Authors Ryan Adam and Michael Murphy at an event at Blue Cypress Books on Oak Street.
Celebrating #IndependentBookstoreDay 2019
Blue Cypress sign from last hear!
A big hello, thank you, and shout-out to Elizabeth Ahlquist and her band of merry booksellers at Blue Cyp0ress Books, uptown at 8126 Oak Street, New Orleans.Elizabeth’s wonderful store is a must-visit as you ride the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line.
Blue Cypress Books
If you’re coming from downtown, tell the operator you want to get off on Oak Street. You’ll see two big buildings, both of which were bank branches, once upon a time. Walk up Oak a block and you’ll see the Blue Cypress Books sign. The store offers a wonderful mixture of new and used books. I find interesting treasures on the shelves. The new books jump out at you! Elizabeth sold me a copy of Pete Souza’s book of photos from his time as White House Photographer for Barack Obama. My son loves that birthday present.
The local authors shelves feature old classics and new gems. Emma Fick’s “Snippets of New Orleans” sold like crazy at Blue Cypress. So, since Elizabeth offers Dragon’s Danger and Dragon’s Discovery to her customers, we hereby and forthwith dub her, “Lady Bookseller.” That’s a bit more formal than “hot mermaid in purple and green.” 🙂
At Da Fair Grounds
Jazz Fest!
It’s fitting that Blue Cypress runs the Book Tent this year at Da Fest, on #IndependentBookstoreDay 2019. The selection there features history, music/music history books. Food is an important part of Da Fest, therefore the Book Tent usually has a good selection of cooking-related books and cookbooks. The book tent is a wonderful respite from the hustle bustle of the Fair Grounds infield. It’s worth checking it. So, since you’re going into the Book Tent, here’s a recommendation:
That’s my book, New Orleans Jazz, featuring the 1967 incarnation of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on the cover!
Marconi and Lakeshore Drives, 21-August-2018 (Edward Branley photo)Marconi and Lakeshore Drives under construction, 21-Aug-2018 (Edward Branley photo)
I went out to Marconi and Lakeshore yesterday, to sit, reflect, and let the water lapping up against the seawall relax me. Ran into a bit of a problem, though–fences! The area is undergoing a revamp from the Orleans Levee Board. I was disappointed, but understood. That seawall is a WPA project from the late 1930s. Erosion has always been a challenge. Not sure if the OLB is going to concrete the approach to the seawall, like they’ve done on other parts of the Lakefront. If they do, I’m OK with that. It’s about sitting and looking out at the lake, not back at the cops.
Marconi and Lakeshore is a thinking spot. It’s where dragons and angels come to visit. Father O’Donnell, who is also a Brother Martin alum, is quite familiar with the spot. The boys of the Trio, Joey Newfeld and David Williams, are certainly not surprised to encounter him at this spot. The power of Elemental Water is refreshing, even for a Fire Dragon of the Red Tribe. Come read the Talents and the Dragons, you’ll get the idea.
Marconi and Lakeshore Drives under construction, 21-Aug-2018 (Edward Branley photo)
I went out to Marconi and Lakeshore yesterday, to sit, reflect, and let the water lapping up against the seawall relax me. Ran into a bit of a problem, though–fences! The area is undergoing a revamp from the Orleans Levee Board. I was disappointed, but understood. That seawall is a WPA project from the late 1930s. Erosion has always been a challenge. Not sure if the OLB is going to concrete the approach to the seawall, like they’ve done on other parts of the Lakefront. If they do, I’m OK with that. It’s about sitting and looking out at the lake, not back at the cops.
Marconi and Lakeshore is a thinking spot. It’s where dragons and angels come to visit. Father O’Donnell, who is also a Brother Martin alum, is quite familiar with the spot. The boys of the Trio, Joey Newfeld and David Williams, are certainly not surprised to encounter him at this spot. The power of Elemental Water is refreshing, even for a Fire Dragon of the Red Tribe. Come read the Talents and the Dragons, you’ll get the idea.
But we always came back to Marconi and Lakeshore. After Brother Martin, it was a place to sit and think with my fraternity brothers. Beer was still the go-to then, but other substances came on the scene as well. The seawall at Marconi and Lakeshore was a good fifty yards back from the street and parking bay. That’s a long walk for a cop, and they weren’t going to run. One could finish consumption of just about any controlled substance in one’s possession.
Making out, “parking” in the vernacular, wasn’t something we did at Marconi and Lakeshore. Put simply, you never know who would show up. The girls as a rule weren’t going to get busy out on the seawall, so those activities were limited to the car. No, that’s where the Plaza parking lot came in.
