Well, dear readers, we had a lovely signing/reading yesterday at Bookfellows. It was a small turnout (even major authors have small turnouts these days – especially in the summertime, when the livin’ is easy), but we had a grand time. I read seven passages from the book, and then signed. We sold a nice amount of books and had cheese slices (I couldn’t find any fershluganah ham chunks on short notice) and Cissy Wechter’s amazing bundt cake. Our very own S. Woody White and his beloved der Bruce were there, as was pal Nick Redman and others. There were actually some folks I didn’t know at all, one of whom came down because she was a fan of The Faculty (the signing was listed in the Times). Next up: Dutton’s in Brentwood.
Last night I attended a Twilight Zone dinner with Miss Susan Gordon. It was a dinner for the actors who are doing the memorabilia show. I don’t care for these things, but even so there were some interesting folks there and Susan was quite popular with the Twilight Zone populace. It’s amazing the impact that that show has had on people and how timely and still with-it it is even today. We were at a table with keynote speaker, Mr. George Clayton Johnson, who was also one of the key writers of the show, along with Mr. Serling and Mr. Charles Beaumont. Also in attendance were other TZ actors, H.M. Wynant, Ruta Lee, Barry Morse, Suzanne Lloyd, Arlene Golonka, Shelly Berman, Beverly Garland, and the absolutely stunning-looking Anne Francis. There were others but their names are escaping me right now. Mr. George Clayton Johnson, the keynote speaker, got up and made a speech in which he never once mentioned keys or notes. If I had been the keynote speaker, at the very least I would have mentioned that my speech was in the key of C and would include some of the following notes: E,G,B,A and D. He did speak of the enduring impact of the show and it was quite heartfelt. Mr. Johnson, at 72, is still a hippie at heart, with his long wispy beard and very thin body. After he spoke, Shelly Berman got up and said, “Never leave a hot mic when I’m in the room” and then proceeded to bring down the house with ten minutes of impromptu material. Watching Mr. Berman strut his stuff is a lesson in how far comedy and comedians have fallen today. Mr. Berman knows timing, Mr. Berman has personality, Mr. Berman is an original. Something happened to him in the late 60s and whatever it was his career never recovered. This man was so popular in the early 60s it was unbelievable. I had all his record albums, and he even starred in a Broadway musical – A Family Affair – the first musical for which John Kander wrote the score (pre Fred Ebb – lyricists were James and William Goldman!). Anyway, a good time seemed to be had by all.
This morning I was awakened by my neighbor who was singing very loudly to his daughter. The first thing I thought was that this man should never sing. If I were his daughter I would have run from the room screaming in abject terror. As it was, I ran from the room screaming in abject terror.
Well, dear readers, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below before we all run from the room screaming in abject terror.
Don’t forget, Donald has a brand spanking new radio show up today, so do tune in and give it a listen. Also, we’ll have a brand spanking new interview up on Friday. If you haven’t checked out John Treacy Egan’s Unseemly Interview, be sure to – it’s fun.
I’m going to have a lazy Sunday, I think. I think I shall not do much of anything on this lazy Sunday – just a spot of work and then I shall lounge around the house in my lounging accoutrements. I shall wear a smoking jacket and silk lounging pants and I will look like one of the smart set and I will sing the songs of Noel Coward and Ivor Novello, and I shall be ever so witty and urbane and when I tire of that I shall be urbane and witty. I shall wear the lounging slippers on my lounging feet, and I shall even piddle, twiddle and resolve. Even the singing bird is in the spirit and is out there singing Lazy Afternoon even though it is not even nine o’clock yet.
I hope you all have a lazy Sunday, too, and that you will spend part of it here at haineshisway.com posting whatever comes to mind, for today is free-for-all day. We should all sit around in our lounging attire and post until the cows come home. What better way is there to spend a lazy Sunday but right here at haineshisway.com. Perhaps even a lurker or two out there in the dark will come out of the woodwork and join us. Perhaps even one of our searchers out there in the dark will come out of the woodwork and join us. Of course, if one of those searchers actually came out of the woodwork and made themselves known we’d all probably run from the room screaming in abject terror. I know I would. In any case, let us all lounge and smoke our pipes or, if you don’t smoke, then play our pipes like Pan, whilst skipping hither and thither in our lounging slippers. I open the floor to you, dear readers, so let’s see some stimulating yet relaxing posts. Your turn, my pretties.