You’re not going to see a CD like Rock Steady 1971 at a Starbucks today. You’d have to go back to 2006 when this CD was on sale at the cash register where you paid for your Venti. Starbucks celebrated their 35th Anniversary with this 15-song album that mixed familiar songs with some unfamiliar ones (unless you were listening to FM Rock stations).

In the familiar category, there’s The Doors with “Riders on the Storm,” Al Green’s “Tired of Being Alone,” and CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”

In the unfamiliar category, instead of “Bang a Gong” we get T. Rex’s “Planet Queen.” And Nick Drake’s “One of These Things First.” And, instead of “Black Magic Woman” we get Santana’s “No One to Depend On.”

Also included are dependable hits like David Bowie’s “Changes,” Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady,” and Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me.” How many of these songs from 1971 do you remember? Do you remember the first time you walked into a Starbucks? GRADE: B

TRACK LIST:

1	John Lennon–	Jealous Guy
2	The Kinks–	20th Century Man
3	Joni Mitchell–	All I Want
4	Al Green–	Tired Of Being Alone
5	The Doors–	Riders On The Storm
6	Creedence Clearwater Revival–	Have You Ever Seen The Rain
7	Marvin Gaye–	Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
8	Stevie Wonder–	If You Really Love Me
9	Aretha Franklin–	Rock Steady
10	David Bowie–	Changes
11	T. Rex–	Planet Queen
12	Nick Drake–	One Of These Things First
13	Grateful Dead*–	Truckin’
14	Santana–	No One To Depend On
15	Janis Joplin–	Mercedes Benz

Barry N. Malzberg has published over 500 short stories from 1970 to 2022. Many have been assembled in several of Malzberg’s short story collections over the years. But some stories have been orphans until this new Stark House book, Collecting Myself: The uncollected Stories of Barry N. Malzberg. In his Introduction, Malzberg writes about how he shifted his writing focus from literary magazines to Science Fiction and Mystery magazines.

As Malzberg told a young Gardner Dozois: “Put a rocket or a robot into a quality lit story and You can get away with the damnedest stuff.” Take “Terminus Est” for example. A pilot near retirement has a run-in with a couple on the Moon. The incident turns violent and reveals a stark future.

Or take “Close-Up Photos Reveal JFK Skull on Moon!” which features one of Malzberg’s persistent preoccupations–the Kennedy Assassination–and, of course, the Moon. “Richard Nixon Saved From Drowning” and “The Terminal Villa” have J. G. Ballard vibes.

If you’re a fan of Barry N. Malzberg, Collecting Myself is a must-buy. If you’re curious about Malzberg’s writing, Collecting Myself would be a good place to start your investigation. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction — 9

Terminus Est — 15

Making Titan –19

Exploration — 27

Conquest — 30

Two Odysseys into the Center — 35

Dreaming and Conversations: Two Rules by Which to Live — 44

Conversations at Lothar’s –51

Triptych — 54

The Wonderful, All-Purpose Transmogrifier –62

Revelation in Seven Stages — 69

There the Lovelies Bleeding — 72

1984 — 75

Johann Sebastian Brahms — 76

The Queen of Lower Saigon — 83

Ambition — 89

No Hearts, No Flowers — 92

Safety Zone — 100

One Ten Three — 106

Dumbarton Oaks — 111

Gotterdammerung — 115

Is This the Presidential Palace — 120

Of Dust and Fire and the Night — 123

It Came From Nothing — 128

Sinfonia Expansiva — 132

Close-Up Photos Reveal JFK’s Skull on Moon! — 136

Getting There — 141

The Third Part — 144

Crossing the Border — 150

These, the Inheritors — 153

The Passion of Azalea — 157

Why We Talk to Ourselves — 167

Richard Nixon Saved From Drowning — 172

Terminal Villa — 176

The Phantom Gentleman — 178

January 2018 — 180

Bibliography — 182

A woman at the Pool where I frolic in every day told me, “God sent Trump to save America.” Tim Alberta’s The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (2023) explains why millions of evangelicals believe Trump is on a mission from God. And why Trump ran away with the Iowa Caucuses.

Tim Alberta, who is a journalist, a practicing Christian and the son of a Presbyterian pastor, tells how millions of Conservative Christians regard Trump as their defender against the Liberal Elites and the rising tide of multi-cultural diversity.

Other politicians have appealed to these evangelical voters. One of these is Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado who tormented Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. While addressing a congregation in the summer of 2022, Boebert said, “I tired of this ‘separation of church and state’ junk. The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church.” (p. 253) This kind of message resonates with the evangelicals who hate the Government and its power.

The description of Jerry Falwell, Sr.’s strategy of training an army of evangelicals to battle Liberals and Democrats and Secular elites by founding Liberty University and shows how evangelicals have played the Long Game by entering into an unholy alliance between evangelical believers and right-wing nationalists to get into this position of power. They believe Trump was elected President in 2020 and they will go all out to make sure it happens for real in 2024. And, if this sounds like a religious crusade…you’d be right.

After winning the Iowa Caucuses, Trump looks like he’ll cruise to victory because 85% of the evangelicals will support him in the Primaries. GRADE: A

The Steelers vs. Bills game was moved to Monday due to a Lake Effect snowstorm that dumped three feet of snow on parts of Western NY. High winds whipped up the snow causing white-out conditions. The temperature at game-time is predicted to be 16 degrees–windchill temp 0 degrees.

