SECTION
THIRTEEN
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COLUMN
108,
AUGUST 1, 2004
(Copyright © 2004 The Blacklisted Journalist)
FROM ALLAN WINANS: EUGENE RUGGLES DIES AT 68
Subject: IT'S WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I REPORT THAT...
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 07:14:55 -0700
From: ad1936@juno.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Eugene Ruggles, a fellow poet friend, and post-Beat North Beach activist died yesterday at the age of 68. Gene was known for
his "deep image" verse and for organizing San Francisco poetry readings and benefits.
Born in Pontiac, Michigan, he came to San Francisco in the early 1960s and became a regular in North Beach bars and cafes. His work
appeared in numerous literary journals, and his book (Lifeguard in the Snow) published in 1977 by the University
of Pittsburg Press, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize."
Ruggles was a frequent contributor to Second Coming and in the 70s I published a postcard poem of his:
NIGHT VISIT
Something flew into my eye
just now as I walked into the fields,
the star bones protrude overhead
through the night,
it is caught under my eyelid
like a tiny wheel
burying itself
deeper
until the movement stops,
I'm taking it with me
as the waters form
around it,
it is dying
upon an eyeball
what a strange enemy
and grave I must be
to this thing
that has flown into me,
trading its sight
for mine...
beneath us
the last crowds gazing upward
begin to disperse as the night dies,
the wings
move back from their balcony. ##
* * *
MORE SAD NEWS FROM ALLAN WINANS
Subject: Fw: AD, this is very urgent!
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 20:16:06 -0700
From: ad1936@juno.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
I'm sending this by blind copy to those of you who might have or did know Catfish. Sad news.
Subject: My husband
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 19:17:41 EDT
From: Catmex777@aol.com
To: meow@pinkanarchkittypress.com
Debbie, My husband, Steven (Catfish) killed himself on June 9th. I've returned mail to
Alan Catlin, Wilma McDaniel, and the Bukowski Review. Spread the news if you want. My
daughter and I will take his ashes to Mexico, to be buried with my parents.
Thank you ##
* * *
CAROLYN CASSADY IS COMING!
Subject: Fwd: Carolyn Cassady's coming - be sure to tell your friends!
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 18:21:59 EDT
From: Amlegends@aol.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
our friend jerry cirmino of the beatmuseum put together this interview with carolyn--she says some amazing things about
neal--a must for all cassady fans. ron
Subject: Carolyn Cassady's coming - be sure to tell your friends!
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 02:44:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: The Beat Museum info@kerouac.com
To: amlegends@aol.com
Hello everyone,
I expect to send out the questions you asked Carolyn along with her answers this weekend. In the meantime I want to
give you a "heads-up" and allow you the opportunity to tell your friends that they can sign up to get this memorable
Newsletter by simply clicking this link:
http://www.kerouac.com/cgi-local/mail.cgi
Please forward this to the people you know and love who may have an interest.
Thanks!
Jerry ##
* * *
HAIL MARGIE HENDRICKS!
Subject: Ray Charles
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2004 19:07:54 +0100
From: "Andrew Hill" ah2002@blueyonder.co.uk
To: "al aronowitz" info@blacklistedjournalist.com
'still, listening to this CD, The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years---I?m
struck by the same thunderbolts that electrified me years ago. Especially when (Night Time Is) The Right Time reaches out from the speakers to
grab me with the delightfully shrill voice of that little keg of dynamite of a singer---Margie
Hendricks--- screaming: "Baay-by, Baay-be!" Margie not only was the leader of the Raelettes---Ray's chick backup
singer ---but she also overpowered the other Raelettes."
That's my favourite bit too?been wanting to know who she was for ages.
You can find the longer version of What I'd Say on "Birth of Soul Vol2 (I think)? on Kent records.
Best, Andrew ##
* * *
DID BOB CASS CALL HIMSELF RAINY STREETS?
Subject: Bob Cass
Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 10:42:35 -0700
From: "Anelle Kloski" akloski@jps.net
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
I found your interview with Bob Cass on the web today. I knew the Cass family in
New Orleans in 1955 and then later in 1960. We were living in the Quarter, and
when my husband couldn't find a job, I took one with the New Orleans Crime Commission. I needed to help support my family, but when I told the Casses about
the job, they never spoke to me again. I only lasted at the Crime Commission for
about a month, but that was enough. I recently printed some old film I had from that
time and I have some pictures of his wife and kids and I think one of him. Did your
column say his son was named Jim? I don't think that was what he was called then. I think at the time Bob called himself Rainy Streets? Anyway, I was
interested to read about him. But some of the things he said sounded a bit different
than he told things then. Is he still living in New Orleans?
Anelle, in California ##
* * *
BEAR SAYS REAGAN FUCKED UP ON RUSSIA
Subject: Re: [AGALIST] COLUMN 106
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2004 13:43:03 +1000
From: Bear bear@thebear.org
To: AGALIST-owner@yahoogroups.com
Funny thing is, not only did Reagan NOT cause the USSR to collapse, he may have delayed it. The thing is, if it had gone though
its own rite of passage instead of ruining its economy in a hopeless arms race, something it was already into when RR came to office,
it would not be the bankrupt, corrupt and very heavily nuke-armed and dangerous place it is today. In addition, the US would not
today be so top heavy in military might that it needs to constantly find new ways to destroy people and places- and use the rapidly
obsolescent armaments it has in fulsome quantity.
