LISTS
WINTER CRUISE LISTING FUSS
There are 5 sections (From New York/Miami/Port Everglades/Caribbean/Freighter),
39 companies mentioned (with a lot of duplicates of same company in next section),
63 individual ships (with the same duplications as for companies, above), and
213 cruises described (with many duplicated at later times for MORE cruises).
From that listing, it only takes me two hours to come up with the following information.
Rank by number of passengers: 1800: Oriana; 1750: QE2; 1700: Canberra; 1100: Rotterdam; 1035: Oceanic; 1000: Britanis; 907: Carnevale; 906: 3 ships; with about a half dozen for 850, 800, 750; then 92: Lindblad Explorer; 64: New Shoreham; 46: Ariadne; 12: Freighters: and that was the messiest list of all.
Prices start with I. from the HIGHEST prices listed and II. from the LOWEST.
I.
QE2: 81 day RTW for $30,000, or $371/day
Rotterdam 86 RTW for 21,993 256
Royal Viking Sea 84 RTW 19,668 234
Kungsholm 74 Africa 13,650 185
II.
Renaissance 12 Music 1,850 154, but with a top of 325/day
Lindblad Ex 30 Amazon 4,125 137
QE2 Christmas 11 day 1,365 124, but with a top of 319/day
Royal Viking Sea 84 RTW 8,358 97
Kungsholm 74 Africa 6,600 89
Rotterdam 86 RTW for 7,460 87
QE2: 81 day RTW for 6,950 86
Pres Freighter 70 RTW 3,565 50
Moore Freighter 95 India 3,800 40
Moore Freighter 70 Africa 1,800 26
Canberra 77 Southampton 1,455 19!
Decided that the POSHEST would be the QE2 and then the Rotterdam.
The CHEAPEST would be the Canberra and then the Moore Freighter.
What I WANT would be the Lindblad Explorer and the Stella Maris.
The cheapest 2-day trip was the $99 Veracruz from Miami for $49.50/day.
The cheapest 3-day trip was the $140 Emerald Sea from Miami for $46.67/day
The cheapest 4-day trip was the $170 Emerald Sea from Miami for $42.50/day.
The cheapest 5-day trip was the $180 Veracruz from Miami for $38.00/day
The cheapest 7-day trip was the $250 Britanis from SJuan for $36.00/day.
NEW YORK'S cheapest 7 was the $355 Doric to Bermuda for $50.70/day.
Boheme flies ONE way to Miami for $345 ($49.30/day) to Puerto Rico
The cheapest 11-day trip was the $460 New Shoreham from SJuan for $42/day
The cheapest 13-day trip was the $350 Lermontov to Leningrad for $26.90/day.
The cheapest 20-day trip was the $765 Daphne to Amsterdam for $38.25/day.
The cheapest 32-day trip was the $1620 Oriana to Sydney for $50.60/day.
The cheapest 70-day trip was the $1800 MooreFtr to Africa for $25.70/day.
The cheapest 77-day trip was the $1455 Canberra to Southhampton for $18.90/day.
I PARTICULARLY noted:
Doric's $355 to Bermuda from New York for 7 days
Lermontov's $350 to Leningrad from New York in 13 days.
Stella Maris's $975 to Guyana from San Juan in 14 days.
So now I'll put the pages away and probably not do a THING except dream about them.
DIARY 11736
AL 129
3/17/77
LIST OF CERAMIC TERMS
CERAMIC: CLAY of nonmetallic mineral made into EARTHENWARE, PORCELAIN, BRICK,
GLASS, AND VITREOUS ENAMEL.
PORCELAIN: fine hard translucent white sonorous nonporous CERAMIC of KAOLIN,
QUARTZ, FELDSPAR
CHINA: CERAMIC of CLAY, FELDSPAR, and FLINT; differs from porcelain in having
2 firings.
CHALKWARE: no entry; CHALK: limestone: CaCO2.
PLASTER: lime, water and sand; PLASTER OF PARIS; CaSO4.
STONEWEAR: opaque POTTERY, high-fired, vitrified, nonporous; glazed, unglazed,
or salt-glazed.
EARTHENWARE: made of porous opaque CLAY at low heat.
BRICK: made of moist CLAY in heat.
GLASS: silicon fused to rigidity without crystals.
VITREOUS ENAMEL: fired-on opaque glassy coating on steel or other material.
KAOLIN: white CLAY in CERAMICS and REFRACTORIES.
REFRACTORY: heat-resisting nonmetallic CERAMIC material.
QUARTZ: SiO2, mineral in crystals.
FELDSPAR: Al-S, mineral in crystals.
CLAY: Al-S, earthy material used in BRICK, TILE, and EARTHENWARE.
FLINT: hard QUARTZ.
TILE: fired CLAY for roofs, floors, and walls.
GLAZED: coated with or as if with glass, glossy or lustrous surface.
SALT-GLAZED: not in dictionary.
DIARY 11905
AL 133
5/5/77
MY LIST OF THREE RANKS OF GREATEST BOOKS
When I finish the 1021 page "The Recognitions" it seems that MOST of the great books are voluminous, so I check through my bookcases and come up with the following lists of the books I'd like to take with me to a desert island:
FIRST RATE WORKS OF FICTION, in order of number of pages in left column:
628 JOYCE "Finnegan's Wake"
760 PYNCHEON "Gravity's Rainbow"
766 BARTH "Giles Goat-Boy"
768 JOYCE "Ulysses"
1021 GADDIS "The Recognitions"
1444 TOLSTOY "War and Peace"
2271 PROUST "Remembrance of Things Past"
It'd be simple enough to cut it to four, just take out the middle THREE.
SECOND RATE WORKS OF FICTION, just to note what JUST failed to make the upper list:
383 MARQUEZ "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
429 COOVER "The Origin of the Brunists"
520 HESSE "Magister Ludi"
605 FOWLES "The Magus"
639 WHITE "The Once and Future King"
727 MANN "The Magic Mountain"
940 CERVANTES "Don Quixote"
1084 RAND "Atlas Shrugged"
Though I told Dennis that I'd like to TEST these by reading them a second time;
Tolkein's "Fellowship of the Ring" trilogy slipped off the list on rereading.
NONFICTION BOOKS, where it would seem possible to take multivolume works:
1 volume "The Bible"
4 volumes "The Unabridged Dictionary"
12 volumes "The Golden Bough"
15 volumes "Magill Masterplots"
30 volumes "Encyclopedia Britannica"
50 volumes "My Diary"
I wouldn't even have enough time to get THROUGH them all on a desert island!
DIARY 11907
AL 134
5/5/77
BLACKWOOD STATISTICS
I retyped the Blackwood Story list (see DIARY 1896-1898) and then went through to see what collections HAD to be there for their UNIQUE stories:
"Empty House and Other Stories" contributed one "Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp"
"Tongues of Fire" contributed 15 of its 21, so I must absolutely get it.
"Shocks" contributed 13 of its 15, and I'm sorry I didn't have it on my list before.
