Damn it!

I was of course going to write all about Eric's spectacular experience playing drums at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Florida this weekend but I'm sitting here feeling very shocked and sad right now and unable to think straight.

'GONZO' JOURNALIST HUNTER S. THOMPSON DIES

Legendary US author Hunter S Thompson, a sharp-witted icon of the 1960s counter-culture, has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say.

The 67-year-old writer and journalist, best known for his 1972 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, apparently shot himself at his home at Woody Creek, outside the ski resort of Aspen in the western US state of Colorado.

Thompson's son, Juan, released a family statement to the Aspen Daily News, saying: "Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family."

Thompson was considered by many to be one of the most important American authors of the 20th century.

The ever-rebellious Thompson was born in the southern state of Kentucky in July 1937 and frequently got into trouble with the law in his early years for drinking and vandalism, spending 60 days in jail on one occasion.

He was enlisted in the US Air Force in 1956 and managed to get assigned as a sports writer for the air base newspaper at Eglin Air Proving Ground in Florida.

But the unsettled youngster quickly became dissatisfied with the rigours of military routine and his high-jinks led to an honorable discharge after only a year in 1957.

He spent several years in Puerto Rico and South America working for various newspapers, mostly as a sports reporter.

In 1963, Thompson wed Sandy Conklin, a union that would last 18 years and produce one child, Juan. He also moved to Woody Creek, where he would spend most of the rest of his life.

Almost always writing in the first person, Thompson flirted with the border between fiction and fact and threw out any attempt at objectivity. His style became known as 'gonzo' journalism and made him a cult figure.

He shot to fame in 1966 after the publication of his book Hell's Angels, the story of his relationship with the then-feared motorcycle gang.

Thompson made his drug and alcohol-fueled antics and clashes with authority the central theme of his work, challenging the conventions of traditional journalism and creating a larger-than-life outlaw persona for himself along the way.

The book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the apocryphal tale of a wild, drug-fuelled weekend spent in the desert gambling hub of Las Vegas by the protagonist Raoul Duke, a thinly disguised version of Thompson.

Thompson claimed at the time that the book and its tales of LSD use were accurate examples of gonzo journalism but later admitted that some of the events in it never took place.

But the stories of his heady experiences earned him a popular reputation as a wild-living, hard-drinking, LSD-crazed writer bent on self-destruction.

The book became the basis for a 1998 Hollywood adaptation, starring Johnny Depp as Thompson's alter-ego, Raoul Duke.

In 1970, Thompson ran for the office of Sheriff in Pitkin, Colorado, campaigning on the "Freak Power" ticket. He lost by a handful of votes.

His other works include Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, a collection articles he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the election campaign of then-president Richard M Nixon.

Thompson became such an icon that cartoonist Garry Trudeau based the wild character of Duke in his "Doonesbury" comic strip on him.

Thompson is survived to his second wife, Anita Beymunk, whom he married two years ago, his son Juan and a grandson.

Saturday, February 19

In today's news, my son is on his way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida right now to play a completely sold out show at the Broward Center for Performing Arts - that's in excess of 500 seats. Lucky bastard. It's 75 degrees there at the moment as opposed to 17 degrees here. But of course now I'm going into a total panic because I just heard we're getting a snow storm tomorrow just in time for his plane to arrive back in Philadelphia.

Oh well, worrying is what I do best, anyway.

I'm still sitting on some major Eric news but I'm not allowed to blab, just tantalize.

Anyway, I hope to have some additional information about a few different things later...right now I have to clean up after said son. He decided to have an impromptu sleep over here last night prior to leaving for Florida with other boys in the band so I had four of them crashed out overnight in the living room which means four sets of sheets and blankets to toss in the washer and about eighty seven dishes in the sink.

What the fuck, I love it. The kids, that is. The housework...feh. If it were up to me, I'd throw the blankets and dishes out rather than deal with cleaning them, but you know, that would be childish.

Or would it...

Eric and Rock School in Long Island Press...

In today's Long Island, NY Press - my son's prolific one sentence following an hour long interview. Ha! But still very, very cool.

The Original School of Rock Comes to New York
Jesse Serwer 02/16/2005 11:26 am

It's early Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, and a bunch of rocker types are discussing the merits of Jethro Tull and Devo, pondering the significance of how many Google hits their own bands get, and just generally hanging out.

All of a sudden, the crew gets the word: It's showtime. The group's ringleader—a short man with wild, bugged-out eyes and a beer gut protruding from his Led Zeppelin shirt—places his hand against that of a little boy who will later be running around the room with a pair of drumsticks, and tells the child's mother, "He's a drummer all right."

It's not the precocious 5-year-old but his reserved older sister that Paul Green is interested in selling to, though, and he begins making his pitch to 12-year-old Ilana Roth and her parents.