Cheers,
Bear
http://www.thebear.org ##
* * *
Subject: (no subject)
Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 18:10:09 EDT
From: CLIFFFAM5@aol.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Hello my name is Ricky Clifford and I saw an article you did on the subject should
teachers be armed. And for a project in my school i am debating about the same topic and i wanted to ask you a few questions about this topic
1. Do you think schools would be more safer if teachers were armed with guns?
2. Do you think kids would be distracted if teachers were armed?
3. Should teachers be armed?
4. As a parent or if you were a parent would you want your kid going to school filled with guns.
5. Do you think teachers would have enough responsibility to keep up with school
and carry a gun?
Thanks
Ricky Clifford
##
* * *
COMPARING BUSH TO WINDRIP?
Subject: Comparing Bush to Windrip?
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 23:24:40 EDT
From: Nside1@aol.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Legitimate concerns over the Patriot Act can be voiced without resorting to calling
the administration Nazis. Where are the concentration camps? Where is the crack down on journalists?
Come on. Maybe you might be taken seriously if it weren't for your extreme paranoia.
DC
* * *
2004 DIET FOR DEMS
Subject: No Carb diet ... For every American!!!
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 04:54:42 -0400
From: Wesley Lanham paperamericana@worldnet.att.net
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Wesley Lanham wrote: Every Democrat should see this one. Every bush hater!!
Have you heard of the NO-CARB Diet for 2004?
NO Cheney
NO Ashcroft
NO Rumsfeld
NO Bush
and Absolutely NO RICE! ##
* * *
WORST PRESIDENT?
Subject: Worst President?
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 00:47:49 EDT
From: SxyLc6@aol.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Hi my name is Luisa, a former US Marine that served during OIF, and it truly enrages me to hear all these Liberals and democrats talk badly about our
president George W. Bush. Specially the public comment that Mrs. Thomas said. Has everyone forgotten what the president before him have done?
Liberals claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war. They complain about his prosecution of it.
Let's clear up one point: President Bush didn't start the war on terror. Try to remember, it was started by terrorists BEFORE 9/11. Let's look at
the worst president and mismanagement claims.
FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost an average of 112,500 per
year.
Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us.
From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost an average of 18,333 per year.
John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From
1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost an average of 5,800 per year.
Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter
three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple
occasions. Over 2,900 lives lost on 9/11.
In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear
inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured
a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. We lost 600 soldiers, an average of 300 a year. Bush did all this abroad while not allowing
another terrorist attack at home.
Worst president in history? Come on !
The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but...
It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51 day operation.
We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records.
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Teddy Kennedy to call the police after
his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!!
Worst president in history? And what enrages me even more is that after I served my
time being away from my baby daughter for nearly a year, as I missed my baby girl growing,
we still have people that complaint and are unhappy, and in California while we were
getting ready to deploy ignorant people were so unsupportive of us, Marines, having their stupid marches
and disrespecting us....This time around I didn't have to go back, but my husband is out
there, for the second time and at times I don't think him being out there it's worth it, and not
because I don't believe in our president I just don't believe our citizens deserve to be
protected at the expense of our loved ones. Has everyone forgotten that the only reason
they can go on about their day is because of the service men and women out there?
I am so disappointed of Americans, they claim to be so patriotic...but deep down inside
they are not. ##
* * *
PIGS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Subject: FW: Can we arrange this?
Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 20:15:12 -0400
From: "'Steve Schwartz'" nysteve@650dialup.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
As the President is getting off the helicopter in front of the White House, he has a baby pig under each arm.
The Marine guard snaps to attention, salutes, and says: "Nice pigs, sir."
The President replies: "These are not pigs, these are authentic Texan Razorback Hogs. I got one for VP
Cheney, and I got one for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld "
The Marine again snaps to attention, salutes, and replies, "Nice trade, sir"
##
* * *
ROOTING FOR PAUL BLAKE JR.
Subject: Kerouac nephew Paul Blake Jr.--rightful heir
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 22:33:48 EDT
From: Cfery54@aol.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
I've read your Section Eighty-Eight with great interest. This is a case I have great
passion for, and I wish with all my heart, mind and soul that Paul Blake Jr. can
extract some reasonable sum of money to at least enable him to live much better.
He well deserves as much.
My interest and deep concern has it's roots in my several-years-old keen interest in
Kerouac, and in reading the "Selected Letters" book by Ann Charters, which, as you
must know, contains that final letter written to none other than the much beloved and
cherished nephew, Paul Blake Jr., only child of his very cherished sister "Nin."
I have read quite a bit concerning both his daughter Jan (and his denial of her), and
the nephew Paul to whom he quite obviously felt very close and fostered, as evidenced by Jack's own published writings, a considerable caring relationship.