"Day and Night Stories" contributed 3 of its 15, though I have it already.
"Pan's Garden" was unique in 3 of its 15, but that's one waiting at Weiser's.
"The Lost Valley and Other Stories" had 5, for $15, more than the reprint $13.75.
"Wolves of God and Other Stories" was unique in 8 of 10, not xeroxable, waiting at Weiser's.
"Ten-Minute Stories" was another sadly missing, unique in 19 of its 29 stories: MOST!
These 8 contributed 67 UNIQUE stories, but their books totaled 151 of the 172 stories.
"Tales of the Uncanny and Supernatural" equaled "The Doll and one other (The Trod)."
"Incredible Adventures," which is also waiting for me, gives me five more, leaving 14.
"Tales of A.B." would give 12 and C, L, or T would give the other 2.
"Selected Tales" would give 10 and Q or S would give the other 4.
"Tales of Terror and the Unknown" which I already have, gives 10 and "John Silence" + 4 = 14!
So I didn't NEED to get "Ancient Sorceries and Other Stories, "Best Supernatural Tales of A.B." (though I got that BEFORE I ever THOUGHT of collecting all of A.B.), "Tales of the Mysterious and Macabre," and "John Silence"---no, that's a mistake, since I don't have "Tales of A.B.," so I'm really not THAT far off, and I can put things away and hope that Susan can come through with the 10 Teilhard de Chardin books that I gave HER to get from Harper and Row, and then I can retype the book list, send away to the Times ad for some of the hardcovers and the "Gravitation" which seems like it'll NEVER be available at a discount, as Wheeler just continues to sell and sell, and get the list below its current low point of 12 authors with 59 novels, even including the new Ballard which is only available through the University of Illinois, and I even made up a list of three libraries to write to for duplicates, and got the number of S. French to try to get a copy of Blackwood's "Through the Crack," and might write to S&S to send "Reefs of Taprobane" AND "Karma" from before.
DIARY 11957
AL 137
5/30/77
REASONS FOR AND AGAINST THE JOURNAL PAGES
Since I've ALREADY decided to make the journal pages FLEXIBLE, some of the "assumed" reasons will have to change, getting more TELLING in the process.
FOR
1. They're a record of what I've done AS I've done it; source of WHERE I'VE BEEN, as recorded when I've been there.
3. It doesn't take much time.
5. I enjoy it.
6. Pope and Dennis envy my doing it.
7. I started it; I should continue it.
9. It'll stop the past week's feeling of mental constipation: GET IT OUT.
11. It "keeps" the good that's happening to me now.
13. Not so, it really doesn't (12)
14. I want to continue.
15. So DO it (see DIARY 11958)
AGAINST
2. They're "holding onto the past," holding the breath without letting it out, adding another restraint to living.
4. It takes time that I could devote to LIVING.
8. I started it; I should end it.
10. That's only temporary, don't give in to it, go THROUGH it.
12. It reinforces the idea that the future will be LESS PLEASANT.
15. No reasons stand against that.
DIARY 12156
AL 140
7/21/77
"ONE HUNDRED TASKS" AT THE PLAZA
(From notes taken during the days working for EGR at the Plaza for Champion):
1: Kits to Plaza. 2: Function board specified. 3: Give Thompson their check. 4: Phone Kiley on progress. 5: EGR stands for Elliott Goodman and Russell. (and lots ASKED!) 6: Buy black felt tips when EGR hasn't any. 7: Peggy Bolger met and satisfied. 8: 2 MOs for $35 to Peggy (who keeps one?). 9: Notepads and one pen not forthcoming from Plaza: they don't HAVE any pads and are niggardly with electricity for cooling, keeping conditioning off Schwalbe suite until we enter). 10: Margitta gives hours and prices of Plaza restaurants. 11: Phone desk numerous times for checking data. 12: Peggy gives new penlights for all the packets. 13: I find I can spend $16/day for food. 14: Kiley brings 500 "Hello, I'm" nametags which Peggy demands. 15: They seem to speedup baggage handling after Peggy's 20 minutes on Sunday. 16: Easels for signs put up. 17: Function board at registration desk works fine. 18: Schwalbe's in an "01" type suite: 601! 19: Get room numbers for distributions. 20: Ken Cowan hardly around. 21: Room service delivers wine and cheese platter (which was AWFUL: acidy wine and awful Samsoe cheese on mine). 22: No one asks what they tip: probably no one DOES; I get ZILCH tips. 23: Margitta responds fastest with wastebasket. 24: Kinney shoes in Terrace Room 10:30 to 2:30. 25: Give Peggy rest of charms. 26: Walkers cancelled. 27: Booze in 601 handled by Peggy. 28: Type Sechrist and Wofsey letters on BLUE Plaza typewriters and give to Margitta. 29: Waitkus ticket should be at airport. 30: Varney changed from 1520. 31: Busses checked for AC and drivers know where they're going. 32: All packets distributed by 2 pm per Jay Would. 33: Brother took Berra's tickets. 34: Bill Christopher suggest I shorten my name when guiding: Bob Edwards? 35: Champion color sign for photographer's backdrop. 36. Michael Lambrianakos is headwaiter. 37: Last 7 couples down to 4. 38: Proffitts stay with friends, join at breakfast, get Curt Gowdy photos. 39: Williamses never come: can't get babysitter, cancel room, only no-show. 40: Shorter function board for Tuesday. 41: New board Tuesday for Wednesday. 42: Collect "TV Guide." 43: Get EGR cards for many asking about doing business 44: Announcement at dinner. 45: Guard Gowdy's briefcase. 46: Carry Bloss's pictures to ship. 47: Safeguard function board without taking it to room. 48: Set 4-4:15 for bus boarding time. 49: Count 124 on board Cabaret. 50: Give Bill Christopher his ticket to game. 51: Insist on wearing jacket, but not over 100 degrees. 52: Collins in 844 wants upgrade. 53: Envelope for Yash. 54: Pennants for extras. 55: Champion signs handed out. 56: Gowdy photographs for late Proffitts. 57: Check bus pickup from game (wrong until end). 58: Assistant Manager Ling for checkins. 59: Asst. Mgr. Doolittle for my room. 60: Cancellations form Stephanie at Registration desk. 61: Change 1520. 62: David: Call John Kiley about my being on bus. 63: Change Apfel plane tix. 64: Luggage lost for Lundy, Semmel, Haakenson. 65: David checks they didn't get them. 66: Semmel doesn't return my dime for call. 67: Retrieve Williams and Yash packages. 68: Meet John Kiley. 69: Count people on bus. 70: George, Harry, Peggy, and me count heads. 71: Call Bob Bloss on Mrs. Halstead on Thursday. 72: 121 people in all. 73: I needn't wear tie. 74: Old Apfel ticket information necessary. 75: Lots SAY they'll change tix, but don't. 76: Constant conversation with table partners. 77: Check out. 78: Get subway map for desk. 79: Draw maps for sightseers. 80: Deduct 8 liquors unopened in 601. 81: No tipping to anyone at hotel, maybe bus drivers. 82: No card to Mrs. Halstead in Lincoln Hospital in Bronx. 83: Don Apfel and Wendy Gowey not Mr. and Mrs. Apfel. 84: Call Tanzig at EGR for changes. 85: Submit expense account. 86: Write Arny about it. 87: Letter from Bloss to Joyce Palmer. 88: Get comments from Kiley. 89: Recap to Kiley: 90: Highest compliments from guests; 91: The few complaints were all mollified (including Schwalbe's on air conditioning on busses); 92: Plaza service highly satisfactory; 93: Bus drivers extremely helpful; 94: Food at Plaza mediocre; Tavern on the Green excellent (particularly sherbets); 95: Peggy Bolger changeable; 96: 2:30 ship return to 2:15; 97: 4-4:15 departure stretched to 4:35; 98: Count, don't count, SAY my bus leaves earlier; 99: Confusing schedule conflicts: 4:15/4:30 bus leaving and Noon/1 pm checkout; 100: Type these notes and file souvenirs and hope to get more work with tour guiding with EGR Communications.