"Isn't this a cool place? Don't you want to hang out here?"

It's open-house day at the newly minted New York City branch of the Paul Green School of Rock, a loft space-turned-musical playground in Hell's Kitchen that opens for business this week, and is the latest in a chain of nine similar schools opened by the Philadelphia-based Green. By April 1, Green plans to have his 6- to 17-year-old students—many of whom, like Ilana Roth, have never played a rock song before in their life—tackling Pink Floyd's The Wall. On May 13 they play their first show at the Tribeca Rock Club.

"You know the show South Park -- Crank Yankers -- His band was on those shows," Green tells a young guitar player, gesturing to Dave Dreiwitz, the bassist of Ween, and one of several notable artists who will be giving lessons and helping Green run the New York school (the others include Guided by Voices drummer Kevin March, drummer Claude Coleman of Ween and Eagles of Death Metal, and Eddie "Eyeball" Cisneros of 2 Skinnee J's).

"Wouldn't you rather have a teacher who goes on tour, comes back and tells you stories about what it's like as opposed to some guy that's all washed up?"

While his natural ability to talk kids' language might make Green seem like the perfect babysitter, he lets his potential students know right away he means business.

"I am not nice," Green says. "You just think I am because your parents are here. Once they leave...."

If you think that the idea is inspired by Jack Black's 2004 hit comedy, School of Rock, then you have it backwards. The Paul Green School of Rock actually dates back to 1998 when Green, a self-described "bitter, failed musician" who was offering guitar lessons at a Philadelphia music store, decided to start bringing his students to his band's practice space. Before long, Green was molding groups of kids—average age 14—into full-fledged Led Zep and Pink Floyd cover bands, and performing with them at area clubs and art spaces.

"At first, I thought no one else could do what I do," says Green, whose résumé includes playing guitar in Philly metal acts Sweet Pussy and Apollo Creed, as well as time spent in the Jersey Shore cover-band circuit. "Then I let my staff run the program when I went to Germany. After the sour grapes, I realized that I had created a system that gives confidence and a positive, meaningful experience to our alienated, MTV youth culture."

With investment capital from some wealthy students' parents, Green began opening up satellite schools in Philly suburbs before heading to New Jersey's Bergen County, then San Francisco. Concurrent to the Hell's Kitchen open house, an associate of Paul's is greeting prospective students at the new School of Rock in Salt Lake City.

"We hope to open as many as 25 new schools in the next two years in all the cool cities, and their suburbs," says Green, who will make the trek up to Manhattan from Philadelphia to teach twice a week. He lists Brooklyn, Nassau County and Westchester among the locations he and CEO Jake Szufnarowski are currently scouting. "Someone is going to get the idea to open schools of rock all over the place. It might as well be us."

Green is just back from the Sundance Film Festival, where Rock School, a documentary on the School of Rock, screened to favorable reviews, and where kids from the "Rock School All-Stars"—a group of Philly program veterans who tour and perform about 150 shows annually—got to jam with Alice Cooper.

"A lot of the movie reviews called me a failed artist," says Green. "Which I am. I am very bitter and I live vicariously through the kids. I didn't want to do what it takes to be a rock star in the '90s. I didn't want to hang out with Fred Durst or Carson Daly. I wanted to hang out with Joni Mitchell."

So, while Green likes to call himself the kids' "Überlord," his All-Stars have already soared to heights their mentor never made it to. In addition to Cooper, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, Heart's Ann Wilson and Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan all make appearances alongside the All-Stars on Rock School's soundtrack; they'll play alongside Zappa sideman Ike Willis at a March 5 Zappa cover set in New Jersey.

"We did a 19 shows on the west coast last summer, we're doing a 19-day tour in Europe this summer, we might go to Japan," Green tells his potential students. "We've been in Spin magazine. We are doing a lot for you, so we ask that this be pretty high on your priority list. It should be school, family, then rock school."

A number of Green's original students now work for their mentor, giving lessons at the Philly-area schools.

"Paul's long-term dream is a music scene of real rock 'n' roll that erupts from the rock school rather than the pop rock that is dominating the radio," says Eric Slick, a 17-year-old college freshman and School of Rock All-Star who teaches drums at the Philly headquarters. "He wants to save rock 'n' roll."

Near the end of the open house, things are moving slowly. Only seven kids have enrolled in the program Green expects will soon hold 180. "The only advertising we did is we brought brochures to our show at B.B. King's in December. This is kind of what we wanted—kids who have already seen the shows, so they know what to expect. They will tell their friends. When kids sign up, they usually stay until they graduate high school."

Sensing his newly hired staff might be a little concerned, though, Green pulls them aside.

"You guys understand this is a start-up business, right? I would rather hire a good staff than a skeleton crew. We'll just jam the rest of the time."

Some stuff...

