Well, dear readers, it is late and I must write these here notes in a flurry of a hurry so there is no worry that something is awry or even awholewheat. The reason for the lateness is due to finalizing the project with David Wechter so that it can go off where it’s going. So, earlier this evening I did watch the first episode of an HBO series entitled Perry Mason. It’s certainly not the Perry Mason that Erle Stanley Gardner created and wrote. No, despite the 1930s setting and noirish atmosphere, this is a Perry for today, and, as you know, I’m not one for doing things for today unless they’re about today and I’m certainly not for reinventing existing characters, especially a character as known as Perry Mason. The Perry Mason seemingly never shaves (just like today), lives on a family dairy farm, liberally uses the F word, is a private investigator (I gather that changes in the final episodes of season one), kind of a jerk. The case runs over all eight episodes. We’ll see where it goes, but I’m certainly not loving it after one episode. Of course, there’s male and female full frontal nudity because, well, why not?
Other than that, it was a short day. I didn’t get to sleep until five for various reasons – haven’t done that in a few weeks now and won’t be doing it again. I woke up at ten, went back to sleep and didn’t wake up until three, so ten hours of sleep and most of the day gone. Not too much gunk left, so that was good, then I had to get ready for the Zoom with David Wechter. That took about an hour and we finished what we needed to until our late-night final things. I got Marco’s pizza – their 13.99 small pepperoni I like had, in recent weeks, gone up to 15.99 but when I looked yesterday it was down to 9.99. I ordered the version with both pepperoni and sausage, which was 12 bucks and it was very good, albeit a little spicy. If that price holds, I’ll keep having it.
Then I got one of the two blurbs I’ve been waiting on, this from Dick Lochte and I must say he does write wonderful, evocative blurbs. Here’s his:
“By letting autistic Harvey Minton tell his story in his own jumbled, repetitive-phrased, stream of consciousness narrative, author Kimmel has created a fascinatingly unique, sweetly naïve character who discovers early on that his ticket to happiness is attending Major Studio Previews. His story, set mainly in the 1960s, is essentially an entertaining lesson in self-preservation, and there are the added attractions of Harvey’s refreshingly unsentimental family life, his film reviews and theater descriptions, his take on Hollywood’s reflection of the changing times. And there are amusing cameos by writer-director Blake Edwards, producer Robert Evans and comic Jerry Lewis who provides the faithful moviegoer with the moniker Preview Harvey.
Dick Lochte, author of THE NEON SMILE
Then, in a funny coincidence, later in the evening I got the brief other blurb I’d been waiting for, so where’s that one. I think you’ll be surprised who wrote it.
“Hollywood is full of fringe characters and Bruce Kimmel has now written a delightful book about one such character known as Preview Harvey, a small man in an ever-present baseball cap who lives for attending every Major Studio Preview possible from the 1950s until the 1980s, when Major Studio Previews stopped being what they used to be.”
John Landis, director of Animal House, The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London.
So, now I have all three blurbs and Doug Haverty can finish designing the book jacket.
I will admit to having a scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream from Coldstone Creamery – too rich, really, but it hit the spot.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll pick up whatever is at the mail place, I’ll eat, I’ll do book stuff and Sami stuff, and then whatever else needs doing, hope for a modern major miracle and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, meetings and meals, and eating reasonable meals.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, pick up whatever’s at the mail place, eat, do book and Sami stuff, hope for a major miracle, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: How often did you watch the original Perry Mason TV show. I’m not sure I ever missed an episode back in the day and I used to frequently watch it in reruns. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have received two count them two blurbilicious blurbs for the new book.