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March 26, 2012:

POWER

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I’m not sure when the full notes will go up because the power has been out for an hour and according to the DWP they’re not even getting to this part of the Valley until after midnight. Isn’t that a kick in the pants? The first heavy rain in years and the city cannot handle it. I’m told that there are over fifty outages around the city. So, I shall return with the full notes just as soon as I can.

Well, dear readers, we have power. Power, baby, power. I went to bed at ten-thirty and played on Ye Olde iPad for an hour, then put my head upon my pillow. I didn’t really fall asleep, but I heard the power come on at some point, that point being just after midnight. So, we had no power for over three hours. I was watching Mad Men at the time – it was two-thirds of the way through and I was sitting there like so much fish thinking that it wasn’t very good and certainly not worth the huge wait when the power went out. I suppose I’ll have to see the ending another time. There were, apparently, power outages all over the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles, over fifty of ’em. It’s like the city has one day of rain and falls apart. It’s quite amazing, actually.

I awoke at nine and it was pouring rain quite heavily. I got ready and then moseyed on over to Mission Hills for the paperback show. I chatted with a friend until it was time for me to sign, from eleven to twelve. Grant Geissman was there with a friend and he came and talked to me. Someone with a copy of Writer’s Block had me sign it, and I sold one copy of the new book – that is more than I’ve done in all the times I’ve been there. In fact, I don’t know why they keep having me, but the guy who runs the show likes to have me there, I guess. After I was through, I checked out the dealers’ tables, talked to some dealer friends, and did an incredible trade that netted me something I’ve wanted for three decades – the true first edition of Lolita. It’s something that has always eluded me, mostly because of price but also because the few affordable copies were not of a condition that was acceptable to me. The true first of Lolita was from the Olympia Press in France (the book printed in English) in paperback – two volumes with a price on the back of each of 900 francs. The book quickly became a phenomenon and the price went up on the second and subsequent printings. Some of the first editions had the new price stickered over the 900 francs. Finding collector copies is very difficult – naturally being a paperback, it’s prone to split spines, dirty covers, and all manner of rips and tears as well as tears and rips. This copy was pretty amazing – both volumes basically without any rips or tears and only the lightest of wear. On volume one, the 900 francs had the sticker over it, but someone had removed it carefully and the 900 francs is now visible. The second volume the 900 francs had never been stickered. Volume one has a bookplate on the left as you open the book, and the former owner’s name and address on the right – a professor of English at Syracuse University (the bookplate is his). The bookplate, I believe, could be removed carefully, but I kind of like it and won’t attempt to do so. Both volumes were enclosed in a handmade box. I happened to have something the dealer was desperate for, and the trade was easy/breezy and definitely in my favor. So, a whole that was at the center of each first edition collection I’ve had has now been filled. In fact, I’d say there are only two other books, both of which I’ve had before, that I really want to have again – a true first of Animal Farm and a true first of Lord of the Flies.

At around two, Grant, his friend, and I went to a barbecue jernt that someone had recommended, just north of where we were – The Bear Pit. It was really good – we all had the combo platter of a barbecue beef sandwich, two rips, beans, and cole slaw, all of which were yummilicious and quite different than any barbecue I’ve had – Missouri-style, which is nothing like Kansas City-style. To start, the three of us split a small bowl of chili and that was the best chili I’ve ever eaten anywhere – I’ll be going back.

After that, I came home, answered e-mails, listened to the rain on the roof go pit-pit-a-pat, and then tried watching a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I am not liking it very much, I must say. I’ll try to finish it this evening. Then I watched the season premiere of Mad Men, which I thought was extremely weak (of course, I don’t know what the last ten minutes are) – if this is the best they could come up with after, what, a year-and-a-half hiatus, well, I’m not sure I’ll need to continue watching. Then the power went out and the rest you know. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I do need a good night’s beauty sleep and perhaps I can now actually fall asleep, happy knowing we have power, baby, power.

Today, I have a lot of errands and whatnot to do, I must eat early, I must hopefully pick up books, which will hopefully look the way I want them to (if they haven’t arrived by two-thirty, then the helper will get them and bring them here, and then take what she needs to do all the shipping – everything’s been addressed and is ready to go), and then we have our long rehearsal. The MD arrives at three and we’ll spend ninety minutes doing the few arrangement things we need to do, then our first singer arrives at four-thirty, then we have a break from six to seven during which we’ll finish any arrangement things, then we have our final two singers, so we won’t finish until eight, at which point I’ll try to finish watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The rest of the week is meetings, meals, rehearsals, testing out the lighting and sound at our new venue (the show is just about sold out – I don’t even have to send out an eBlast), then our stumble-through, sound check and show.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up lots of books and other packages, eat, and rehearse. Today’s topic of discussion – what are your all-time favorite spy movies – the serious ones, the Bond ones, and the comedies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy knowing that power has been restored and all is well in the City of Studio. Also, part one of the long interview I did with Mr. Donald Feltham is now up on The Broadway Radio Show, so give it a listen.

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