DIARY 12411
AL 145
10/31/77
MOVIES OF FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT
He was born in 1932, was an only child who loved books, and that's shown up in many of his 18 films, not counting the 15-minute short he made in
1955: which Richard Roud, the French speaking interviewer, said was NEVER shown.
1957: Les Mistons (30 minutes) from a story he loved, filmed outdoors because no lights.
1959: 400 Blows, showing the final freeze-frame "over ocean" but he's looking at US.
1960: Shoot the Piano Player ("making about one picture a year for the next 15 years")
1961: Jules and Jim ("It's too young, not cruel enough, HE liked "Two English" better)
1962: Love at 20 (one duet of the package film)
1963: Soft Skin
1966: Fahrenheit 451
1967: The Bride Wore Black (he liked it, now he sees its faults and doesn't like it)
1968: Stolen Kisses (which I didn't remember seeing, but I did in 1969)
1969: Mississippi Mermaid
1969: Wild Child
1970: Bed and Board
1971: Two English Girls (neat French title: Les Deux Anglaises et Le Continent)
1972: Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me
1973: Day for Night
1975: Story of Adele H.
1975: Small Change
1976: The Man Who Loved Woman
I missed seeing them in pairs, missing "Love at 20" and "Soft Skin" because I didn't care for his early films, and "Two English Girls" and "Such a" probably because I was tired of Jean-Pierre Leaud, who may be very LIKE him and he may be fucking with him (no personal questions asked, no personal information volunteered), but I didn't care for him as a PERSONALITY, being merely a void on the camera. The constant references to Truffaut as the BEST director in the world is silly, and even HE talks of his "oeuvre" as a "wall where a few misshapen stones don't matter, and I just want to finish my wall," with, among other things, one LAST story on Antoine Doinel with short outtakes from each of the films THROUGH the development of Leaud. Ug.
DIARY 12504
AL 147
11/21/77
TIME DIVISIONS IN AN AVERAGE DAY
Since I never have time for anything, I wondered just what it is that I DO spend the 24 hours of a day doing, and was surprised that I HAVE no time, in fact:
____________________________________________________
8 hours sleeping (including lying down to, and getting up from)
____________________________________________________
8 hours working
2 hours eating (preparing, consuming, cleaning up)
1 hour indexing
1 hour list maintenance (sort, file, type, organize, reorganize)
1 hour misc maintenance (groceries, laundry, shop, order, discard)
1 hour special projects (stamps, tapes, films, books, xmas cards, est, Time)
.5 hour personal cleanliness (shower, shave, shit, shampoo)
.5 hour apartment maintenance (plants, bed, dust, vacuum, put away)
.5 hour subway
.5 hour reading, writing, showing writing---IF I'M LUCKY THAT DAY!!
_____________________________________________________________
8 hours playing
1 hour TV
1 hour entertainment (movies, dance, plays, opera, events)
1 hour sex (alone or with someone or at orgies and baths)
1 hour Actualism (practice and class)
1 hour people (Dennis, Pope, Arnie, Rolf, friends, neighbors, family, others)
.75 hour DIARY writing
.5 hour sightseeing, vacationing, planning
.5 hour wasted (waiting, thinking, daydreaming, mooning)
.5 hour alphaphones (or TM or bodywork or special exercising)
.25 hour exercising
.25 hour mail (read and answer)
.25 hour telephone (business or pleasure)
_____________________________________________________________
And with this I'm not content because I have to spend too many hours working and not enough hours on myself? That there's no time for writing? That there's not enough hours in the day? Guess I have to stop sleeping!
DIARY 12511
AL 148, ALSO 150
11/25/77
MOST POPULAR US FILMS
#1 GONE WITH THE WIND was at the top of the list by American Film Institute.
#2 CASABLANCA was one of the top three, surprising to me, but it was by VOTING. CITIZEN KANE was a surprise; may be a CLASSIC, but it's also popular!
SINGING IN THE RAIN, GRAPES OF WRATH, and AFRICAN QUEEN are odd in top 10.
STAR WARS and 2001 show that people are into science fiction, while
#3 THE WIZARD OF OZ and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST take care of the crazies. Then Arnie tried to remember many of the remaining 40 of the top 50, and came up with the silents BIRTH OF A NATION, INTOLERANCE, CITY LIGHTS, MODERN TIMES, and THE GENERAL, giving credit to Griffith, Chaplin, and Keaton for 10%. SNOW WHITE and FANTASIA took care of Walt Disney. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is coming to the 80 St. Marks, so I'll get a chance to see what it's like. GODFATHER I and GODFATHER II complete a second ten, 20, though not in order. ALL ABOUT EVE, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, CHINATOWN, DR. STRANGELOVE, NASHVILLE, TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE, ON THE WATERFRONT, WEST SIDE STORY, PSYCHO, SOUND OF MUSIC, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, KING KONG (I assume the original), JAWS, BEN HUR, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE STING, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, MALTESE FALCON, SUNSET BOULEVARD, BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, ROCKY, HIGH NOON, STREETCAR NAMES DESIRE, MIDNIGHT COWBOY, CABARET, and THE GRADUATE bring the whole list up to 44, and he started naming directors who weren't recognized at all: Cukor, Zinneman, Capra, and a number of others, but since I don't think of movies in terms of---AMERICAN movies in terms of their directors, I wasn't that interested. I named MY list of top 20 (IN ORDER!) American movies, and he said I didn't add anything: INTOLERANCE, MIDSUMMERS NIGHT'S DREAM, BIRTH OF A NATION, CITIZEN KANE, DAMN YANKEES, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, 2001, BEST OF CINERAMA, FANTASIA, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, MARY POPPINS, GREED, PERFORMANCE, THUNDERCRACK---that's only 14, so I'll have to add GREAT ZIEGFELD, WAR OF THE WORLDS, WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, ZARDOZ, FANTASIA, and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, though many of those latter films would have to be edited if I'd want to see them again, since many of them have long passages of nonsense that I'd just as soon do without. Reasonably interesting lists.