Construction!Â
Marconi and Lakeshore Drives under construction, 21-Aug-2018 (Edward Branley photo)
I went out to Marconi and Lakeshore yesterday, to sit, reflect, and let the water lapping up against the seawall relax me. Ran into a bit of a problem, though–fences! The area is undergoing a revamp from the Orleans Levee Board. I was disappointed, but understood. That seawall is a WPA project from the late 1930s. Erosion has always been a challenge. Not sure if the OLB is going to concrete the approach to the seawall, like they’ve done on other parts of the Lakefront. If they do, I’m OK with that. It’s about sitting and looking out at the lake, not back at the cops.
Marconi and Lakeshore is a thinking spot. It’s where dragons and angels come to visit. Father O’Donnell, who is also a Brother Martin alum, is quite familiar with the spot. The boys of the Trio, Joey Newfeld and David Williams, are certainly not surprised to encounter him at this spot. The power of Elemental Water is refreshing, even for a Fire Dragon of the Red Tribe. Come read the Talents and the Dragons, you’ll get the idea.
Oh, we hung out at more places than Marconi and Lakeshore, mind you. The Resurrection guys took us out to this new construction at I-10 and Read in Da East. Was going to be a new shopping mall. Turned out, it was a much better place to “park” than the lakefront. Fewer cops out there.
But we always came back to Marconi and Lakeshore. After Brother Martin, it was a place to sit and think with my fraternity brothers. Beer was still the go-to then, but other substances came on the scene as well. The seawall at Marconi and Lakeshore was a good fifty yards back from the street and parking bay. That’s a long walk for a cop, and they weren’t going to run. One could finish consumption of just about any controlled substance in one’s possession.
Making out, “parking” in the vernacular, wasn’t something we did at Marconi and Lakeshore. Put simply, you never know who would show up. The girls as a rule weren’t going to get busy out on the seawall, so those activities were limited to the car. No, that’s where the Plaza parking lot came in.
Construction!Â
Marconi and Lakeshore Drives under construction, 21-Aug-2018 (Edward Branley photo)
I went out to Marconi and Lakeshore yesterday, to sit, reflect, and let the water lapping up against the seawall relax me. Ran into a bit of a problem, though–fences! The area is undergoing a revamp from the Orleans Levee Board. I was disappointed, but understood. That seawall is a WPA project from the late 1930s. Erosion has always been a challenge. Not sure if the OLB is going to concrete the approach to the seawall, like they’ve done on other parts of the Lakefront. If they do, I’m OK with that. It’s about sitting and looking out at the lake, not back at the cops.
Marconi and Lakeshore is a thinking spot. It’s where dragons and angels come to visit. Father O’Donnell, who is also a Brother Martin alum, is quite familiar with the spot. The boys of the Trio, Joey Newfeld and David Williams, are certainly not surprised to encounter him at this spot. The power of Elemental Water is refreshing, even for a Fire Dragon of the Red Tribe. Come read the Talents and the Dragons, you’ll get the idea.
Oh, we hung out at more places than Marconi and Lakeshore, mind you. The Resurrection guys took us out to this new construction at I-10 and Read in Da East. Was going to be a new shopping mall. Turned out, it was a much better place to “park” than the lakefront. Fewer cops out there.
But we always came back to Marconi and Lakeshore. After Brother Martin, it was a place to sit and think with my fraternity brothers. Beer was still the go-to then, but other substances came on the scene as well. The seawall at Marconi and Lakeshore was a good fifty yards back from the street and parking bay. That’s a long walk for a cop, and they weren’t going to run. One could finish consumption of just about any controlled substance in one’s possession.
Making out, “parking” in the vernacular, wasn’t something we did at Marconi and Lakeshore. Put simply, you never know who would show up. The girls as a rule weren’t going to get busy out on the seawall, so those activities were limited to the car. No, that’s where the Plaza parking lot came in.
Construction!Â
Marconi and Lakeshore Drives under construction, 21-Aug-2018 (Edward Branley photo)
I went out to Marconi and Lakeshore yesterday, to sit, reflect, and let the water lapping up against the seawall relax me. Ran into a bit of a problem, though–fences! The area is undergoing a revamp from the Orleans Levee Board. I was disappointed, but understood. That seawall is a WPA project from the late 1930s. Erosion has always been a challenge. Not sure if the OLB is going to concrete the approach to the seawall, like they’ve done on other parts of the Lakefront. If they do, I’m OK with that. It’s about sitting and looking out at the lake, not back at the cops.
Marconi and Lakeshore is a thinking spot. It’s where dragons and angels come to visit. Father O’Donnell, who is also a Brother Martin alum, is quite familiar with the spot. The boys of the Trio, Joey Newfeld and David Williams, are certainly not surprised to encounter him at this spot. The power of Elemental Water is refreshing, even for a Fire Dragon of the Red Tribe. Come read the Talents and the Dragons, you’ll get the idea.
