Merry Christmas 2010

First published December 2010

Merry Christmas!

Purple Monster and the Christmas Crew send their most stupendous wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all. Chronicler has once again failed miserably in her efforts to write another Saga this year, but she has managed to write an ode to Mr. Tree, which you can peruse with this link.

And don't forget, there are several Sagas posted on this site, just waiting for your eyes to feast upon them. Click on The Sagas tab, or here, to enjoy the stories of Christmases past.

FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE: THE GLOW OF CHRISTMAS

Last Spring, Chronicler was particularly happy and managed to post another Christmas Saga. She did it with a song to spring:

"Tra la, tra la, it's spring. That red red robin is bob bob bobbin' along. And baseball is back! What a wonderful world we live in.

"In honor of spring, and the increase in temperature, Chronicler has just made available The Glow of Christmas, Or, The Heat Is On, the PM Saga, Book XXV. Chronicler realizes it's not Christmas, but this is a hot, hot story that'll warm your heart."

Wouldn't it be fun to read this story once again this Christmas? (Especially since there's no new story to warm the cockles of your heart, or whatever you might have in your chest cavity.)

OH MR. TREE, OH MR. TREE

How lovely are your branches.

PM is standing over my shoulder as I type this. She’s has been criticizing my endeavors ever since she got here, with the most strident being that it’s almost Christmas Eve and I’ve just begun the first draft.

To read the rest of this non-Saga, click here.

Story Telling, and the Art of Telling Stories

Originally published 2010

Stories are how we communicate (profound, yes?). Look at the first paragraphs of so many news articles and you’ll find anecdotes to pull you in. We like to connect the facts of our lives to the stories of our lives. I had intended my next posting to be about the debate over health care (or, as my doctor reminded me, over health insurance). That’s certainly a story worth telling.

But first I want to tell a better story, one I first told in 1988.

On Jan. 16, 1988, at the opening of “Six Bronx Folk Artists” at the Bronx River Art Center and Gallery, I presented a “play.” Noah Jemison, one of the curators of the exhibition and an amazing artist who had been donating his time to pass on his love of art to the kids in the Bronx, had arranged a small commission, which I decided to spend by hiring two actors and two musicians to help me out. I cast two actors, Holly Hawkins and Jonathan Miller, and two musicians, Richard Paradise and Lindbergh Allen. 

To see the rest of this posting, visit the full page here.

Get Your Sunscreen and Come on Down!

Originally published July 2010

PM wants to share this message from Miss Donna Ann, a new friend she met down in the West Village at the Wings Theatre, 154 Christopher Street, on the Isle of Manhattan (oops, maybe that was "on the aisle" in Manhattan).

"Hello, this is Donna Ann. My son just wrote on his Internet thingie that he's on his honeymoon in the Bahamas. I'm so happy he's married Rachel! I'm goin' down to Nassau with Mother right now to congratulate him! I should get there Aug. 5, and plan to stay around until Aug. 29. Come visit!"

The show is called The Unfortunate Honeymoon of Tony and Steve, by Blake Bradford, 
with special material by Linda Hill, Matt Klane, and Kymm Zuckert, and you can see Miss
Donna Ann in these performances: 

Thursday, Aug 5, at 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 8, at 2 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 12, at 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 15, at 2 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 19, at 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 29, at 2 p.m.

You can buy tickets online or call the Wings Theatre Box Office at 212-627-2961.

P.S. Miss Donna Ann wants to add: "Be careful when you order from Lindy Loo's bar. I understand she serves an iced tea from Long Island that has more than sliced lemons in it. And my son says those Cowgirlettes must have some kind of story to tell, though how he'd know I haven't a clue since he says they haven't said as much as a single word since he's been there! I'm taking my mat along and plan to do some Cristoga while I'm down there, if you'd care to join my little exercise program."

On July 29, Donna Ann and other characters looked down on a karaoke contest on West 50th Street, providing advice to Blake Bradford as he judged the singers. Note the approving light from above.
 

P.P.S. Now that The Unfortunate Honeymoon has opened, let me tell you how great it is
to be back on a stage. Thanks to the people at Zephyer Rep and Wings Theatre for giving
your Chronicler one of the best experiences she's ever had (it is definitely the most fun acting
gig I've ever had).