DIARY 12595
AL 150
12/19/77
AFI "50 BEST FILMS" LIST
To update DIARY 12511, I added there the 7 films (and crossed out the 1) that Arnold missed from memory of the 50 best. Then I looked through the Academy Awards book to find 55 that I thought should have been included in the original 341 up for SELECTION, since "Star Wars" was the ONLY unlisted film in the 341 (AND the only one from 1977), that was on the FINAL list of 50. Last Command, Broadway Melody (best 29), Disraeli, Min and Bill, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Cavalcade (best 32), State Fair, Private Life of Henry VIII, Morning Glory, Midsummer's Night's Dream, Great Ziegfeld (best 36), Life of Emile Zola (best 37), Good Earth, In Old Chicago, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Our Town, Watch on the Rhine, Madam Curie, Going My Way (best 4), Mildred Pierce, Hamlet (best 48), Snake Pit, Sorry Wrong Number, King Solomon's Mines, Born Yesterday, Quo Vadis, Death of a Salesman, Julius Caesar, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Country Girl, Ten Commandments, I want to Live, Suddenly Last Summer, Never on Sunday, Spartacus, Two Women, Tom Jones (best 63), Cleopatra, Lilies of the Field, Beckett, Zorba the Greek, Darling, Man for All Seasons (best 66), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Oliver (best 68), Towering Inferno, When Worlds Collide, War of the Worlds, Damn Yankees, Best of Cinerama, Long Day's Journey into Night, Performance, Zardoz, Thundercrack, and Close Encounters. First to 10?: 1944, 1940, 1958, 1961, 1939. Then I counted which came from which years, and how many each year had:
5 1:15, 16, 17, 18, 22 (15: Birth of a National; 16: Intolerance; 17: Immigrant; 18: Shoulder Arms
8 2:19, 20, 21, 29 (19: Broken Blossoms, Mother and the Law; 20: Last of Mohicans/Way Down East
18 3:23, 24, 26, 45, 47, 66 (21: Four Horsemen; Kid; 22: Nanook; 23: Covered/Our/Safety Last
20 4:37 ???
And then TODAY I make a list of the films I HAVEN'T SEEN:
Algiers; Applause; Beggars of Life; Big Sleep; Cimarron; City Girl; Crowd; Docks of New York; Four Horsemen; Fury; Girl in Every Port; Gunfighter; Hail the Conquering Hero; Hell's Angels; Heroes for Sale; His Girl Friday; I Was a Male War Bride; Last of the Mohicans; Last Tycoon; Laura; Law and Order; Major Dundee; Man Who Shot Liberty Valence; Manchurian Candidate; Medium Cool; Mickey One; More the Merrier; Mother & the Law; My Darling Clementine; Notorious; Nutty Professor; Only Angels Have Wings; Ox-Bow Incident; Quiet Man; Rear Window; Red River; Ride the High Country; Rio Bravo; Salt of the Earth; Scarface; Scarlet Empress; Searchers; She Wore a Yellow Ribbon; Shop Around the Corner; So This Is Paris; Splendor in the Grass; Stagecoach; Thin Man; Top Hat; Wind; Young Mr. Lincoln---exactly 51 which is the precise number I added above, with no planning.
THEN checking those of the 50 that I haven't seen, I've seen them ALL (except I didn't record the date on which I saw "On the Waterfront" in Ohio, for a total of 81 times, so I saw each OVER 12 times, and it's a good thing that I saw "It's a Wonderful Life," since that was the LAST one of the list that I DID see, and I've now seen them ALL!!
DIARY 13143
AL 154
7/5/78
QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK CLUB/EB III/Book of the Month Club
Came across the list of purchases in the folder-sheaf, which I threw out since I cancelled it, last year sometime, and figured I'd better keep a record: As introductory offer, bought Updike "Picked-Up Pieces," 2 volumes of "Lost America" and "Best of Life" for $2.86, paid 6/30/76. Then for my first purchase I bought three paperbacks by Watts: "Psychotherapy East and West," "The Way of Zen," and "Nature Man and Woman" for $6.25 on 9/16/76, getting a free copy of "Electing a President." Then I kept a list of other books that I might want, but they seemed expensive, but finally sent for Roth's "Reading Myself and Others," and with the postage and tax and handling, it turned out to be MORE than the price marked on the book cover itself, so I sent them a note canceling, and they never sent me anything else. I think I'd promised to buy 3 selections, but since I'd bought two and they let me go, they were operating more out of their CURRENT plan of not having ANY commitment for new members. And since it's Book-of-the-Month Club, which is hardly hurting for money, I don't care that I bought 8 books for $13+.
Wrote myself a note 11/2/77, saying that EB III THEN was $699 with the CHEAPEST binding, and it was "going up to $799 on 11/7/77." THEY offered $70 off, and their salesman I talked to said that I could SAY that I gave EM (my old copy) to the Salvation Army and his FRIEND there would say OK, so I could add $100 off, which would make $699 - 170 = $529 + 8% tax of $42 =$571, which I thought was too much at the time. Then I BOUGHT it 6/23 for $388, which isn't quite half of $571, but is certainly less than half the $799 it was SAID it was going to be, and I'm QUITE happy with my purchase---if it ever GETS here!
Bomc: 10/23/81, Cosmos
Riddley Walker
Rabbit Is Rich
Zuckerman Unbound $4.81
12/2/81 House Plant Expert 9.39
1/24/82 Enchanted Loom (& Tax Laws) 14.06
12/23/82 Take It Off 9.99
5/5/83 TV Movies 11.07
5/31/83 (Dividend) Crossword Dict. 7.62
_____
56.94
9 books at $6.32 each. Not REALLY worth it (and lots for postage).
DIARY 13200
AL 172
7/18/78
COLLATING FICTION REJECTIONS
After 11 hours of working on taking stuff out of file cabinet, desk drawer, which gets me into using, finally, the section-divider for stuff I use often, moving books around in bookcases, and strewing papers all over the bed, many of which I throw out, I end up with four major folders of rejection slips: 14 for "The Connoisseur" from back when I was working, July 1962 to January 1964; then 27 from "Acid House" from January 1971 to January 1973; then the mailing to 116 agents that went out on June 8, 1973; four over the years to Scott Meredith (and I STILL make that spelling mistake): $10 for "The Connoisseur" in 1964, $20 for "Ultimate Mandate" in 1968, $75 for "Acid House" in 1970, and $50 for "The OIs Have It" in 1974, for a total of $155, and 1978 will see another $100 going there for "JOYI Responses," when I sent THAT out; and finally 16 miscellaneous ones that run (coincidentally) from July 1968 to the present, exactly 10 years later. That gives a total of 177 rejections over the 16 years since July 1962, or 11/year, which is just about one a month, which isn't bad on AVERAGE, but didn't get the benefits that I would have gotten from GETTING one a month. So maybe it is NOT such a mystery why I'm reluctant to send things out. Sure, Dennis probably sent out upward of 200 photos, but these rejections DON'T count the only 100 ads I've responded to (and thrown away) over the years since I've been out of IBM, too. Probably not nearly the number of interviews for poor Bob Grossman, either, but getting your writing sent back is just as bad as being told "we'll let you know" and then getting a form-refusal in the mail. So now I'm ready to start again, knowing that I have some space in which to expand the file in the filing cabinet, and better yet have more space on my bookshelves, having consolidated some of the travel files and moved things around and opened up space in the white bookcases. So I felt good doing it, now I know better what to send for the first short story for a long time, and can even check (1) Writer's Digest, (2) "White Light Science-Fiction" and (3) Shanghai Review at the library sometime. But I WILL want to write and I STILL want to be published, and am willing to spend money via Meredith until I DO get published enough to recoup all my investment in it!
