CD Publications.
April 15 I had my first meeting with film maker Jerry Lentz. We discussed forming a limited partnership in order to produce films based on my books.
April 25 I started working on material for this book, dividing my time between this project and Midnight Tour.
June 20 We attended Kelly’s graduation from Hamilton High School.
July 23 - August 10 We spent about a week in Philadelphia, then in Baltimore. At much peril to ourselves, we visited former dwellings of Edgar Allan Poe in both cities. In Baltimore, we visited Poe’s grave and hung around Fell’s Point to watch the taping of Homicide, Life on the Streets, the best drama show on television.
Aug. 15-16 Kelly and I attended Dracula ‘97, a vampire convention at the Westin Hotel near L.A.X. I signed books, sat on panels, and had a memorable “dialogue” with Tim Powers. Afterwards, we had drinks with Tim and Serena, Nancy Holder, and Katherine Ramsland.
Aug. 23 We took Kelly to college and managed to survive hauling her stuff to her third-floor dorm room.
Sept. 6 Ann and I drove to Parkfield, the “earthquake center” of California, to celebrate my mother’s birthday. On the way home, we dropped in on Dark Delicacies to sign a few books, visit with Del and Sue, and order our Christmas cards.
Sept. 14 I finished most of this book, which I plan to call A Writer’s Tale, and returned to work on The Midnight Tour.
Sept. 21 I had a private chat room discussion on the Internet with John and Peter in which we discussed details of A Writer’s Tale.
Oct. 16-18 We went to Tehachapi, visited the cowboy museum, then attended an air show at Edwards Air Force base with my brother Bob.
Oct. 28-29 I read and corrected the proofs for the Cemetery Dance edition of The Cellar.
Nov. 14 I received and began autographing the signature pages for The Cellar.
Dec. 6 I finished all except the wind-up section of The Midnight Tour.
Dec. 7 In a private chat room on the internet, John, Peter, Bob and I made some decisions regarding the contents, format, special features, number of copies to be published, prices, contract, etc. for A Writer’s Tale.
THESE THREE PIECES, TWO POEMS AND A WORK OF PROSE FICTION, were published in Helicon, the literary magazine of Glenbrook High School in 1961, when I was in the 9th grade. Somehow, I won a five dollar prize for one of them.
These are printed here exactly as they were published, in spite of my strong urges to revise them.
And I’m printing all three pieces, in spite of my almost overpowering urge to omit the Sousaphone poem.
Enjoy.
Or not.
He Never Lost His Head
Tim Harvey’d been a sad boy; He’d run away to sea. Now’s commander of a man-owar, Wounded and on his knee. The hull was blown to pieces. And most his crew was dead,
But ol’ Tim Harvey, Well, he never lost his head. He upped and fired the cannon And he sank the enemy. He hopped into a dinghy And he made far out to sea.
His food was almost not And the sun was bloody hot. And though his body Was filled with lead, Ol’ Tim Harvey, Well, he never lost his head. For days he made his way Through tossed-up water and nightblack sky,
Water smooth as glass And a sun that burned him fast, Till finally he spied a tropical isle And swam sharky waters for about a mile. He reached the beach Torn, half-dead, But Ol’ Tim Harvey, Well, he never lost his head.
Now big, fierce natives With spears and gleaming knives, Up and come a’ runnin’, To where Tim Harvey lies. They danced their wild dances As they poked him with their lances. Then they speared him nice and neat Until his heart had ceased to beat.
And then… Tim Harvey, Well, he lost his bloomin’ head.
Ode to a Wayfaring Sousaphone (Tune of “Deep in the Heart of Texas”)
Your big round lips, Like paper clips, Boom, boom, boom, boom, They taste like iron filings. Your brassy skin, It feels like tin, Boom, boom, boom, boom, It’s filthy as a piston. Your lousy
April 15 I had my first meeting with film maker Jerry Lentz. We discussed forming a limited partnership in order to produce films based on my books.
April 25 I started working on material for this book, dividing my time between this project and Midnight Tour.
June 20 We attended Kelly’s graduation from Hamilton High School.
July 23 - August 10 We spent about a week in Philadelphia, then in Baltimore. At much peril to ourselves, we visited former dwellings of Edgar Allan Poe in both cities. In Baltimore, we visited Poe’s grave and hung around Fell’s Point to watch the taping of Homicide, Life on the Streets, the best drama show on television.
Aug. 15-16 Kelly and I attended Dracula ‘97, a vampire convention at the Westin Hotel near L.A.X. I signed books, sat on panels, and had a memorable “dialogue” with Tim Powers. Afterwards, we had drinks with Tim and Serena, Nancy Holder, and Katherine Ramsland.
Aug. 23 We took Kelly to college and managed to survive hauling her stuff to her third-floor dorm room.
Sept. 6 Ann and I drove to Parkfield, the “earthquake center” of California, to celebrate my mother’s birthday. On the way home, we dropped in on Dark Delicacies to sign a few books, visit with Del and Sue, and order our Christmas cards.
Sept. 14 I finished most of this book, which I plan to call A Writer’s Tale, and returned to work on The Midnight Tour.
Sept. 21 I had a private chat room discussion on the Internet with John and Peter in which we discussed details of A Writer’s Tale.
Oct. 16-18 We went to Tehachapi, visited the cowboy museum, then attended an air show at Edwards Air Force base with my brother Bob.
Oct. 28-29 I read and corrected the proofs for the Cemetery Dance edition of The Cellar.
Nov. 14 I received and began autographing the signature pages for The Cellar.
Dec. 6 I finished all except the wind-up section of The Midnight Tour.
Dec. 7 In a private chat room on the internet, John, Peter, Bob and I made some decisions regarding the contents, format, special features, number of copies to be published, prices, contract, etc. for A Writer’s Tale.
THESE THREE PIECES, TWO POEMS AND A WORK OF PROSE FICTION, were published in Helicon, the literary magazine of Glenbrook High School in 1961, when I was in the 9th grade. Somehow, I won a five dollar prize for one of them.
These are printed here exactly as they were published, in spite of my strong urges to revise them.
And I’m printing all three pieces, in spite of my almost overpowering urge to omit the Sousaphone poem.
Enjoy.
Or not.
He Never Lost His Head
Tim Harvey’d been a sad boy; He’d run away to sea. Now’s commander of a man-owar, Wounded and on his knee. The hull was blown to pieces. And most his crew was dead,
But ol’ Tim Harvey, Well, he never lost his head. He upped and fired the cannon And he sank the enemy. He hopped into a dinghy And he made far out to sea.
His food was almost not And the sun was bloody hot. And though his body Was filled with lead, Ol’ Tim Harvey, Well, he never lost his head. For days he made his way Through tossed-up water and nightblack sky,
Water smooth as glass And a sun that burned him fast, Till finally he spied a tropical isle And swam sharky waters for about a mile. He reached the beach Torn, half-dead, But Ol’ Tim Harvey, Well, he never lost his head.
Now big, fierce natives With spears and gleaming knives, Up and come a’ runnin’, To where Tim Harvey lies. They danced their wild dances As they poked him with their lances. Then they speared him nice and neat Until his heart had ceased to beat.
And then… Tim Harvey, Well, he lost his bloomin’ head.
Ode to a Wayfaring Sousaphone (Tune of “Deep in the Heart of Texas”)
Your big round lips, Like paper clips, Boom, boom, boom, boom, They taste like iron filings. Your brassy skin, It feels like tin, Boom, boom, boom, boom, It’s filthy as a piston. Your lousy
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