Beneath the Neon
Spent a few hours in the underground flood channels on Christmas Day, giving out bottled water, clothes, gift cards, toiletries and other items, with the help of a former tunnel resident. The people we encountered were, as usual, polite and appreciative. Thanks to Ted at Lynn’s World consignment store, my sister Cathy, my friends David and Molly and my Facebook friend Karine Projean for their generous donations!
I’m going to be in Vegas for the holidays and am planning a Christmas Day trip into the underground flood channels. Want to give out knit caps, socks, books, flashlights, AA and AAA batteries, blankets, canned goods, gift cards (Target, McDonald’s, Walmart), etc. If you’d like to contribute new or gently used items, please let me know.
Thanks and happy holidays!
If you’d like a copy of my books Beneath the Neon or My Week at the Blue Angel (www.beneaththeneon.com) or Fade Sag Crumble (www.fadesagcrumble.com), a new collection I contributed to, for yourself or to give as a gift, message me or send me an e-mail. I can sign or personalize the books and ship them for the list price: $20 for Beneath the Neon and $15 for My Week at the Blue Angel and Fade Sag Crumble.
Thanks!
I was on KNPR this morning, with attorney/writer Dayvid Figler and CityLife Editor Scott Dickensheets, talking about the 40th anniversary of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
http://www.knpr.org/son/archive/detail2.cfm?SegmentID=8391&ProgramID=2378
Malcolm Burgess, writing for The Guardian, included Fade Sag Crumble in his Ten of the Best Books Set in Las Vegas list. True, he left out some worthy titles (e.g., How I Got Cultured and Lay the Favorite). And I disagree with some of his selections (The Desert Rose and The Cold Six Thousand). But it’s a nice acknowledgement, nonetheless, for the collection.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/nov/16/top-10-books-las-vegas
More info on the book I contributed to, Fade Sag Crumble: Ten Las Vegas Writers Confront Decay.
An update on possible changes at the Blue Angel Motel and surrounding area, with quotes from your favorite former Blue Angel tenant. I was worried that I came across as insensitive when quoted as saying, “There is clearly a market for that kind of clientele.” (Of course, if that’s how I worded it, I simply meant Hispanics.) Then I read the comments at the bottom of the story and was, once again, appalled by how ignorant and insensitive some folks can be.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/developer-has-plans-for-latino-music-venue-downtown-132873418.html
Here’s the news release for this year’s Hall of Fame and Silver Pen Award ceremony (copy and paste the link, if necessary):
All-around solid event: well-attended, smoothly moderated and some great readings. Thanks to everyone who was there (and apparently missed one of the most exciting World Series games ever).