DIARY 13204
AL 175
7/18/78
MY RESPONSE TO MY EST-AD
EST? SCIENTOLOGY? MIND CONTROL? MEDITATION? YOGA? ACTUALIZATION? ACTUALISM? ARICA? ARCANE SCHOOL? GURDJIEFF? KRISHNAMURTI? ZEN? HARE KRISHNA? ASTROLOGY?
What are these schools about? How do they differ and how are they the same? They all have ONE fact in common: they want to help you to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. What people are attracted to each of these; what people succeed at each? There are no simple answers to these questions because details keep changing.
1. Individuals change in receptivity and in their desires to change themselves. If you don't want to change, if you aren't receptive, none of these schools will be able to do a thing for you. They can't force you to change. They can only give you an opportunity that you can accept or reject, to change yourself.
2. These schools change; particular teachers come and go; at times some schools expand robustly, at times they remain constant in size, at times they shrink. What may have been important ten years or ten months ago may be unimportant now. So YOU are changing and THEY are changing and YOUR RELATIONSHIP to them changes. With all these changes, opinions and descriptions of these schools will change.
The following summary quotes a RANGE of comment that will bracket each school and help to clear up your confusion about them. They summarize the experiences of JOYI and many friends, numbers of whom are still involved in these schools.
EST?
Main idea: What is, is; you change by changing your point of view of what is.
People into it: Mainly upper-middle class college graduates; thinkers, not doers.
Best comments: Theatrical, flamboyant, startling, entertaining, thought provoking.
Worst comments: Doesn't last; produces automatons; more fashionable than productive.
SCIENTOLOGY?
Main idea: Memories from the past must be cleared away to open up the future.
People into it: Seekers for authority who have little discipline within themselves.
Best comments: Good fast results with spectacular improvement in capabilities.
Worst comments: Irritating automatons produced by brainwashing techniques.
MIND CONTROL?
Main idea: The mind can command itself, the body, and people around it.
People into it: Power seekers who desire to dominate their environment.
Best comments: Powerful techniques increase personal strength and domination.
Worst comments: It's auto-hypnotic and extremely manipulative of other people.
MEDITATION?
Main idea: With daily quiet comes inner peace and enhanced capabilities.
People into it: Independent self-controlled people who seek to gain more control.
Best comments: Greater feelings of self-worth, tranquility, and peace.
Worst comments: Makes the mind blank, vegetable-like. You get bored and stop.
YOGA?
Main idea: With daily movement comes inner peace and enhanced capabilities.
People into it: Body-conscious people who trust their body's movement and senses.
Best comments: Increased health and flexibility, improved sex and vigor.
Worst comments: Progress is too slow; exercises get too boring.
ACTUALIZATIONS?
Main idea: If you actualize inner potentials, life will be more fun to live.
People into it: Consciousness-expanding enthusiasts who want to try everything.
Best comments: You get to know lots of people and have positive good times.
Worst comments: Nothing really happens and the results are difficult to see.
ACTUALISM?
Main idea: Techniques of inner light-fire expand and enlighten consciousness.
People into it: Believers in hidden energies and occult developmental powers.
Best comments: Teachers counsel and guide students every step of the way.
Worst comments: It's very expensive and progresses too slowly for quick results.
ARICA?
Main idea: Selecting among many classes and techniques will produce results.
People into it: Those who like variety and want to explore a broad range of activity.
Best comments: A little bit of everything can't fail to have some good results.
Worst comments: It's very expensive and time consuming for the small results.
ARCANE SCHOOL?
Main idea: Contact must be made with Higher Powers who will assist the earth.
People into it: More traditional occultists and conservative explorers.
Best comments: Selflessness and home-study methods produce spectacular results.
Worst comments: It's dated and pessimistic in its outlook for the future.
GURDJIEFF?
Main idea: Self-remembering and unifying scattered personality produce change.
People into it: Those influenced by the books of Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, and Nicoll.
Best comments: Groups of workers are serious and dedicated and get results.
Worst comments: Teachings are dated and no longer apply to the modern world.
KRISHNAMURTI?
Main idea: Looking intently at WHAT IS will free you from the past and future.
People into it: Independent explorers who admire Krishnamurti's independence.
Best Comments: Few rules and little expense permit change at one's own rate.
Worst comments: Lack of a formal school leads to repetition and dead ends.
ZEN?
Main idea: Non-thinking opens the mind to accepting itself and the world as they are.
People into it: Those impatient with arbitrary rules and fashionable movements.
Best comments: Moments of insight can be illuminating and clarifying.
Worst comments: Lack of formality and information leads to confusion and frustration.
HARE KRISHNA?
Main idea: Chanting and devotion to God brings total happiness here and now.
People into it: Seekers for authority who have little discipline within themselves.
Best comments: Complete belonging to a group produces enormous feelings of security.
Worst comments: Strict rules eliminate individuality and creativity.
ASTROLOGY?
Main idea: Understanding planetary influences helps determine daily actions.
People into it: Those who like control and a sense of ruling their own lives.
Best comments: Negative periods can be seen as transient and be overcome.
Worst comments: Feelings of fatalism make it useless to do anything productive.
These are only fourteen of over a hundred schools, teachings, and teachers now flourishing in this area. If any one description particularly interests you, you can telephone them and request additional information from any of them. If you're interested in a three-page description of any one of them FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF JOYI, you may send $5 to JOYI, P.O. Box 1031, Brooklyn, NY 11202.
