​It was the summer of 1977, a time of Jimmy Carter, CETA, and 55-mile-per-hour speed limits. I auditioned and was hired as part of a repertory company for the Shasta Festival of the Arts. The gig paid a little over five hundred dollars, and for that vast sum, I was to appear in three plays and work in the prop department from 9 am to 1 pm.  I believe there were a dozen of us “paid” actors, and I was to appear in “Hair,” “Hot L Baltimore,” and “Man of LaMancha.” The role was a last-minute addition for a fired dancer. For the record, I played Berger in the first, Paul Granger in the second play, and a Muleteer/dancer in the third.
 
On my first night in the dorms, I left my weed out in the community room, where it was discovered by a dude named Greg, who produced the program. We were all herded into the auditorium the next day for a lecture on the evils of drug use and warned that whoever left his weed out threatened the whole future of the program. After all, marijuana was a gateway drug, and during that fateful summer, I did my best to prove it. My only regret over the whole affair was that the baggie held an entire ounce and had been given to me by my friend Gary.
 
But I digress. We were a raucous band of actors, singers, and dancers. We worked hard and played even harder. We came from Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and even Chicago, and we were united whenever we could agree to stick it to the man/Craig whenever we could.
 
Among our notable shenanigans was climbing atop the auditorium's roof at night and pointing all of the bell speakers that rang out on the hour straight up to the heavens. There were several instances of us breaking into the outdoor pool for an unauthorized midnight swim, and some of us even attended the Redding premiere of “The Spy Who Loved Me” high on LSD 25. Watching Roger Moore, high as a kite,  was  just too good to pass up. Good times.
 
Of the twenty who were paid for our efforts, a couple of us remained in showbiz. I, well, I don’t have to tell you about me, managed to hang on for several decades both as a actor, comedian, and writer. Another one of our troupe moved to New York and appeared on Law and Order (of course), The Mr. Bean Movie, and The Astronaut with Johnny Depp. Her real claim to fame, however, was being the speech and elocution coach for Sarah Palin during John McCain’s run for the White House.  One of our cast became a drug counselor, another a builder, and another an engineer. 
 
I reminisce all this because I have always felt that there was a book in all this. I have tried to gather documentation but, so far,  have only had limited results. I will keep trying though. There's a story there and I know it.
 
omeday, you may all be reading about a very remarkable summer in 1977. 

​I had a nice business conversation the other day, and I thought it was worth talking about. She was a manager/producer who reached out, and what impressed me the most, besides how polite and charming she was, was the amount of research she did…about me. This person knew the highlights of my career—such as it is—and because of that, a conversation that went on for about an hour was exceptionally smooth. 
 
It also didn’t hurt that I did my own research about them. They are a small firm that represents writers, producers, and directors. They have a social media presence, along with awards at film festivals (Women’s LA Festival) and client successes (a project sold abroad). So, what is the lesson here? Spend some time on your relationships. As I said, spend a minute or two; it certainly could not hurt.
 
Okay, what’s streaming? There are some great offerings for September/October. But don’t take my word for it. Check out your options.
 
Penguin A+
 
Bad Monkey B +
 
Dark Winds A
 
Rebel Moon (Both cuts, both Pt 1 and Pt 2): if I really must grade this, I’ll have to give it a D-. I suspect A.I. wrote this whole thing based on discarded notes from George Lucas Add equal portions of Seven Samurai/Magnificent 7 and you have Rebel Moon.
 
Streamer Beware: Be careful not to make the same mistake the motion picture industry created a decade ago. You are spending way too much on so-called prestige projects, detracting from original stories and new and gifted directors and producers. 
 
Okay, I’ve said my peace. As usual, you can comment on this and other blogs on my comments.

​Throughout my lifetime, I've ventured into various realms of writing, each offering a unique perspective and a different set of challenges. I've donned the hats of a
 
Comedian
Screenwriter
Comedy Sketch Writer
Restaurant Reviewer
Journalist
Playwright/librettist
Novelist
 
Among these, the one that fills me with the most pride is my seemingly insignificant contribution of 50 words to Postcards for Kamala in Nevada. This election is of utmost importance, and these handwritten postcards, sent by volunteers to swing states, serve as a reminder of the crucial issues at stake. My contribution, a part of the discourse on reproductive health and a woman’s right to choose, now lives on. 
 
After the initial panic of being asked, I went to work. Part of it was to edit the text to only fifty words while emphasizing the stakes. Oh, yes, and be inspirational. Halfway through, I regretted my offer to help. Doubt flooded in, but I stayed with it. That afternoon, I submitted my first draft. Notes were politely sent back, and I went back to work, the doubt coming in ever-increasing waves of anxiety.  This was the Harris Team, and while hard work is good work, I was not sure how they felt about lousy work. Later in the afternoon, I submitted my last attempt. To my relief, there was a much better response. A few cuts were suggested, and we were off to the races.
 
Hey, I realize this is a very small thing as far as writing is concerned. But considering this election, the opposition, and the person my small literary contribution hopes to benefit, it was one of the most memorable experiences in my career. 
 

The Last Argonaut by J.P. Linde is now with the editors. I repeat: The Last Argonaut is finally being edited. All this being said, I believe the book's release will be sometime before Christmas. At least, that’s my guess. I know this is welcome news for all those who wonder if I had another novel in me. Well, the fast of the matter is, I have two!  One being edited, and one rolling around in my noggin. Stay tuned.
 
Now, concerning Horizon, the film by Kevin Costner. You know the one. The one that costs the GNI (Gross National Income) of any small third-world country is streaming. And here’s my take. I think it is excellent! Sure, it is long, but it is juggling three stories in one movie, and they are all excellent. So far, Costner, who is very good, only appears in one of them. I recommend this film to all those fans of Western, and I look forward to the release of the other two.
 
My agent and I are peddling a new spec script. It's something with a bit of holiday flair. Not that anyone is actually buying, mind you. I am sorry that the business continues to look grim in Tinsel Town. With more and more filming being done elsewhere (Atlanta, British Columbia, Australia, etc, and new production facilities being constructed in Vegas, I am unsure if Hollywood as we know it will even exist in five years. They will have to replace the Hollywood Sign with “Where did everybody go?”
 
Okay, now I am just sad and need something to cheer me up.