Rick Springfield Wrote A Novel And Is Still Singing

I was at the gym yesterday and "Jessie's Girl" came on the radio. 33 years later, it still holds up remarkably well. Listening to it, I noticed it's not only an tightly crafted pop song but an amazing story song too. It's easily one of the most memorable songs of the 80s.

So today, over on the Hollywood Reporter's website, I notice that not only is Rick Springfield still singing, he's actually writing prose stories too. His first novel MAGNIFICENT VIBRATION is out and it's gotten some pretty good reviews too. It's about a guy who discovers God's cell phone number but also has themes about the (dim) future of the planet given the way we treat it. Heady stuff for an 80s heartthrob who is now (gulp!) 64. It's doing so well he's already penning a sequel as well. Could be some fun summer reading perhaps. 

I also enjoyed a comic little ditty Springfield recorded for the THR podcast "Off The Cuff". It's a song called "If Wishes Were Fishes" and, though maybe not as catchy as the song that still pays his bills, it's a very clever and country-style song about, well, himself....at least it seems that way. You can listen to the song here as well as the podcast too. 

B.J. Novak Is A Funny Guy And A Great Writer

Actor B.J. Novak, known for his funny roles in THE OFFICE and, more recently, as Richard Sherman in SAVING MR. BANKS, is now taking on a somewhat different role; that of a newly published author. He has a collection of short stories that just came out this month called ONE MORE THING: STORIES AND MORE STORIES.

I haven't read the whole book but I did read one of his stories recently and thought it was really great. It's called "Kellogg" and is about a boy who thinks he has won a cereal sweepstakes contest. It's classic short story writing with a modern twist to the proceedings which made it an engrossing and wickedly funny read. You can check out "Kellog" on the literary website Nautilus and the book is now available on Amazon.

Summer Reading And Viewing For Your iPhone/iPad...Courtesy of Me

As the dog days of August begin, I know that a lot of you will be at the beach or up in the country--for some of you I will be staying at your beach/country houses! :)  So I thought it would be a good time to suggest some fun summer reading and viewing, specifically of my very own summery projects.

First off, a few years back I wrote my second novel TALE OF TWO SUMMERS (Simon and Schuster) and it's still going strong, as perennial summer love stories seem to have staying power!  Now it's even available to download for beach reading on your iPhone/iPad for  $11.99 in the iBook store or just $10 on Kindle. On top of that, you get two summer love stories for the price of one...what's not to like!

The other summer-themed projects are movies; first there is AUGUST, a sultry summer romance about a love triangle set during an LA heatwave, which is now available on iTunes as well as streaming now on Netflix and Hulu Plus. This is a film that I co-wrote/produced with Eldar Rappaport and stars Murray Bartlett, who is featured in the upcoming gay HBO show set in San Francisco. The other feature is THE WAY I SEE THINGS, which I executive produced, that was written and directed by Brian Pera and is about a summer road trip that goes awry with some unlikely/lovely detours in the South. It was just released on Amazon Prime (which is free if you try the service for a month).

So check one or all three of these out in your summer downtime, and I hope you have a lovely and relaxing August. And thank you for your continued support of all my creative works.

Required Reading: THE STRANGER'S CHILD

One of my favorite contemporary novelists is British author Allan Hollinghurst.  Not only are his books exquisitely well-written (the last one garnered the Mann-Booker Prize in 2005) but they usually focus on gay characters in truly novel ways.

His latest book, THE STRANGER'S CHILD, is an epic 400-plus page look at a British family told over the course of nearly a hundred years in five distinct sections.  At the center of the book is a young Cambridge poet Cecil Valance, who has affairs with men, women and it seems just about anyone he may come into contact with.  What's most interesting about the book is how it looks at Cecil indirectly from varying perspectives, including that of his former girlfriend, lover, biographer, grand neice, etc. creating a curious mosaic of this magnetic figure and the way his unusual life affected those around him for decades to come.