DIARY 13904
AL 180
1/5/79
LIST OF HOW I'D LIKE TO SPEND MY TIME
ONE YEAR = 365 days x 24 hours = 8760 hours
1. Sleeping @7/day = 2555 hours, leaving 6205 hours
2. Eating @ 2 hours/day = 730 5475
3. Lightwork practice @1/2 hour
4. Body work
5. Diary @1 hour/day
6. Body maintenance: showering, shaving, shitting, pissing, glasses, tooth brushing, dressing, undressing
7. Apartment maintenance: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, water plants, window wash, paint,
8. Indexing @ 2 hours/day
9. Cooking
10. Teaching indexing
11. List maintenance
12. Stamps
13. Talking to friends: telephone, mail, letters, in person
14. JO/movies/porno/poppers
15. Parties and dinners
16. Subwaying
17. Readings and new learnings
18. Music
19. Dancing
20. Sex
21. Dennis
22. Reading
23. JOYI
24. Singing practice and lessons
25. Mail, magazines, NY Times, puzzles, subscriptions
26. Exercise
27. Travel
28. Publish writing
29. Restaurants
30. TV, movies, plays, opera, general reviewing, museums, galleries, excursions, bars, baths, orgies
31. Miscellaneous additional activities
DIARY 14192
AL 183
3/19/79
SO MANY MANY THINGS TO DO
I. BUSINESS "MONEY EXPANSION"
l. Personal indexes
2. Checking indexer-trainees
3. Planning computerized indexing
4. Indexing book writing
5. Telephoning for people/company contacts
6. "Selling" writing to publishers
7. Overseeing accounts/banking/investing/taxes
8.
II. NECESSARY MAINTENANCE "THING EXPANSION"
1. Personal body: washing face, teeth, hair, body
2. Clothing: washing, laundering, dry cleaning, buying
3. Eating: shopping, washing dishes, defrosting refrigerator, garbage
4. Apartment: dusting, scrubbing, scouring, vacuuming, window washing, humidifier filling
5. Plants: watering, planting, pruning, cleaning
6. Auto: bill paying, planning
7. Letter writing: relatives, friends, in US and overseas
8. Things: typewriter, TV, stereo, furniture, supplies, maintenance, repairs
9.
III. SHOULD-BE-PLEASURE/PSEUDO-MAINTENANCE "SELF EXPANSION"
1. Exercising
2. Practicing singing, lessons
3. Practicing Actualism, lessons, bodywork exchange, surgeries, special classes
4. Diary typing, sorting, labeling
5. Stamp soaking, sorting, cataloging, albuming
6. List keeping, making, updating
7. Keeping up with mail and magazines and Sunday Times
8. Writing fiction, stories, novels, essays
9. Reading for expansion (nonfiction)
10.
IV. PLEASURE WITH PERSONS "PEOPLE EXPANSION"
1. Dennis
2. Rolf
3. Pope and Arnie
4. Avi and Art and Andre
5. Amy and Susan and Bruce and Barbara
6. Indexing people
7. Don Maloof and Ernie
8. J/O people
9. Actualism people
10. Baths/bars/orgies people
11.
V. ENTERTAINMENT ABSORPTION "EXPERIENCE EXPANSION"
1. Ballet
2. Modern dance
3. Movies
4. TV
5. Plays
6. Spectacle one-shots
7. Driving to entertaining places
8. Reading for pleasure (fiction)
9. Listening to music
10. Dinners out
11. Parties here
12.
LISTS 1
AL 184
5/14/79
DINNERS AND LUNCHES AT LUTECE (opened 1961)
1. 3/2/67 ($42/2) With Dick Hseih on the back porch, he having some kind of chicken and me I forget what, though it seems we went MORE than once!!
2. 4/13/67 ($48/2) for dinner) With Madge Mao, where she had the quail that she pronounced "quair" and the grapes that were bigger than the whole boiled potatoes, and I had something that didn't seem worth the price, even with wine.
3. 9/16/69 (No receipt), and this was Joe and me, and it might have been in the front room that I remember so well, where Joe had cepes or morilles.
4. 3/27/70 ($30/2) With Andre, who had brioche de brochet, veal scallopine, and apple tart, while I had pate, chicken en croute, and tart especial.
5.3/30/70 ($32/2) With Joe Easter, who had fish, fish, and strawberries, while I had Soupe de vollaille, kidneys that tasted strong, and caramel custard.
6. 4/7/70 (Unknown) With John Vinton who had salmon, Kidneys Bercy, and the mocha ice cream cake, while I had asparagus soup, beef cutlet, and mousse, which had bits of gelatin and chips of chocolate for a gritty texture.
7. 7/1/70 ($44/3, $9.25 prix fixe for lunch) Avi had quiche, Escalope de volaille, and strawberries; David had sole, volaille, and blueberries, and I had artichokes and mushrooms, the same main course, and the chocolate mousse which did NOT have the gelatin and bits of chocolate.
8. 12/7/71 ($30/2) With Rita who had the mushrooms and artichoke hearts, chicken in crust, and the bavaroise, while I had pate, poulet in wine, and a cassis-sherbet that made Rita a devotee of cassis for the rest of her life.
9. 5/11/73 ($88/4) Joy had brioche de brochet, poulet maison, and bombe de cassis, Fran had snails, poulet maison, and the bavaroise, John had the veal en croute, Foie nantua, and Succes Maison, while I had pate, veal scallopini, and apple tart, because I'd thought I'd tried all their other desserts.
10. 12/3/74 ($48/2) Arnie has seafood mousse, poulet in croute, and apple tart, while I have potage St. Germain, pork special, and raspberry mousse.
11. 5/9/79 ($130/4) Ernie has snails, veal scallopini, and chocolate mousse; Don Maloof has terrines, veal, and raspberry mouse-cake; Dennis has pike mouselline, tournedos chasseur for the hit of the day, and praline cake, and I have tiny contrefilet pieces, good mixed salad of avocado, vegetables, and shrimp to start, and bavaroise for dessert, and we split half-bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Poilly-Fuisse, after having drinks to start: me, Kir; Dennis, Richard.
LIST 2
AL 185
11/30/79
THINGS THROWN AWAY
Records of things thrown away take up so much less room than the things themselves:
1) Broken plaster statue of St. Francis, grabbed from United House Wrecking, brought home free just because of some sort of camp collecting value.
2) Crushed car, toy, found crushed in the middle of a street, obviously by another car. Pop art value, but it rusted out part of the radiator cover on which I put it, not too many people reacted to it, and I've had it.
3) Coral-colored chair leg that curved phallically into the air, also on the radiator, but it's lost its novelty value and I throw it out now.
4) Lamp base from E. 61st Street, kept for its japanesy shape, useless.
5) Multicolored corncobs from John, used for Thanksgiving spread, useless
12/1/79
6) Finally get to the CARDS, pulling those that are months old out of the bookcases and throwing out THREE WHOLE CARTONS of them, taking the time to make lots more room on the shelves and enabling me to file NICELY the "just read" books before I interfile them with the others. THAT'S a good piece!
12/5/79
7) BOOKS considered again, but as I'd done before, when I look at the first ones to be thrown out: CHTHON by Piers Anthony is SO involved that I want to jot down some of the convoluted plot and SONG OF ARON is so nicely sexy in parts that I want to copy lots of the hot passages out, and the Asimov book can certainly go, but I should copy out WHY I don't care for it, and it just seems to be demanding so much TIME (though a page a book, about 5 minutes, is certainly shorter than I spent READING it, though throwing out 600 books would take 50 hours, which I really don't have around now), I don't do it.
12/14/79
8) TRAVEL stuff I finally get around to, going through ALL the boxes and shelves and crates of stuff stored away, and throw away about 75% of it all, feeling GREAT about it, and THAT feels so good I go to OTHERS, following.