That's Don Argott, director of Rock School, filming Julie for a scene in the movie.

So the film premiers exactly two months from today. Am I excited? Uh...a little.

Julie and Eric are both at Studio 4 right now as we speak, recording Zappa's Inca Roads for the soundtrack. How cool is that.

Meanwhile, Eric has a tough life. While the rest of us spend depressing February in cold, gray Philadelphia, here's how he's spending this weekend: 11:45 Spirit Airlines flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He's staying at the Marriot Marina Hotel
and then playing a set at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts .
He's doing an awesome classic rock set and it starts at 7:30 so if you're in the Fort Lauderdale area, he's worth checking out.



Eric may have some other exciting, interesting, even shocking news soon but I'm not saying a word until it's confirmed. But one thing for sure - he's interviewed in the Long Island, New York Press and it will be on line and in print this Thursday so you know I'll be posting a link for that when it's published. The interview is in conjunction with the grand opening of the NYC Rock School and Eric got the honors because he's now the student in attendance the longest out of like hundreds...he was one of the original fourteen and all of the rest of those kids are all in college now though a few left before "graduation". Funny, I didn't realize that he was the elder statesman but of course got immediately nostalgic again for the good old days at pre-corporate Rock School when we were like one big rag tag family who had barbecues and played baseball together, etc.

That's the hardest thing about being an adult. You realize things change and there's not a fucking thing you can do about it. Worse, you've got to accept it.

Oh what the hell. I still have a good time.

I may not personally be a fan of Valentines Day...

...but my publisher is



Take advantage of this sale and get my book at a reduced rate here

Also, please send me your proof of purchase, credit card info blocked out of course, to Robin81700@yahoo.com. For every 25 books sold, I'm holding a raffle, with the prize being a $25.00 Victoria Secret gift certificate or, if you can't use that, a gift certificate to a store/restaurant, etc. of your choice.

I'm not that far from print benchmark and I'm counting on the support of my friends here to help me get Three Days in print and in a store near you!

My tribute to Valentines Day (bleh)

Yeah, I hate Valentines Day and all other commercial Hallmark holidays.

But I do like this piece of art which is called "Two Broken Hearts".

Nymphs and other news...

Literary Nymphs gave me a five nymph review for Three Days in New York City.


In case that link doesn't work, here it is:

Date: January 22, 2005
Title: Three Days in New York City
Author: Robin Slick
Publisher: Phaze
ISBN: 1-59426-504-6
Genre: BDSM, Women's Fiction
Rating: 5 Nymphs
Reviewed by: Kira Stone

Summary: Elizabeth lives the life desired by so many. A devoted husband, two fine sons and a job as a high-priced lawyer that nets her enough to buy the extras that turn life from a drab existence into a pleasure. Why then is Elizabeth so unhappy? Why then does she feel like a stranger in her own house, among her closest family?

To find the answer, Elizabeth experiments with cyber sex and quickly finds a man to set her body aflame. The book actually starts with her arranging for a wicked NYC weekend with another attorney from London, Richard.

Richard does drive Elizabeth to some sexual, and emotional, places she'd never before experienced. But she doesn't discover the true kernel of her discontent until she meets up with a second cyber-buddy, Rob. Rob is not the cyber-slut that Richard is, but Elizabeth is very drawn to him. She finds he's living the life she gave up when she sacrificed her art for a stable, corporate job. He encourages her to do the same, leaving all she knows for the creative life she'd once dreamed about.

It doesn't take Elizabeth long to decide that getting a divorce, quitting her job, and moving to NYC is what she wants more than anything. A change that is far easier to say than to put into practice. She knows she will not be able to walk away from her family, her responsibilities without terrible heartache. What to do about her new revelations is a question she takes home, and only time will tell how her Three Days in New York City will impact the rest of her life.

Review: Amusing. Honest. Wicked. Three Days in New York City, published by Phaze, uses with these three words as the foundation upon which a wonderfully compelling story is built. Told from the first person perspective, it is impossible not to fall into the mind and body of the very realistic forty-something heroine as she learns more about herself in three days than most women learn in a lifetime. I strongly recommend you give this book by Ms. Slick a try. The last page will definitely leave you begging for more.

Buy it here

*****************

So thank you, Kira, I really appreciate that most excellent review. It was awesome of you.

In other news, I actually got to talk to Martin Bayne on the phone this morning. It was incredibly cool -- he's a very, very interesting man. We may end up collaborating on something which would be amazing. Amazing for me, that is -- I hope Martin knows what he's getting himself into. I could say a lot more and I probably will but first I'd better see if it's okay with Mr. Bayne.

Work was horrific today but I didn't jump out any windows...well, wait, to be honest it's because we can't open them, but still.

And um, in the middle of all the office insanity, I heard from another agent today. She likes the book.