Marconi and the Lakefront. Marconi Lakeshore. This has been my thinking spot since around 1973. That’s when my 14-year old freshman butt went out there with older guys who were on the Brother Martin High School Debate team. The beer of choice (or perhaps that was the beer of necessity?) was Schlitz. We had a solid cadre of seniors and just-graduated guys who were at Tulane or (then) LSUNO at that time who didn’t mind buying extra beer for us youngsters. We would sit on the seawall, shooting the shit. For the most part, if the older guys took notice of us chirren, it was on the receiving end of scathing critiques of our debate skills. For the most part, those critiques were intended to be positive. Harsh, but, the older guys wanted us to win.
So, Marconi and Lakeshore became our spot. Getting seriously drunk after dropping off the dates after Homecoming that year. And the next year. By then, we were juniors, taking freshmen under our wing.
Hanging out in High School
Oh, we hung out at more places than Marconi and Lakeshore, mind you. The Resurrection guys took us out to this new construction at I-10 and Read in Da East. Was going to be a new shopping mall. Turned out, it was a much better place to “park” than the lakefront. Fewer cops out there.
But we always came back to Marconi and Lakeshore. After Brother Martin, it was a place to sit and think with my fraternity brothers. Beer was still the go-to then, but other substances came on the scene as well. The seawall at Marconi and Lakeshore was a good fifty yards back from the street and parking bay. That’s a long walk for a cop, and they weren’t going to run. One could finish consumption of just about any controlled substance in one’s possession.
Making out, “parking” in the vernacular, wasn’t something we did at Marconi and Lakeshore. Put simply, you never know who would show up. The girls as a rule weren’t going to get busy out on the seawall, so those activities were limited to the car. No, that’s where the Plaza parking lot came in.
Construction!Â
Marconi and Lakeshore Drives under construction, 21-Aug-2018 (Edward Branley photo)
I went out to Marconi and Lakeshore yesterday, to sit, reflect, and let the water lapping up against the seawall relax me. Ran into a bit of a problem, though–fences! The area is undergoing a revamp from the Orleans Levee Board. I was disappointed, but understood. That seawall is a WPA project from the late 1930s. Erosion has always been a challenge. Not sure if the OLB is going to concrete the approach to the seawall, like they’ve done on other parts of the Lakefront. If they do, I’m OK with that. It’s about sitting and looking out at the lake, not back at the cops.
Marconi and Lakeshore is a thinking spot. It’s where dragons and angels come to visit. Father O’Donnell, who is also a Brother Martin alum, is quite familiar with the spot. The boys of the Trio, Joey Newfeld and David Williams, are certainly not surprised to encounter him at this spot. The power of Elemental Water is refreshing, even for a Fire Dragon of the Red Tribe. Come read the Talents and the Dragons, you’ll get the idea.
Krauss: The New Orleans Value Store (available 25-Sep-2017)
New Orleans Railroads – writing prompts
Now that Krauss: The New Orleans Value Store is in “pre-release” mode, I’ve been back at the fiction for a month or so. Trusted Talents is moving along again, as Ren and Mike are well into their next adventure. The Dragons (note the plural!) updated me on The Trio. There are notes everywhere that will come together as I hear from AM, David, and the kid who gets his phone set on fire occasionally.
Staying focused is always a challenge for me. The original idea for Hidden Talents developed back when was writing the Streetcar book. It was a way to procrastinate, and I’m very good at that. Now, Talents is the main project. That means I have distractions for procrastination! My biggest distraction from writing is my model railroad. I’ve turned it into a writing project as well, so that’s something. When I set the trains back up, I named the layout the Pontchartrain Railroad, like the old “Smokey Mary” train that ran on Elysian Fields, from Chartres Street to the lake.
Model Railroading in #themetrys
Passenger trains fascinate me. Even in these days of Amtrak, there’s a magic to them. New Orleans is a passenger railroad hub. A number of railroads converge on the Crescent City. For decades, The Crescent Limited (now the Amtrak Crescent) came down from New York City, on the Louisville and Nashville and Southern Railroad tracks. Travelers could spend a day or two in New Orleans, then continue west to Los Angeles on the Southern Pacific’s Sunset Limited. (The Sunset Limited is also still around.) There was even a time where Pullman-owned sleeper cars came down on the Crescent, then connected to the Sunset Limited, making a transcontinental through route.
So much writing potential here! I run the trains and ideas come in. Romance, drama, intrigue. Lots of stories involving African-Americans, since the Pullman Porters kept the passenger system going for decades. It’s great daydreaming potential.
Now, what if Mike and Ren and the Assembly had access to a private rail car? 🙂
Good article from The Passive Voice blog on negative reviews on Amazon and such. This struck me in particular:
Then comes the first negative review from Jeremy, from Hounslow. Your brain immediately reacts by telling you that Jeremy must be mentally ill. Then you decide he must be a troll.
The most stinging review so far to Dragon’s Danger wasn’t from a troll. This is spot-on, the reviewer was giving me an honest opinion. My problem was the extent to which I thought she was off-base.
Still, the thing you have to do is stay quiet! Don’t comment. Leave it be.
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