The book is something of a challenging read at first in that the jumps between each section take some getting used to.  The reader is dropped into an entirely different set of circumstances and central characters which take some sorting out.  I half-wish that I had created a family tree for all the relations that come into play.  But as each section adds a new piece to the Valance family puzzle, the book grows more and more intriguing as it begins to delve into the heart of the family's secrets.

THE STRANGER'S CHILD is easily one of the best books I have read in quite some time and I can strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a great, British old-school style read. It has the qualities of a book like BRIDESHEAD and MAURICE, with a touch of the TV show DOWNTON ABBEY thrown in as well.  Surely this will end up on the BBC as a mini-series, as his last book THE LINE OF BEAUTY did (which curiously stars Dan Stevens of DOWTON). Hopefully, on this one, they will do a better job and have an appropriate budget for this epic tale of secrets and lies.

Tale Of Two Women From An Iconic Civil Rights Photo

In 1957, Little Rock, Arkansas became the first battleground in the fight to integrate public schools.  On a September morning, nine African American students tried to enroll for class at a local high school and were confronted by the National Guard as well as an angry, vocal mob.  A local photojournalist named Will Counts snapped the above picture that morning as one of the students arrived at the school, forever immortalizing the two women caught in its frame; Hazel Bryant (left) and Elizabeth Eckford. Instantly, this image became one of the most iconic photos of the Civil Rights era.

Last night, there was a story on the PBS Newshour about these two women and the surprising lives they've lead, both separately and together, since that fateful day in 1957.  The story was tagged to a new book that's out from writer David Margolick which tells their unusual story over the past 50-odd years entitled ELIZABETH AND HAZEL.  Also, you can read a lengthy excerpt from the book that was published in VANITY FAIR earlier this fall.  It's a fascinating story of two lives randomly caught in a moment of history and how that experience has affected them ever since.

Watch Book Tells How Iconic Civil Rights Era Photo Changed Lives of 2 Women on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

The Swedish Lady With The Laptop

The quasi-widow of famed Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson is profiled in todays NY TIMES and she has quite a story.  Larson, author of the "The Girl With The Drago Tattoo" series of books, died in 2004 before his books took off and ultimately created a literary estate worth upwards of 10 million dollars.  Unfortunately, his companion of 23 years (they never married) Eva Gabrielsson received nothing and Larsson's father and brother has refused to give her anything.

What she does have is an amazing bargaining chip; Stieg's laptop computer with the remains of an unfinished novel on its hard drive.  Score! She has tried negotiating with the father/brother over this issue but the talks broke off.  In addition to that, she now has her own book with the great straightforward title "There Are Things I Want You To Know About Stieg Larsson And Me".  OK then...sounds intriguing.  I'd be interested in taking a read though I guess i should probably read the Millenium triology first.

The Genre Mash-Up Goes Hollywood

This summer marks the start of a new mini-trend in H'wood; the extreme genre mash-up.  This concept started in the book world a few years ago with a novel called "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies", which had a big YA following.  This was followed by many imitators and sequels and, of course, Hollywood took notice.  This summer, a funny "little" movie (meaning it's not based on a comic, toy, or TV show) called "Cowboys & Aliens" is kicking things off with a bang it seems.  At least the trailer seems to indicate that.

Yesterday's TIMES reported on the next wave, specifically a movie about Abraham Lincoln's secret life as a vampire hunter.  Despite the sound of it, this is not some scrappy weird indie but a huge weird studio effort that FOX has put together for summer '12. The title?  Well, it's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" of course and has all sorts of history in it as well as the fact that the 16th president liked to slay the occasional blood-sucker.

I'm not sure if this genre has already jumped the shark with this title. But, if it hasn't, you can expect many, many more like it.

The Man Who Almost Assasinated JFK In 1960

In December of 1960, Richard Pavlick was the first disgruntled postal worker to make headlines.  It wasn't exactly the headline he was hoping for and not many people read it due to a terrible plane accident in Brooklyn that happened the same day.  Pavlick was arrested with a car full of dynamite (left) in Palm Beach, FL where President-elect Kennedy was staying.  He had been stalking the JFK and waiting for the right moment to drive into him or his house and blow him up because he thought the Kennedy's wealth had stolen the election of 1960.  He apparently came very close to do it one afternoon when JFK exited the residence but changed his mind when he saw Mrs. Kennedy and the children, because he had nothing against them.