The case in respect to the Will and the fairly obvious judicial error of, in effect,
disinheriting both of them is absolutely heartbreaking, and rife with frustration vis a
vis the complete and total lack of justice.
I believe that any reasonable, objective person, given the facts involved about the
signature--including those technical elements about the signature itself which seem
quite obvious to any good hand-writing expert--would conclude there's more than a little plausibility that Gabriele's signature was indeed a forgery. Even apart from
that, daughter Jan as well as Paul Blake Jr. were both treated so horrifically and
abominably, with a total, greed-induced lack of consideration by the Sampas's retroactive years prior to Jack's death. Jan, of course, was tragically pathetic as his
daughter and only child because Jack repeatedly denied, even fought hard against,
paternity. (This is beyond disgraceful on Jack's part, but since she has since died,
nothing can be done for her anymore.) Her mere second but final visit to him during
her life elicited a token resigned recognition of her as his own when he uttered a
suggestion to her that she may use his name in authorship of any novel she may
write, which she did. What meager consolation! God bless Gerald Nicosia for standing by her, against the Sampas.
. . all the way up to and beyond her own
very untimely death.
But back to Paul Blake Jr., and his rightful heir status: may God grant him at least a
small portion which substantial evidence clearly shows was the intended consideration by his much beloved Uncle Jack Kerouac.
Can you provide me with any response as to an update, via online link, or anything
else, re/ what has transpired in the year plus since the date of this Section 88? My
deepest thanks for your interest in publishing this for those such as I, so concerned/interested in justice served to this very precious, needy and
well-deserving Kerouac blood relative.
Sincerely and kindest regards,
Cheryl Warner Fery
2526 Oak Island Pointe Rd.
Orlando FL 32809
ph. 407 859-3343 ##
* * *
A 'WAR' PRESIDENT'S STANDUP ROUTINE
Subject: Shrub's standup routine
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 04:29:40 -0400
From: "'Steve Schwartz'" nysteve@650dialup.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Good morning.
The link below will take you to a site that contains a video clip showing part of the standup routine our Commander-in-Chief delivered
at this year's Radio and Television Correspondent's Dinner. I assume this
aired in March on CSPAN, but since I don't have cable this ranks as news to me (if any of you
have seen the unedited video, I'd be interested to know if there's any substantial difference in Bush's actual remarks and their
portrayal here).
Admittedly, the RTC dinner is a light-hearted affair where presidents have traditionally joked around with members of the media. But
wait until you see the rich humorous vein from which Dubya draws his material.
Clearly, the video you're about to see has been edited to amplify the tastelessness of the moment. But there's
no escaping the fact
that Dubya was joking about the search for WMDs while soldiers were literally being
slaughtered by the punchline. Watching it, I couldn't help wondering how the husband, wife, child, parent, sibling, or friend of a
soldier who died in Iraq would have felt if they were in attendance at the dinner and heard
Bush's remarks--knowing all the while that this president has not attended a single funeral for any soldier who gave up his or her life
fighting "his" war.
To view the video, click on the photo of Bush at the dinner (you'll need the QuickTime plug-in installed to play it). The viewer comments
found further down the page are largely inane, though interesting insofar as it proves
there are still people out there who just don't get it--and sadly, probably never will.
http://www.musicforamerica.org/bushjoke
##
* * *
WAILING WALL
Subject: Wailing Wall
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2004 11:51:06 -0400
From: PD MAY7@aol.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
In Jerusalem, an American female journalist heard about an old rabbi who visited the Wailing Wall to pray,
twice a day, everyday, for a long, long time.
In an effort to check out the story, she goes to the holy site and there he is! She watches the bearded old man at prayer--and after about 45 minutes, when he turns to leave, she approaches him for an interview.
I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN, sir, how long have you been coming to the Wailing Wall and praying?"
For about 50 years, he informs her.
50 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"
"I pray for peace between the Jews and the Arabs. I pray for all the hatred to stop and I pray for all our children to grow up in safety and friendship."
"And how do you feel, sir, after doing this for 50 years?"
"Like I'm talking to a fucking wall." ##
* * *
FOR AS LONG AS PEOPLE KEEP LISTENING TO BOB DYLAN AND THE BEATLES, PEOPLE WILL WANT THIS BOOK
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"Required Reading for anyone and everyone who considers themselves fans, followers, students, or those just plain curious of the Golden Age of Popular Music"---GARY PIG GOLD, FUFKIN.COM.
"I love the book. I love the way you can open it to any page and start reading and it keeps you reading. The book is just fun to read." --LEVON HELM, Drummer of THE BAND from Big Pink.
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"Adam
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".
. .It is a fasinating, insightful read. You are such a wonderful
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Journalist.
"I
could not put this book of yours down for a minute."---ED GALING, POET
LAUREATE OF HATBORO, PA.
IN
THIS 615-PAGE
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TO BOB DYLAN, BOB DYLAN TO THE BEATLES AND THE BEATLES TO MARIJUANA, ARONOWITZ
BOASTS, "THE '60S WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT ME."
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