9) Programs I weed through and keep only those that MEAN something to me, and the others, kept merely for the sake of saving, can go.
10) Porno I decide to throw away the box for "storage," after having Rolf and John (and maybe Dennis and Arnie and other to go through?) take what they want, and I don't USE it and would rather have NEW GOOD stuff, so why NOT?
11) Personal souvenirs I sort through and throw out things that don't mean anything to me NOW. And now that I'm in the mood, it seems like a good time: it's TRUE that I'd saved them before, but then I did LOTS of things before that I don't do now, and might as well get RID of the old to leave room for the NEW!
12) Mattachine stuff, which seemed so significant when I was involved with it, just doesn't seem important now, so I chuck ALL of it except the files in the filing cabinet and my articles, and I'll go through the FILING later!
13) Bills and ticket stubs I STILL decide to keep, since they're SO evocative of the past, and postcards are AGAIN put all into one set of boxes.
14) Indexstrip boxes tear apart VERY easily and are discarded: I don't want to have the POSSIBILITY of storing MORE, I want ROOM to get NEW stuff. And that leaves me the CARTONS to use to discard the stuff that the trash bags aren't solid enough to hold. Think of my talk with Amy about the future today (NOTEBOOK 17) and think to myself, "At least I will have VOLUNTARILY given up large quantities of stuff before the time comes to HAVE to give up stuff---though what I'm going to do with my WRITING becomes a VERY big thing!"
LATE JULY/EARLY AUGUST
15) STUFF: REALLY get a lot cleared out of drawers and closets when I want to throw out two tape recorders and Dennis says I should have a TAG SALE, and I cart about 8 loads of stuff down to his place for HIM to have a sale: carpet sweeper, his candleholder, lots of games (glitter painting, John's ice cream maker and rock salt, Art's conch shell, MOMA's Changes for TV, the hot plate I'd found in the apartment, the yogurt-maker I used only twice in five years (which I took BACK and used MORE), an old telephone found here, my worn yellow Sloan's armchair (THIS I recovered), Denis throws out two green tee-shirts that WERE mine, ON-sets, Concentration, chess) and puzzles (4-5 picture, metal-L building, Spartacus's various "gifts" from MOMA), fondue set, fishbowl, Don's shoes, old hand calculator, abacus, old bed frame, transverse rod, and THROW OUT lots of old plastic shower curtains and sheeting I'd kept to have sex on and never did, the two metal milk cartons I'd picked up and kept for years, and I managed to clean out ALL the closets VERY nicely, leaving floors free for shoes in the living room and nothing in the bedroom, making it easier to trundle in and out the air conditioner in spring and autumn, and still think I might go through lots of OLD CLOTHES to add to his stack of stuff for the still-not-executed tag sale, 10/22/80 DO, but nothing to throw out! though he'd made up SIGNS for a Saturday in September.
LISTS 10
AL 194
8/6/80
ACTIONS TO ACT ON (8/1 LIST)
Things just seemed to press toward being DONE, and I tried grouping them:
A. BOOKS
1. Indexing book---finish writing it and MARKET it.
2. JOYI---retype it in good form and SELF PUBLISH it.
3. Acid House---rewrite it (in first person) and SELF PUBLISH it.
4. Journals---REDO them and MARKET them.
B. PHOTOGRAPHY
10/20/80
1. Polaroid---TAKE old pictures, if they work; is there COLOR; get NEW?
2. Tiny camera---do they print porno? of Dennis?
3. New camera---talk to Rolf? Talk to Jody?
4. Photos of jerk-off as part of JOYI? Submit it or publish myself?
C. NEW YORK CITY
1. More museums---MOMA, MMA, Natural, others.
2. More restaurants---Coup de Fusil and Le Refuge again, Chantilly, Dodin, Claudes.
3. More plays---with Dennis, without, plus Evita full price before cast changes.
4. More movies---Tin Drum, Close Encounters, Cartoons.
5. More dance---modern, Roland Petit.
6. More opera, jazz, Pirates in CP, Coney Island, Great Adventure, more.
D. CONSTANT
1. Now---throw out stuff, order porno, type pages, buy typewriter ribbons.
2. Daily---Dennis and JO, lightwork, exercise, TV,
3. Weekly---indexing, apartment maintenance, reading, car affairs.
4. Monthly---letters, finances, medical work, overview.
5. Yearly---reevaluation, travel, writing, publishing.
It all seemed so IMMEDIATE when I thought of it at first, but in the midst of it, it doesn't seem so exciting, and the BOOK work has already taken a second seat to indexing and various forms of entertainment.
LISTS 17
AL 201
11/24/80
SEVENTH ANNUAL SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, AND HORROR FILM AWARDS FOR 1979
It's one of the worst programs I've seen, two hours of trash with Mark Hamill and Caroline Monro as hosts, but I'm glad I've seen most of the award movies:
1. Supporting actor performance: Arte Johnson for "Love at First Bite."
2. Supporting Actress: Veronica Cartwright for "Alien."
3. Horror film, from among Amityville Horror, Dracula, Love at First Bite, Phantasm, and Deviation (they didn't even have a CLIP from that): Dracula (Mirisch)
4. Musical scoring to Miklos Rosza for "Time after Time."
5. International Star of the Year: Roger Moore, taped thanks from England.
6. Makeup to "Love at First Bite" (which Hamilton said the guild "supported from the start")
7. Fantasy, from among Arabian Adventure, Dinner for Adele, Nutcracker Fantasy, Muppet Movie, and LAST WAVE, which I wanted: Muppet Movie
8. Costuming: Jean Pierre de Liagre for "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."
9. Special Effects: Star Trek beats Muppet Movie, Moonraker, Black Hole, Star Trek.
10. International film, from among Circle of Iron, Dinner for Adele, Message from Space, Nosferatu, Patrick, and Star Crash: Patrick, and his bare ass.
11. Under 1/2 million (given by Roger Corman), not Planet of the Dinosaurs or Ancient Curse of the Damned, but Clonus Horror, which looked not 1/2 bad.
12. Writing to Nicholas Meyer for "Time after Time."
13. Directing to Ridley Scott for "Alien."
14. Lifetime career award (given by a scholarly A.E. Van Vogt) to Gene Roddenberry and William Shatner (accepted by his wife) for "Star Trek" and Trekkies.
15. Best Actress from Persis Khambatta, Margot Kidder, Susan St. James, and Sigourney Weaver, to Mary Steenbergen for "Time after Time."
16. Best Actor, from Frank Langella, Christopher Lee, Malcolm McDonald, and William Shattner, to George Hamilton for "Love at First Bite."
17. Best Sci-fi film, beating Black Hole, Moonraker, Star Trek, and Time after Time, was "Alien," which showed the "baby-monster-from-chest scene," GOOD!
But Stephanie Mills singing some song from "The Wiz" and some INCREDIBLY awful dance number with women in hip inner tubes and men almost naked and battling, and some DREADFUL "funny" introducer lines makes it one of the WORST TV programs EVER!
