Sentimental Journey @ Cornelia Street @ Tues @ July 12 @ 6pm

The West Side Spirit published my Yorkville story, “Sentimental Journey on a Hot Summer Night.” An excerpt is below, click link above if you'd like to read the entire tale.

Sadly, during his youth my father’s emotional development was stunted. In 1945, hanging over the mezzanine at the Paramount Theatre, Dad swayed dreamily side-to-side listening to the Artie Shaw Orchestra. In mid swoon, while admiring his new suit, Dad flipped over the railing landing head first on an usher flirting with a floozy in the orchestra’s tenth row. Luckily, neither was killed. Both bleeding, they were taken to Polyclinic Hospital for stitches and x-rays. Dad begged the theatre’s manager for a rain check as the medics led him through the lobby. Dad sustained permanent injury that became apparent as the years unfolded. He no longer could make a decision or form an opinion that’s basis did not derive from something that happened in 1945 or before.

The next “City Stories: Stoops to Nuts,” Storytelling show is this coming Tuesday, July 12th @ 6pm @ Cornelia Street Café. With terrific yarn spinners & songsmiths:Barbara Aliprantis, Jake Goldman, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo, Tricia Scotti & Coree Spencer. Please stop by! Admission is $7 (that includes one free drink.)

Cornelia Street Café, @ 29 Cornelia St. between W. 4th St. & Bleecker St.

Rory's Olin Hall Adventure

Rory loved adventures. He joined Freddy Muller and me on one in 1966. Not sure who first discovered it, but starting at 70th Street near the FDR drive down by the East River, you could enter the New York Hospital complex down a flight of stairs into a sub-basement that had a series of walking tunnels that led through many areas of the hospital. The hair on the back of our necks stood up when we passed through the pathology area where every conceivable human body part was floating in liquid in huge glass jars. At first we went down the eerie tunnels because we could, but eventually found they led to the sub-basement of Olin Hall at 69th Street & York Avenue where we found a regulation size wood floor basketball court. This made Freddy & me very happy, and Rory indifferent. He liked getting spooked and had no interest in sports. Next time Freddy and I brought a basketball and Rory wandered around until it was time to leave or we got chased by doctors playing a pick-up game. Eventually, the whole neighborhood found out the secret of the buried court. That blew it for everyone, security now kept an eye out for us. Looking back, this was the best time of our lives, together.

Rory died at 42, twelve years ago today. He was a fine artist but left little of his art behind because he gave it away to his friends. The three pieces shown here are Rory's work.

Here's one of Rory's favorite songs, "Baker Street," by Jerry Rafferty

And when you wake up, it's a new morning
The sun is shining, it's a new morning

You're going, You're going home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ov78kAMNg&feature=related

Harold & Maude plant a tree for Rory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD5fMMXwZs8&feature=related

If you like, you can listen to last week's "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts," radio show with my guest, Coree Spencer, at the Centanni link below:

Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts 9/14/2010 with host Tommy Pryor & guest: Coree Spencer

Over Her Dead Body ~ The Show Must Go On

Thank you, Tim O'Mara, Wayne Kral & Harold Dean James of We Three Productions for hosting a terrific show @ Bar 82 last night.

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Danielle Winston, Mark Goldblatt, Charity Thomas and I had a blast reading our work. We congratulate you on the start of a new year supporting and promoting local poets & writers. You are generous patrons and the New York City writing community deeply appreciates your efforts.

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Thank you to my friends for coming down and cheering us on.

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Here are The Muppets, "The Show Must Go On" with Leo Sayer

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xWXX539JHI&feature=related

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Tonight @ 9pm @ "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts," radio show, my guest is Coree Spencer, a clever & funny writer ~ we'll talk about the writing process and how our families and music stir it all up.

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Listen in live or on the archive at the Centanni link below:

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http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/

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Or come down to the show at Giovanna's Restaurant @ 1567 Lexington Avenue (between 100st & 101st Street). We broadcast live @ 9pm.

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Playing Catch

Adam Wade, thank you for a terrific hour of conversation about our love for sports and J Geils.

http://adamwade.com/

Most of all, thank you for reminding me that in our lives the best moments, our greatest memories, have nothing to do with stadiums, ballparks, uniforms, organized leagues. All those things are meaningful in their own way, but as you pointed out, what matches your Dad buying you the Pete Rose book on hitting at Caldor's? Or you playing ball with an aluminum bat with the older guys, day in, day out, them letting you younger guys play for years, what tops that? Playing catch with your Dad or your brother, Matt?

My strongest sports memory today: my sandlot 83rd Street team winning the rag tag whiffle championship in 1973 at Rhinelander's Settlement House on 88th St, and having Whiffle Ball Commissioner, John Stanton, with his biblical beard present us with the Whiffle Ball Championship trophies on the ball field facing Nagel Funeral Home on 87th Street in front of half the neighborhood's kids, including a bunch of girls I'd love to date? We had ten starters, not nine, because a guy had to play the roof of the two story building in dead center, the roof was in play.

After we won the whiffle ball championship game we marched down to Carl Schurz Park on the East River with a shopping cart full of records and Eddie Ekis's stereo. We plugged the stereo into an electrical outlet at the base of a light pole near the Hockey Field and rocked out with The J Geils Band until the cops chased us out of the park around midnight.

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you can listen to last night's show ~ cut & paste the link below into your url:

mms://nick9.surfernetwork.com/CBNFiles/Yorkville 9.7.10.WMA

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You can see Adam perform next Monday night:

Mon Sept 13th 2010 ~ 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Horse Trade Presents
*Time Out New York Critic's Pick*
"THE ADAM WADE SHOW"
Special Guest: Peter Aguero
Theater Under St. Marks
94 St. Mark's Place
$5

I'm reading for We Three Productions @ Bar 82 @ 136 Second Avenue @ 8pm on Sept 13th (same night, stinky). We Three reading series was formerly at the late great Telephone Bar, R.I.P. Next week, my radio guest is a wonderful writer, Coree Spencer. Sit on a stoop and please listen in.