, Tommy Chong put it this way: “When you hit a groove, it’s not you; it’s the spirit world.” That’s his way of saying things line up, break good. When they don’t, when things confound you, you’re fighting those forces and, chimerical as they are, they’ll simply go elsewhere. Maybe where they’re more welcome.

The example in the piece titled “Visualizing: Not a Woo-Woo Science” is about the best bull ride of my life. The universe was with me, my ligaments weren’t. It ended with no buckle, a trip to the ER, and a stay at an LA hospital. But I felt it, unmistakably. The forces did what they could, as did my preparation, and my allowing those chimerical forces to help. Some call it faith. Here endeth the lesson, as the pastor used to intone.

For Labor Day holiday I waxed black vehicles. With paste wax. Duh.

I don’t recommend it, not in muggy humidity and sizzling temperatures. You have to keep moving the vehicle into shaded areas and waiting for it to cool off some. BUT I discovered a wonder product for removing bug and tree sap; Krud Kutter. Wow. Of all the snake oil and elixirs out there, this works! And it’s reasonably priced, even in this inflationary economy. Ever tried to get tree sap off a black vehicle roof? Spray Krud Kutter on, and wipe it off. (I am not paid for this rec) Then I tried some $40 wax called Torque, but ended up using good old Turtle paste wax in a can. Again, reasonably priced. For rags, I use old fleece sweat shirts, cut up, for the first go-round, and microfiber cloths from Walmart for the second and third elbow-grease powered wipe-off. And, wollah, two old vehicles look like somebody loves ‘em. Could be my imagination but I think they perform better after a wax job. I cussed some; wait for cooler weather is my final word.

Best for last, speaking of visualization.

Freddie, as many of you know, is a silversmith. Which is like saying Patrick Mahomes is a football player. She was putting some pieces out for display in an upcoming show and I grabbed just a few and took a quick pic, which doesn’t do them justice. Her work is truly museum quality and it’s a crime that so few ever get to see them. She does them for family and on commission. The pieces shown here are things she did for her sister and mother, and herself. These are cuff bracelets and necklaces made with semi-precious stones, gold, silver and copper. (The pendant at lower left features some rough turquoise and several diamonds.) When we get better pictures, I’m sure she could get coastal representation; all she needs is a little time to do the work. She has done one-of-a-kind diamond wedding rings for friends and all of them were personalized designs. Stunning and breathtaking are words with brand new meaning when one first sees a Freddie Wise jewelry creation. Like the silversmith herself, they are exceptional.

(I am not being paid for this rec). We wish you a happy and creative September. xo Here’s Sarah Vaughn’s September in the Rain, which is a pretty nice note on which to end this blog and a sweltering August.

Idealism spoken here...

 We are you…

This is the cover of the chapbook; the name being what the sign says. (The sign on the buffalo, not the sign on the shed.)

The piece above inspired a poem that I can’t display here because I felt it was strong enough to enter in a $15k poetry contest. Therefore I can’t publish it, even in a blog, because that would disqualify it and I can use the cash; our yacht has barnacles and needs a good scrubbing. That ain’t cheap in Monaco.

The photo and poem were originally to be a center spread in a chapbook by Holy & Intoxicated Press (UK) but chaps are, by definition, slim, and I opted to have two pieces of art in the middle of the book, accompanied by two poems instead of just one.

The art and poetry chapbook is to be published this month and I’m very honored to have been contacted by the creator of H&I Press, poet and publisher John D. Robinson, to have both my sculpture and my poetry as the subject(s) of one of his gemlike limited editions.

Here’s an interview I found that will introduce you to John, his poetry, and thoughts, if you’re not already familiar with him and his work; strong words, strong talent, no punches pulled.

 

In the spirit of Crazyhorse and a whole lot more…

See the note at left? It was in this book and it’s not my printing; it says, “WAKE UP.” I use it as a bookmark.

This book review is a little different; so’s the book. I recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered if, just maybe, certain groups have been treated unfairly. Blacks, Indians, Asians, Hispanics, anyone other than white cisgendered males. And we’re only okay as long as we shut up and play along. This book is here to tell you things that are, in a word, flabbergasting. Truth is often just that, and often not welcome. I’m gonna bet the FBI and the BIA and the DOJ and several governors, prosecutors, judges and presidents didn’t push this book at cocktail parties; “Oh it’s a must-read, simply breathtaking!”

Well, it is breathtaking. And well-written, by bestseller Peter Matthiessen (The Snow Leopard, Killing Mr. Watson, Shadow Country) but if you’ve not read it here’s what it’ll do: fill you with disgust, anger and fear. Not much of a sales pitch, right? Truth hurts.

I read it back when I thought I could still make a difference and I tried to do some things toward that end. I still think that way to a degree but more realistically; now I can use certain skills to perhaps bring attention to things that need to stay in the collective consciousness. (Here’s one about Peltier and AIM I wrote) Like the 400 plus broken treaties with the people who were here before Columbus, before Custer, before uranium and gold and oil and rich pasture were discovered in the Black Hills, before big ranches impinged upon reservations so they could use the grazing land, before…well, the originals, the inhabitants, the Indians.

That’s it. I won’t go on. But if ever there was a must-read, this is it. When they stop whitewashing history, maybe it’ll be in those courses in schools. Guess that’s all for this blog—missed July but that was a brutal month of heat waves and disease. This week I get to go to the DMV and renew my license—I will wear a mask (sigh). I’m taking a cool course from Stage 32 about how to package and sell a limited series pilot. I’ve got this idea, see…

Anyway, enjoy your August and maybe some cooler weather. Maybe. Speaking of cool weather, here’s Joe Williams at Newport in 1963. Nice.

xo GW