Karen's cats and wardrobe. The Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, 76ers and Flyers. Novels that make me feel witty and frisky. Guitar pop of the 1980's. Fender Telecasters. Places I feel comfortable such as eating breakfast alone in Denny's at the counter where all the old men sit. Crime stories in the New York Daily News. Fashion magazines. Public executions for people who commit murder and people who harm children.
Mick Jagger
This week in my car I've been listening to Arcade Fire - Neon Bible and Replacements - All Shook Down. I have no shame when it comes to what I'll listen to if the mood captures me. Some of my favorites: The Cars, Beach Boys, The Hollies, The Grassroots, Box Tops, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, James Brown, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Clash, The Pretenders, Blondie, Kate Bush, R.E.M., Big Star, The Replacements, Husker Du, The dB's, Pavement, Deathcab For Cutie, Elliot Smith, Paul Simon, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Joe Jackson, Gary Numan, Devo, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Television, Patti Smith Group, The English Beat, The Specials, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse, General Public, Haircut One Hundred, The Smiths, James, Blur, Pulp, XTC, The Church, The Police, The Kinks, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Suede, Boomtown Rats, David Bowie, Style Council, The Jam, Paul Weller, Paul Westerberg, Frank Black, The Pixies, Morrissey, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Breeders, Missing Persons, Go-Betweens, Split Endz, Crowded House, Hall and Oates, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The O'Jays, The Shirelles, The Drifters, The Platters, The Ronettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, Mose Allison, Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, T-Bone Walker, Willie Dixon, Leadbelly, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Squeeze, Psychedelic Furs, U2, Mott The Hoople, Ian Hunter, T-Rex, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Jackson Browne, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Murphy, Bauhaus, Dead Kennedys, The Doors, Billy Bragg, Beck, Depeche Mode, Yaz, Love And Rockets, New Order, Joy Division, Dire Straits, Warren Zevon, Echo and the Bunnymen, Robyn Hitchcock, The La's, Stone Roses, Lemonheads, Herbie Hancock, etc.
The Last Picture Show, The French Connection, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, Slapshot, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, The Color Of Money, Bright Lights Big City, 24 Hour Party People, Boogie Nights, Stripes, Caddyshack, Hoosiers, The Champ, The Man With The Golden Arm, The Deer Hunter, The Wall, Rocky I and II, All The Right Moves, Quadrophehia, The Kids Are Alright, The Last Waltz, Dead Poet's Society, Good Will Hunting, The Warriors, The Metropolitan, The Last Days Of Disco, Lost In Translation, Pillow Talk, High Fidelity, Better Off Dead, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Mazes And Monsters
All time favorite shows: Crime Story, WKRP In Cincinnati, Tour Of Duty, Cold Case, Night Court, Dear John, Cheers, Good Times, Miami Vice, SCTV, Will & Grace, Moonlighting, Sex And The City, Square Pegs, You Can't Do That On Television, Family Ties, Malcome In The Middle, The Wonder Years, The Baseball Bunch, This Week In Baseball, 60 Minutes, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Conan O'brien
Books and movies tend to float off the top of my head shortly after I finish watching them or reading them. Music titles have always stuck better. I love reading novels but haven't read as many as I would like to. Some of the classic ones I should go back and read. But definitely The Great Gatsby buy F. Scott Fitzgerald stands out for me. Also Story Of My Life and Bright Lights Big City by Jay McInnerney - I just love the images of New York City in the 1980's that these books bring to life - references to Elvis Costello songs and fashion designers and parties and nite clubs and vodka martinis - I find it somewhat fascinating. What else... well Hell's Angels, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, The Curse Of Lono all by Hunter S. Thompson - his work is very dear to me and I cried when he shot himself last year - such a beast, just an animal in the way he tracked down political stories and rubbed elbows with some of the darkest characters you could ever hope to meet and yet he was handsome and sensitive - a truly genuine talent who lived and breathed his art in a way that should have killed him long before he took himself out of the game. What else - The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis - great British novelist with an unbelievable eye into modern British society. Hmmm.... what else... well, Horse's Neck by Pete Townshend is great in my opinion although he's primarily known as a songwriter and not a novelist - I dunno what else.... I remember reading Les Miserables and that had a huge affect on me at the time, but that was years ago. These days I'm more interested in reading people's body language than I am in having my face in a book. Most of my reading is done when I'm looking for information online or browsing the newspaper over lunch at work. I suppose I'm too restless nowadays to be spending my nights reading books and since I don't live in the city and don't ride the subway to work then it's not easy to make time to read. Sorry - won't find me at the next bookclub meeting.
Joe Delaney - former running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was an ALL Pro player his first 2 seasons in the league and then died in the process of rescuing two drowning boys from a lake. Even though he could not swim he mangaged to save their lives before he drowned. I read a story about him and how his wife said when he had his first big season and signed a big contract it never changed who he was. He used to give his wife his whole pay check excpet for the little money he needed for gas and lunch each week. People like that are almost impossible to come by these days. I keep his football card on my desk at home. Also, my grandfather Albert Hartzell - he was wounded twice fighting in the Pacific in World War II and then returned home to Philadelphia to become a detective where we witnessed his best friend, partner and next door neighbor Joe Kelly get murdered in cold blood while they were working on their beat together. After this he survived 3 heart attacks, the last of which he had surgery and they left an instrument in his chest when they sewed him back up. He refused to sue the doctor because he said humans make mistakes. This guy had every reason in the world to be pissed at life and I can honestly say that I never once saw him disrespect my grandmother. Also, my grandmother Mary Hartzell is one of my heroes. Her faith in the Lord was the strongest I've ever been witness to and she was the most serene person I've ever known. My grandparents taught me everything I know about how people in a relationship should treat each other and about what it means to be humble and dignified. They were very classy people and I admire them and the legacy they left me more and more as each year of my own life passes by.