Amici:
I love my Mommy! Happy Mother’s Day, Spiranza! The picture up top is my Mom’s family about 60 years or so ago. That’s Zia Fran (Disney Fran) bottom middle, Nani and Gramps (Theresa & Pietro) with Zia Vincenza (Aunt Vinnie) top left, Spiranza (Hope) top middle and Zia Josephina (Aunt Joe) top right. It’s just my Mom and Disney Fran left from the picture, but kids and grandkids abound. Mom was born in the small town of Settefrati, Italia, a bit north of Naples. That’s where my Mom’s mom was also born. Gramps was from Naples proper, had joined the Navy, apparently jumped ship in New York and could never return to Italy. He met his wife in America and they married in New York. Nani (Theresa) had her first two kids (Aunt Joe & my Mommy) in Italy, making ocean trips back and forth a few times before finally settling in New York.
Today I return one of a billion favors and cook some Bolognese gravy (sauce to yous nons) with Rigatoni ... forgetaboutit, the 2nd best. Nobody’s gravy beats Mom’s ...
A TK project update for the ugly one (that Stella character) ...
Anticipation and Dread (a play in 3 acts). Done; rewriting/reader feedback on Act I.
Star Island (new crime novel featuring Jimmy Mangino); original draft at 12,000+ words
I Stop the World (mix literary/crime(I hope)) current rewrite at 67,000+ words
Liebestod (literary novel); current rewrite (#10) at 17,000+ words; the novel I hope to work on in the MFA program because I sure can use the help ...
Nautical Knucks ... my MFA classes begin in 5-6 weeks on Star Island off the coast of New Hampshire ... the Star Island crime novel came to me a few days ago (5 actually) and it’s been humming along nicely. In a slight panic about the MFA classes and where they’re being held (Star Island) after a few days on campus, the boss/wife and I came up with this: A retired cop with the Organized Crime Unit drops off his wife at Star Island for a decoupage class she’s taking and spots a guy in the witness protection program; unhappy in his marriage and anxious to escape, the retired cop makes a deal with the retired head of the Vignieri family ... (something like that, thus far).
We had to buy a new screen door. We had hired some dipshit off of Craig’s list to perform the actual work of installation, etc. some three weeks ago ... but then he bailed out without the decency of a phone call ... so, carpenter Knucks to the rescue? Hold your horses, Kimosabe, let’s not get carried away. I can drive the thing/screen door home, but that’s about it ... so off we went to Home Depot, where, as it turns out, they allowed me to use one of their vans for FREE to transport said screen door ... how cool is that? If I do ever find another job, I hope it is driving an industrial van because that was soooooooooooo much fun. I felt like Ralph Kramden driving a bus ...
Jar City ... a really good murder mystery from Iceland ... with the most gross eating scene I’ve ever witnessed (has to do with Sheep’s head) ... oy vey, drive up sheep’s head convenience stores(?) ... this one has to do with genetics and bad guys and a penal system (at least the penitentiaries there) that seem way too liberal for my taste. A very good movie yous should catch.
Jar City Trailer
And to all you mothers out there, TK wishes all a’yous a Very Happy Mother’s Day!
—Knucks