I'm trying not to hyperventilate.

M.K. Bayne

As I've mentioned on a few occasions, for the past four years I've been a member of an international on line writing group 65,000 members strong. I've met incredible people from all over the world and have had the pleasure of meeting many in the real world as well.

A few days ago, in a private office I'm in on the site which is limited to discussions about agents and publishers, I met a man named Martin Bayne. Here's his biography:

Martin Bayne took a leave of absence as a 19-year-old journalist and began training as a novitiate in a Soto Zen Buddhist monastery. Within five years, he received the Dharma Transmission from his teacher, the Very Reverend Jiyu-Kennet, Roshi and returned to the secular world.

There, he would begin his "traditional" studies, including completion of post-graduate work in at MIT, under the guidance of, among others, Nobel Laureates David Baltimore and Philip Sharp.

In the late 1980's, he brought the crisis of eldercare into the light of day by publishing what would become the Internet's largest web site on long-term care, 10 years running. His interviews included President Jimmy Carter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Ram Dass, Dr. Andrew Weil and baseball legend Harmon Kilibrew.

He was also co- founder (with Kevin J Johnson) and CEO of New York Long-Term Care Brokers, the state's premiere long-term care insurance firm.

Today, at 54, courtesy of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease, he is confined to his bed in an assisted living facility in Albany, NY, where he continues to induldge in his greatest love - writing short stories.

"You have what so few writers do: real passion. When you write, the keyboard is on fire." - Mike Vitez, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Philadelphia Inquirer

"I want to thank Martin for his commitment to improving long-term care and to educating the public about the great need for affordable quality care in this country." - Hillary Rodham Clinton

Dear Martin, I have tears streaming down my face. Your story did for me exactly what a short story is supposed to do - it hit me down deep where I really want to live and so rarely get to. It’s why I read them. It gave me entertainment, hope, joy, sadness, and pleasure. In a few minutes, in a few hundred words, my life has improved, my day made, just because you decided to tell me a story. - Mark Whalen
"Everything we write brings us closer to drafting the first chapter of that most precious of all books, our autobiography." -Martin K. Bayne.

******************

Anyway, Martin posted a request in said private office that because he is unable to do so himself, he was wondering if there were any services who would submit his wonderful stories to publishers/magazines for him. Some authors on the site responded by saying that there were a few companies that might provide these services, but basically, I thought the hell with Martin having to pay someone, I could easily submit his stuff for him so I dropped him an email accordingly.

He responded today by sending me this link to a new story he'd written, and to say I'm teary eyed at the moment is putting it mildly. Please click on the link, and while you're there, stay for a while and savor his other amazing work.

Zen For Tough Guys

Fictionwise

I interrupt my usual broadcast to annouce:

My novel is now available at Fictionwise.

I'm not that far away from reaching print benchmark, meaning, Three Days in New York will soon be an actual paperback sold in actual stores with a little help from my friends.

I'm not above begging, bribing, you name it.

Thanks.

Back to your regular programming.

Super Bowl Part IV - (oh well)

I really thought today's post was going to deal with the big party and parade we'd be having here in Philadelphia in celebration of the Eagles' Super Bowl win yesterday.

Oh well.

Instead I will post a picture of what Julie fed us during the meal - Indonesian chicken - skewers of boneless chicken breast which we dipped in the most incredible sauce I've ever eaten - a Julie Slick invention - coconut, peanuts, ginger, garlic, onion, and other interesting spices.

For dessert we had sliced fruit - these beautiful perfect ruby raspberries, banannas, apples, red pears - that we dipped in another Julie Slick creation - creme fraiche with cinnamon and vanilla.

And then we watched the game and got nauseous.

Well, the one good thing is, I have absolutely no appetite at all today.

Oh, in closing, let me add that much to my surprise, Sir Paul McCartney was awesome at the half time show - probably the best half time concert ever. And this is coming from a woman who has considered Paul and Ringo her least favorite Beatles...I'm the big Lennon and Harrison fan who thinks Paul was never even close to ever being in their league. But last night, his choice of songs, other than Live and Let Die (feh, feh, feh) were amazing and he executed them really well. I don't think he did any lip syncs but my daughter the bassist said no way was he playing that bass while he sang. I'm pretty sure he did really play the piano on Hey Jude and having the audience sing along with the chorus was a nice touch although at one point the camera panned in on this African American kid who looked like "What the fuck? I ain't singing along with this shit."

Hahahaha - I don't like sing-a-longs, either. I always hated, even when I was a teenager attending rock concerts, when bands tried to make the audience participate. Screw that. I just wanted to sit in my seat and enjoy the music, not fucking sing (and trust me, no one wants to hear me sing anyway) or even clap along. I needed my hands free for that beer, smoke, etc. etc.