City of Legends

Legendary comic actor and comedian Soupy Sales passed away yesterday.  He was hip, ironic, silly, bold, articulate, intelligent and made me laugh when I was a kid.  Hell, he could still make me laugh.

I was honored to be included in a book with him, the AEI’s "Art & Soul".  Of the 49 other persons besides myself, living and dead, who were honored in that volume saluting outstanding creative artists from the State of West Virginia, he was one of a handful I really got a kick out of being included alongside.

His antics were sometimes the stuff of urban legends (yes, he did do the "green pieces of paper" stunt on television).  He hung with some of the hippest, smartest and trendiest of his time, people like Frank Sinatra guesting on his show, knowing that it would mean at least a pie in the face.  He played with the kids like a kid, and you can see elements of his pioneering work in the works of Pee Wee Herman and others who followed.

His earnest and engaging wit and style has been missed from television as he had been pressed off the airwaves by time, tastes and the clowns who don’t realize they are clowns.  Guys with last names like Beck, Limbaugh and Stern.

Gnight Soupy, we love ya and give ya a big kiss.

Lots going on. Most of it good. It’s in the 40’s here, expected to reach about 60.

Between a nice late evening chat with Jezz and some email words of encouragement from Gina (whose book I am editing and it is incredible) I feel pretty good going into the week.

I’m hoping this week to see the advance pdf for my page from the AEI’s Art&Soul book, coming out next month. Postponed from last fall, it’s a coffee-table size booklet that profiles 50 outstanding creative artists from West Virginia. It is an honor to have been selected, more so as I have always had a distant relation with the Mountain State (WV to the World: William Who?) and the other honorees (you can see the full list at http://www.appalachianeducationinitiative.org/aei04artandsoulARTISTS.htm ) include Don Knotts, Jennifer Garner, Kathy Mattea, Soupy Sales(!), Ann Magnuson(!) and Morgan Spurlock..that is going to make one hell of a party (although, realistically, I never expect all of them to be in one room at one time, but trust me to take a pile of books with me to the reception…)

I’ve been in serious skull session about starting a consulting company…it looks like it is going to come to fruition. Between the business acumen, technical skills and networks of the crew we’re assembling, this could be big. I could get used to that again. Be nice to dig my way out of the financial hard times I put myself into. 99% of my real problems in this life could be resolved by a simple briefcase full of cash…barring some nice philantrophist who’d rather go down in history as the patron who rescued a wounded "romantic poet of the internet" than buy another gold plated dipstick for his Bentley, I have to just keep swinging.

Speaking of swinging, I wonder what Mari is up to?

I was glad to see Tom Westman win Survivor last night. I have never seen such a dominating performance. It is nice to know that sometimes the person who plays the best does win (unlike some years when it is truly just a backstab game, there has to be some consideration for, if it truly was a game of survival, who would win (like a story I worked on a few years ago…if "Gilligan’s Island" had not been a comedy…how would it have gone? I had it come down to the Professor and the Skipper at war, the Howells and Gilligan long gone as collateral casualties, and Ginger and Mary Ann having to decided whether to sit back and await the final victor or throw in with one or the other. Of course, in my universe, the ladies wisely chose the one most likely to keep them alive and in comfort, the Professor. Although the Professor spared the Skipper’s life, it was left with the backthought that eventually the Skipper would wait until the Prof had done all he could to improve the quality of life, then take him out.))

I’m giving two final exams this week, and have a lot of yard work to do, in addition to my newly full dance card (don’t worry, Clemmie, I’m being good, as promised) and my writing and editing duties…I HAVE to put "The Morgantown Suite" to bed by next Sunday.

In no particular order, what’s on my mind at the moment.

On June 9th (Peri’s birthday), I’m putting out "The Morgantown Suite"…considering the reception that Morgantown has given me up till now, I figure it will go over like a bag of turtles, but maybe Meghan at ArtsMon can make a winner of it.

On June 16th, or thereabouts, there’s a reception in Charlestion for the release of the AEI’s "Art and Soul" book, profiling 50 outstanding creative artists from West Virginia, myself included. Here’s the link to the list. Nice to be mentioned alongside some of them:
Art and Soul List and Info
This raises a few random questions:

—Do I go?

—Do I go stag?

—If not, who do I invite?

—Should I take the Governor an autographed copy of "The Morgantown Suite"? and should it be just signed by me, or maybe get the City Council from Morgantown to sign it? (Of course, these are the same guys who, when I wrote them last year to let them know I was back in town, the majority never responded to me, two shrugged their shoulders and the third started sending me opportunities to do volunteer work. Venice Beach really looked good after that warm reception.)

—Do I take a stack of books to give out to fellow attendees and honorees? Considering the list, not a bad marketing ploy.

On July 18th "The Compleat Panther Cycles" launches. Wow, already the buzz is starting to gnaw away at my brain…people I did not expect have resurfaced, as if God Himself put them in a deep freezer to await my resurrecting these. Regardless of how you feel about me, her, or the works themselves, so much of my reputation is tied up in them.

On August 17th I am supposed to speak at the Greater Morgantown Arts Festival…I’ll see exactly what I want to talk about, but I will use it to kck off my fall tour…there have been dozens of suggestions for the tour, the leading candidates are "Out of the City", "Lock Up Your Daughters" and "City of Legends 2005".

Still only working part time, teaching, spending the rest of my time freelance editing books for others and working on my books. It has been much tougher getting a regular day job around here than I expected…people keep telling me that I am overqualified, like that is a bad thing.

Point of karmic revenge: I can’t substitute teach (very well full time teach) as I do not have a degree. They just named a new President of the School Board. Guess what? He doesn’t have a degree either. God smirks.