Anyway, this is a fascinating bit of lost history I just found out about when reading a review for a new book by Jeff Greenfield called "Then Everthing Changed." The book, just out this week, serves up three fictional alternative histories of the 60's, 70's and 80's where timing changes everything and history takes a radically different course.  I am definitely planning on reading this as one of my favorite recent books was Phillip Roth's "The Plot Against America", about an alterna-30's where Lucky Lindbergh actually becomes  President and the nation sprials into neo-Facism.  Alternate history is a popular and growing genre of fiction, with other writers including new Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich and Michael Chabon.

Late Summer Reading: "I'll Get There, It Better Be Worth The Trip"

I recently read a landmark book in the gay YA genre, a novel published back in 1969 that is now widely regarded as starting the genre:  John Donovan's "I'll Get There, It Better Be Worth The Trip".  The book was re-released this year in a lovely 40th anniversary edition with an introduction and essays by authors Brent Hartinger, Martin Wilson and Stacey Donovan.  

The book is the simple but sharply told story of 13 year old Davy Ross, who moves to Manhattan to live with his mom after his grandmother dies.  Told in the first person, the book achingly charts the pain of his loss as well the challenge of moving into his new digs in ol' New York.  Davy lives with his now-single mom in a pre-gay Chelsea while attending a day school for rich kids in a pre-Stonewall West Village.  The book's period details are precise and somewhat fascinating to a NYC history addict like myself. 


Davy's best friend and the most charming suprise of the book is a lively little daschund named Fred.  This is one of the most precisely drawn animals in fiction, with a personality that nearly matches that of all the other major characters. However, the biggest character of all is Davy's alcoholic mom who is a sort of the dark-side version of Auntie Mame.  Living with her is a challenge and you feel for Davy as he tries to navigate her unpredictable behaviour.  He also meets a guy at school named Altschuler who becomes a friend, an ememy and a bridge to a whole new life.  

Clearly forbidden from using "bad" words in a YA book way back then, there are some clever curses and descriptions of Fred doing his business.  And despite the generous use of the Holden-esque words "lousy", "phony" and "old bastard", the book is very well written especially as it gets into Davy's awakening.  So, if you're looking for a late edition to your late summer reading, this book is a sweet and timeless tale of self-discovery that I would definitely recommend.  

The NYC Heat Wave That Killed 1300 People

It's official now--the summer of 2010 was the hottest summer on record for New York City.  The average temperature for June, July and August was 77.8....the highest since record keeping began.  There has been a lot of bitching and moaning about the heat here in the City.  But comparatively, this summer was nothing compared to a heat wave more than 100 years ago that killed more than a thousand New Yorkers.


In August of 1896, the city baked over a period of 10 days where the temperature registered over 90 degrees with 90% humidity, even at night.  In todays terms, the "Heat Index" during this week and half period often hit 120 degrees.  Of course, this was before the invention of air conditioning so people (and countless horses) were dropping like flies.  One of the odder ways people died was from rolling off the roofs of tenements and fire escapes where they were sleeping.


There's a new book out that details this nearly forgotten chapter in NYC history.  It's called "Hot Time In The Old Town" by historian Ed Kohn.  One interesting fact is that Theodore Roosevelt was the police commissioner at the time and, in lieu of a mayor who did nothing, he took action and distributed ice to the poor.  It was a transformative moment for the young Roosevelt, who got a very close look at conditions the lower class lived in and was inspired by the experience to do what he could as he rose to power, eventually becoming President of the United States.


I haven't read this book but it on my list now.  It would have been good beach reading but maybe it'll be better not to be baking while reading a book about it.  

The End of Publishing?

This is video response to all the doomsaying about book publishing, including most recently an ominous New York Magazine article this week entitled "The End".  This video was meant originally for an internal sales conference at a UK publisher but now is getting passed around in the online world.  I like it's message which is about seeing the glass half full as opposed to already empty.  And I like the way they did this...which still is sorta mind boggling.