In the midst of moving to and adjusting within the lifestyle of China, I haven’t had a chance before now to give proper memorial for an old friend who recently past. Thom was a totally swell guy I hung with quite a bit in the late 80’s/early 90’s.

In high school, I had a friend who’s Mom moved to Canada for several months leaving his older sister in charge. No surprise, this became a party house of sorts, during what we now refer to as “Salad Days”(I believe taken from the Minor Threat song). It was in this era that I first met Thom. He was a year older and went to another high school, but we had similar musical and cultural tastes. In fact we collaborated on a zine called Soma, which I think only ever achieved two issues, and who knows if I even have one buried in my files any longer. But he went on to become program director for my favorite ATL radio station, GA tech’s WREK, where they have a podcast and memorial in the works. I last ran into he and his wife in the winter of 2006(07?) and was pleased to realize he seemed the “same old Thom”. He died in a hiking accident in the Grand Canyon, and while this is obviously horrible, to happen while he was so young, I take comfort in the fact he was spared some more painful fate in possibly not as beautiful a setting. Knowing we all have to go some time, may I say I hope for a similar passage. I wish all the best to his surviving wife and family, and know that all who knew him will always think fondly of him. He was that open and friendly type, without enemies or spite, while still striving hard against a mundane system that deserves to be shaken up-

Missed out on an obit. last Friday, and this one is a little different as I actually once “met” and interacted with him. He read on the UGA campus in what I’ll guess was ‘95, but I can’t reference a month right now. Some friends and I owned a bookstore in Athens at the time and when I walked up to him after the reading, maybe I was being a bit “glory”, but I couldn’t help but throw out the idea that, had he time, it might be cool if he came by. My intention was truly just for him to see and enjoy the place, as it was a bookstore like no other, I wasn’t trying to cash in on some “celebrity appearance”.

But how exactly to spontaneously pitch this?
I guess he wasn’t too impressed, for his response came, and I’ll never forget,
“You have a bookstoaahh?” like a junkie Elmer Fudd doing an impersonation of a New Yorker.

And then quickly some student union handler whisked him away with a promised carrot juice. Surely he was tired after the reading, surely wackballs approached him constantly, and as the sage N. Peart reminds us “one must put up barriers to keep oneself in tact.” I’m not bitter or anything, that’s just my little Jim Carroll story. He came of age in a great city at a unique time in it’s history and wrote some great stuff. I first saw this photo on the inner sleeve of J. Giorno’s compilation “Your a hook”.

J Carroll and P Smith in 1969. photo by Wren D’Antonio

This film has gotten much hype and acclaim, all of it deserved. It stands now as a further memorial to the demolished towers, and a beautiful quixotic event in another bleak economic period. I also think it’s really interesting that there was another toll or cost from the event, in terms of the lost friendships and love, which are honestly discussed. A must see! I’ll probably read Philipe’s pick pocket book at some point as well.

She was found dead in her mobile home in California. I’m a fan of the early Cronenberg film Rabid in which she starred. I’ve never actually seen Behind the Green Door…well maybe it was on a middle school VHS comp I briefly had possession of with Debbie Does Dallas and other “hits” of the era, but I don’t remember any of it.

And here’s a VERY 1977 interview.

Great noir film director who left America after being blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He had a hit with the documentary style The Naked City, but last year I came across Thieves’ Highway which I highly recommend (trailer below), I can almost assure it to be the most cutthroat tale concerning fruit vendors you will ever encounter. There is also an French television interview where he describes working in the Hollywood system in the old days, and specifically with a “mommy dearest” style Joan Crawford. There was a recent film forum retrospective of several of his works in NYC. And the NYT obit. from last year.

pt.2

The time: mid-20th century. The place: The United States of America. The popular medium of entertainment: Radio Drama. Those days are long gone, but the plays remain and mostly for free. Some of the stuff can still be chilling, or hilarious, plus the nostalgia factor of hearing a story by a sci fi writer like Heinlein or an actor like James Stewart who’d go on to be famous.
Antioch 1710AM streams radio plays 24/7 over itunes. Or you can go get individual episodes. A friend’s blog has held a reservoir of CBS Radio Mystery Theater for years. These when done mostly in the 70’s and I remember listening as a kid. For older stuff, check Old Time Radio Downloads, Radio Lovers, Old Time Radio Fans, or Internet Archive. Often a show was endorsed by one specific company or product, which you’ll hear during the break. Occasionally, those recording accidentally catch other commercials a PSA’s of the era.

A strange as it seems, some series didn’t last long and not much is known about them today, such as The Weird Circle. I tend to enjoy the horror, sci fi, cop and suspense stuff the most. Lots of Poe adaptations, if only he got a chance to know how much they loved to adapt him in the mid-20th… BTW, Poe celebrated what would have been the 200th BDay back in mid-Jan.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll specialists”

bp and M are in their 4th day in DC, not exactly sure how they scored tickets. But for a first hand account of the chaos, check the bags of wind blog.