The weather conditions will dictate a running game with just a few short passes. Punts, kickoffs, and field goals will be dicey. The Bills are favored by 10 points but the weather could change all of that.

The disappointing Philadelphia Eagles travel to Tampa Bay to face the surprising Buccaneers. The Eagles are favored by 3 points but Tampa Bay–given the upsets this Wild Card Weekend–might surprise them. Who do you think will win these games?

The Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills game has been moved to Monday at 4 P.M on CBS because of the blizzard conditions in Western NY.

The Dallas Cowboys are undefeated at home for the past 15 games. I like Jordan Love and the Packers, but the Cowboys might hang 40+ points on them this afternoon. Dallas is favored by 7 points.

The surprising LA Rams arrive in Detroit to upset the Lions. The Lions haven’t played a Playoff game at home in 30 years. The Lions are favored by 3 points, but if the Rams QB, Matthew Stafford, is on his game then Lions QB Jared Goff will have to match him touchdown by touchdown.

Who do you think will win these Playoff games and advance to the next round?

I’ll be rooting for the Cleveland Browns over the Houston Texans. The Browns are 2 1/2 point favorites. In the late game, both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins will be playing in frigid temperatures. The Chiefs are favorited by 4 1/2 points but the weather may change the Playoff conditions Big Time! Plus, Taylor Swift will be in attendance! Who do you think will win?

The G-String Murders is a 1941 detective novel written by the legendary American burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. The novel has been published under the titles Lady of Burlesque and The Strip-Tease Murders. The setting is the “Old Opera” burlesque theater on 42nd Street. In this detective story, Gypsy Rose Lee investigates a set of homicides where strippers in Lee’s troupe are found strangled with their own G-strings. That qualified as Hot Stuff 82 years ago!

A witty and wisecracking Gypsy Rose Lee narrates a twisted tale of a backstage double murder. Lee provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of burlesque, richly populated by the likes of strippers Lolita LaVerne and Gee Gee Graham, comic Biff Brannigan, and Siggy the g-string salesman.

As the character intent on finding the murderer, Gypsy Rose Lee allows herself to be the “bait” that will reveal the identity of the killer. Gypsy Rose Lee also published a second mystery: Mother Finds a Body (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1942).

There have been claims made that the novel was written by mystery writer Craig Rice, but others have suggested that there is sufficient documented evidence in the form of manuscripts and correspondence to prove Lee wrote at least a large portion, if not the whole, of the novel under the tutelage of editor/friend George Davis with some essential guidance from her good friend Craig Rice.

In addition to her mystery novels, Gypsy Rose Lee was also in over a dozen movies and over a dozen TV shows. Her 1957 memoir was adapted into the 1959 stage musical Gypsy. She died in 1970 at the age of 59. Were you a fan of Gypsy Rose Lee?

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed the songs of Daryl Hall and John Oates. The rock critics at the time called their music “Blue-Eyed Soul.” There’s no doubt that many Hall & Oates songs have a soulful vibe. With Our Kind of Soul (2004), Hall & Oates present three original tracks and 14 covers of soul hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Clearly, they picked songs they really liked as the basis for their cover tracks.

Although this album is 20 years old, Hall & Oates sound great as they interpret these soul songs. Some are better than others. I enjoyed Hall’s version of “I’ll Be Around,” the old Spinners song. Maybe the best song on this CD is the Hall/Oates version of “Love TKO,” the classic Teddy Pendergrass hit. Also well done is “You Are Everything,” the Stylistics standard.

How many of these soul songs do you remember? Any favorites? GRADE: B

TRACK LIST:

		Let Love Take Control (Hall, Oates, Billy Mann)	3:29
		Standing In The Shadows Of Love (Eddie Holland,Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland)	3:59
		I’ll Be Around (Thom Bell, Phil Hurt)	4:02
		Used To Be My Girl (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff)	4:00
		Soul Violins (Hall, Greg Beck))	4:05
		I Can Dream About You (Dan Hartman)	3:16
		Don’t You Turn Your Back On Me (Hall)	4:50
		Fading Away (Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, Robert Rodgers)	3:39
		Neither One Of Us (Jim Weatherly)	4:19
		After The Dance (Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware)	4:11
		Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin)	4:04
		Love TKO (Gip Noble, Cecil Womack, Linda Womack)	5:20
		What You See Is What You Get (Anthony Hester)	4:30
		Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love (Barry White)	3:48
		You Are Everything (Thom Bell, Linda Creed)	3:55
		I’m Still In Love With You (Al Green, Al Jackson, Willie Mitchell)	4:06
		Ooh Child (Stan Vincent)	3:51
		Me & Mrs. Jones (Live) (Billy Paul)	6:21

Patricia Marx’s mother gave advice freely and in Why Don’t You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It? Marx collects her mother’s one-liners. “I don’t know who our ancestors were, but I don’t they they were any good.” (p. xii) Roz Chast provides some hilarious cartoons to illustrate Marx’s mother’s advice and observations.

Other examples: “Nature, if seen at all, is best seen from a car.” (p. 17) “If you are writing a novel, I’ll tell you what to do: Don’t make it boring.” (p. 37)

If you’re looking for a fun book with touching stories about Patricia Marx’s mother, Why Don’t You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It? will deliver some laughs and some heart-felt moments. GRADE: A