DIARY 91271
AL 266
9/25/78
COINCIDENCE FILE
1976:
5/31: Tune in JUST where I left off "Fledermaus" on 5/29; Art calls to say "Don't come up" JUST as I went to call "Can't come up." Dennis requests pancakes for breakfast JUST as I wonder how I'm going to give him breakfast with only two eggs.
6/20: Dennis and I meet in Times Square subway after my YMHA and his 41st St. Dancers.
6/21: I meet Guy and Dennis outside Carnegie Hall Cinema.
7/2: Four chapters gone from $35 book, but he says I can get it from Weiser's for $30!
7/3: Talking of talking Catherine to Guy's in crowded parade and Guy and Doris come walking up 6th Avenue!
7/14: Typing: hit t, strike over with white, hit a, like this a; hit "white t" and black ABOVE ONLY goes, leaving: a.
7/31: Just take off message service and Arnie calls.
8/22: Dennis mentions picked up a comic book on subway Thursday evening, first time in YEARS; I picked up a comic Friday afternoon on way to Dana's!
9/8: To Art: Tom says I need stuff done so I can't go up with you. Five minutes pass: Tom says "Get stuff done!"
9/13: Felt that a subway's coming on the Lexington line, and start running, faster, and it DOES come and I JUST make it before doors close.
9/29: Writing "Dennis" on list of postcards from HH and he PHONES.
9/29: Got Actualizations letter two weeks ago, buried it, called Pope about it TONIGHT, they called ME tonight saying "Two?"
10/18: Dennis: Know Borodin? ME: I WAS going to put this on for dinner. Dennis: Know (and he hums theme)? I put on record, and it's IT.
10/23: Read about "100 foot sod ramp" in New Yorker and LIE on it coming out of Japan House THAT VERY DAY.
10/23: Lois works 40 minutes from her home, 2 minutes on foot from Raggedy Ann Doll Museum.
11/13: Ruler for Mushroom Book 1 is found in Mushroom book 2, BUT bought in same shop.
11/24: "There MUST be two bottles of this champagne," and there IS.
12/2: Nat Brandt of American Heritage gets my letter at the PERFECT time to consider me as an indexer.
DIARY 91272
AL 267
9/25/78
COINCIDENCE FILE
1977:
1/8: "Should be 17/26, or ABOUT 2/3 through with index; now 560? All would be 840, which is my EXACT 21,000 lines: 21000/25=840 PRECISELY.
1/11: AGAIN: Finished SAY 19 boxes in 616 pages = 32 pages/box, 7 left = 224 pages, and 616+224=840 PRECISELY.
2/3: "That's Art, it's back on." It WAS and it WAS.
2/19: "When's intermish?" (in Bette Midler). Dana flips, "That's what they CALL it! And they DO!
2/6: Hand work? I scrape my hand on scraper washing dishes; Jan slammed hers in a drawer the same day as hers.
2/24: Bring Crème de Menthe marked $4.50. "Dennis, guess how much I paid for this?" "$2.69" EXACTLY.
3/4: Meet John on subway coming home from Louis Dance and work, and there's DENNIS outside St. George, and Mrs. Watson on elevator, too.
3/23: Look at clock at EXACTLY 4:30, when it's time to turn on TV and JUST SEE start of "The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Muffy Moon."
3/26: Dennis: "What time do you think it is." Me: "11" Dennis is totally flabbergasted and hands me the watch at 11:00 and 20 seconds.
3/26: We want to get tickets for 4/3, but he doesn't want to spend $15, so I said we'll get a pair for $10 each, and we DO.
3/27: "Seats only partial view or standing," and I say "5th row or anywhere 3rd-15th row orchestra" and Dennis buys 2 in THIRD row for $25 for Mefistofele.
4/15: Interview MADGE MEYER, FELIX ABATE, AND DAVID PITOU (all 5s); then tell DENNIS I want to see GEMINI/TOMLIN/PACINO/ULLMANN, all six!
4/21: IBM personal file BOMBS: Matthew says "Bring me resume," and Rolf says, "I may start business" in SAME day.
4/22: Dennis asks me to ask Marty for Rigoletto tickets for Sunday; Marty's LECTURING on it, for Pablo Elvira, world's best baritone.
4/26: Count the number of pages typed during the month of April ON DIARY 1875, which is PRECISELY the 100th page of the month.
5/2: In NYPL Rare Book room: (and second on DIARY 11889) "Use a lead pencil," I read "Death of the Moth: Street Haunting" ABOUT a pencil.
DIARY 91273
AL 268
9/25/78
COINCIDENCE FILE
1977:
5/3: Meet Steven Schweigert in Weiser's, and LAST time we EACH were in Weiser’s we ALSO met each other.
5/17: Debate to City Center: BMT or IRT? IRT! 50th or 59th? 50th. Meet Dennis on Street.
5/17: Clip NY Times recipe for potato puffs Sunday and today find restaurant on 7th and 54th that HAS them cheap.
7/20: Avi calls, I meet him on Broadway the same day.
7/28: Art Ostrin saw Jack Herbert Tuesday, Dennis saw Jack Herbert Wednesday first.
7/29: Bob Rosinek calls to say he's "invisible" the day after Bruce Lieber said he thought lightworkers were "invisible."
7/13: Was doing LIGHTwork when LIGHTning hit the Westchester LIGHTworks, putting out the LIGHTS. Next morning, during LIGHT sex, the LIGHTS came on, and the radio sang of "The POWER" and seeing the LIGHT of the Lord.
9/18: Dennis puts out a bag of shirts to take home, then buys a SUITCASE on Atlantic Ave.
9/23: Margaret: Pediatrics book? She just brought it IN.
12/28: MUST be a 34-35 shirt on bottom, and it WAS.
12/29: Give index to Joan Ann De Mattia, Madge Mayo calls about work for PhD candidate, and Joan Sumner asks me for ANY typing jobs?
1978:
1/22: Akron xeroxed from Soho joke; Akron zoo in Pathology book; Akron sewage disposal in Hall of Science, Akron in science-fiction club Rater's reading.
4/17: ANACAPA sends "The Exterminator" as consolation with "Dead Fingers Talk," the LAST book, and I didn't HAVE it, but another "Exterminator!"
8/30: Michels, Robert: looks funny in Dennis's index, "Michels is funny." Check. Roberto Michels. AND Susan cancels lunch AND we have talk of "I'm getting emotionally involved in everything" and HE'S doing MY processing.
9/10: Dennis "I'll phone Effie now," and turns around and THERE she stands.
9:15: "Pope's home," and I phone and he got in YESTERDAY.
9/19: Phone Joan Ann first time in WEEKS about stamps and she's seeing Bob Dukes JUST after I see him THIS VERY NIGHT.
9/24: "A Wrinkle in Time" put on by Carroll Dance Theater is the L'Engle book, recommended by Joan Ann DeMattia as being so Actualist, and girl's name is changed to CAROL ANN. And she knows nothing about it.