what's new?

Paul Piper and I read from our PRAISES book yesterday.
I actually sold a copy of SAINT LEMONADE, thanks Carol!
Wrote some more in the new novel this early morning
before leaving for job. The novel is going really well.

favorite driveway time

It's my favorite driveway time

with the daisies and dandelions

as seen in this entry from last year too:

http://allenfrostlibrary.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-favorite-driveway.html

dandelion

Here's a photo I took
of a dandelion. Looks
like a planet.

Speaking of which, I was on the Wilson 4th floor
and I walked past a bright yellow book by Dave Barry.
I stopped and went back and opened it up to a chapter
called "The Elephant and the Dandelion" (which is a
fitting title--but it's not the actual one--for the novel
I'm writing! Then I took the elevator to the 2nd floor
pushing the bookcart. I passed a student who looked
so much like a Martian, I had to carefully stop and
back the truck up to sneak a peek at him and
suddenly all the library books fell off my cart!

1935 roadmap

for time travelers

popeye code

Here's some Popeye from July 1, 1942.

Safeway

Right now in the novel I'm writing
the boy and girl are at the Safeway
on Dupont (long since gone) buying
food for a circus animal.

another reading, this thursday

There's another reading too
happening this Thursday
at Village Books in Fairhaven
April 24 at 7 PM.

praises

Paul Piper and I finally self-published
our book of poems. We each wrote 20
poems of praise. You read my section
then flip the book and read Paul's.
The beautiful cover is the handpainted
wallpaper by Michael Paulus.
We'll be giving a reading from the book
April 29, 4-5 PM in the Special Collections
Reading Room in Wilson Library, 6th Floor.
Everyone's welcome, even time travelers.

wind farm

My friend Michael Paulus
who created covers for my books,
THE WONDERFUL STUPID MAN
and SAINT LEMONADE
has made this amazing short movie:

http://michaelpaulus.com/artwork/3492117_Wind_Farm.html

same circus

This weekend I watched SABOTEUR
the film that played at the Grand in 1942.
I haven't seen this movie for years
but I remembered there was a circus in it.

The circus arrives across the desert:

And lo and behold, it's the same circus,
The Russell Brothers Circus, that came
to Bellingham in July, 1942 when my novel
is taking place!

cheap seats

In the novel I'm writing, the boy's uncle
bought a seat in the theater for this chair
he is carrying along with him. 
He can't believe those 1942 prices
for a new chair!

elephant mural

I got an email from friend Rob in Morocco. 
I asked him to watch for anything to do with elephants. 
He reported back that elephants are rare, it's "a little more 
camel oriented here but attached is a picture from an old 
Roman site we visited yesterday--Voulubilis. The end of 
the Roman road in North Africa. Interesting ruins, with 
many intact mosaic murals...the elephant was from 
a floor mural about Orpheus."

Grand Theatre, 1942

At this very moment in the novel I'm writing
the boy and his uncle are at the one o'clock
matinee showing of Alfred Hitchcock's "Saboteur"
playing in Bellingham at the Grand Theatre, 1942.

movie time

After work yesterday we watched
Mae West in I'M NO ANGEL (1933)

elephant books

Here Come the Elephants
by Alice Goudey (1955)

A picture from Elephants of Africa
illustrated by Joseph Cellini

coffee painting

Walking about downtown, I always admire 

this painting up high on the corner of 1223 

Commercial Street. It looks like an old 1940s 

coffee mug. Was there once an amazing diner here? 

After a little research on this site, here’s what 

I discovered: Throughout the 1930s—1940s 

this was the Clark Electric Company. By 1954, 

it was home of Blackburn Office Equipment. 

It became vacant, from 1978 from 1980 when 

it became Café Rosa. In 1985, it was vacant again 

until 1991 when it became an architect’s office. 

Currently it’s an attorney office. Maybe the sign 

was directing coffee lovers further south? Like Brazil.

more about movies

We went to see the great Wes Anderson's
new film THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
this weekend. This is a movie I urge
everyone to see. He's one of the few
great artist directors still around and
this film is another world.

While I was in the lobby afterwards
I saw the 1919 photo of people dressed
as Chaplin at the Liberty Theatre.
Due to an error in the 1942 City Directory,
I didn't include this theater in my recent
blog entry of Bellingham 1942 theaters!
(See the photos two entries prior to this one.)
I promise to get to that soon.

rocinante

my noble steed and workhorse
bringing me up and out.
Of course I couldn't resist
painting the bicycle to look
like it's from Wonka's factory,
issued to ride the long corridors.

BELLINGHAM MOVIE THEATERS OF 1942

This is the site of the American Theatre,
1308 Cornwall Avenue, now a shoe store.
Playing in July, 1942:
Henry Fonda in 'The Magnificent Dope'

BELLINGHAM MOVIE THEATERS OF 1942

The site of the Avalon Theatre,
113 West Magnolia, now vacant.
Playing in July, 1942:
Abbott and Costello in 'Keep em Flying'

BELLINGHAM MOVIE THEATERS OF 1942

This is the site of the Grand Theatre,
133 West Holly, now a bank.
Playing in July, 1942:
Alfred Hitchcock's 'Saboteur'

BELLINGHAM MOVIE THEATERS OF 1942

The Mt. Baker Theatre still exists!
Every once in a blue moon they still
play a film. Playing in July, 1942:
'Moontide.'

Here's one of the old streetlamps
you can still find in a few places.

This is the ticket box.

BELLINGHAM MOVIE THEATERS OF 1942

This is the site of the Peoples Theatre,
215 East Holly, now a bank parking lot.
Playing in July, 1942:
'Sky Patrol' and 'Charlie Chan In Rio'

 

In the alley next to it are some
old trolley rail remains.

umbrella reminder

Spending all my time at my job
and my new novel I forgot about
GOOD DEED RAIN Press and
the big poetry collection I need
to publish for you. This sign
on the bus reminded me!
Funny how the universe is
always looking over your shoulder.
Well, I'll try my best to give back
my energies to that project too.

dandelion time

They're growing everywhere right  now

new novel

by the way, the new novel
I'm writing is going great
really hitting its stride
wish I could just write all day
though maybe having to be
at work helps the book ripen 

speaking of tourists...

My friend Rob Millis, musican, artist,
jokester and gad-about-town is currently
in Morocco, where he took this amazing
photo. I can't get enough of it! This should
be on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.
For more of Mr. Millis' inspiring photos see:

http://indiantalkingmachine.tumblr.com/

mahalo

Here's where we stayed on Maui. 

The beautiful rainbow over the water

we swam in every day many times

and the papaya tree in the courtyard.

Rosa took the picture of the rainbow

Ebeneezer

I just went to the bookstore to buy a third notebook
for my new novel in progress. I tried to use a 10 % off
coupon for Art Supplies, but the cashier didn't
consider the notebook an art supply, so I was denied
a discount. However, upon leaving the bookstore,
out on the rainy bricks, I found eleven cents!