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COLUMN 109, SEPTEMBER 1, 2004
(Copyright © 2004 The Blacklisted Journalist) 

UNPUBLISHED PHOTOS OF RAY CHARLES AFTER HIS INDIANAPOLIS DRUG BUST

Subject: Ray Charles
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 20:31:44 -0500
From: "Paul Johnson" johnsonpall@spitfire.net 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Gents: 

I read with interest your piece about Ray Charles. I was greatly surprised when my father, Rick Johnson, was mentioned. Dad was the police reporter in Indianapolis who covered Mr. Charles' heroin arrest. Dad took the enclosed photos. 

I believe my father became a big fan of Ray's music shortly after the bogus Indy arrest. For as long as I can remember, my dad had a huge stack of Ray's albums and tapes, and he listened to them frequently.

I would be curious to know if you remember anything else about my Dad, Mr. Charles, and this incident.

Thanks again for a great read.

Sincerely,

Paul Johnson  ##

* * *

OUR COUNTERFEIT PRESIDENT, DUMB DUMBYA, CAN'T DISTINGUISH LIFE FROM SHIT

Subject: Fwd: Just when you thought Bush could not be any dumber!
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 23:46:08 EDT
From: Khunrum1@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 
From: PeterWStolz@aol.com 

From NEWSWEEK: A report that President Bush, appearing before a right-to-life rally in Tampa, Florida on June 17 '04, stated:

"We must always remember that all human beings begin life as a "feces". A Feces is a living being in the eyes of God, who has endowed that feces with all of the rights and God-given blessings of any other human being."

The audience listened in disbelief as the President repeated his error at least a dozen times, before realizing that he had used the word "feces" when he meant "fetus". Now if you have not registered to vote, please do so
today. Please ask everyone that you know if they are registered to vote. If they are eligible and are not registered, please grab them by the ear to a voter registration form and put a pen in their hand. Then watch them complete it. Then mail it in for them as now time is disappearing. Otherwise there may soon be infants beginning life as "feces"!

God help us all if the American people do not do the right thing!!!

Hopefully the Kerry campaign or MoveOn.Org or someone will find a video tape of this and get it to the media. I think that would finish Bush off.

Peter Stolz  ##

* * *

ABOUT THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Subject: VU at Black Journalist website
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 00:05:37 +0200
From: "Olivier Landemaine" olandem@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Dear Al Aronowitz,

Just a quick one to thank you for the Velvets recollections that I've just discovered today on your blacklisted journalist website. The article brings an original and very interesting point of view on the VU roots.

Best regards,
Olivier Landemaine
The Velvet Underground Web Page  ##

* * *

'NELL' ASPINALL AT THE APOLLO

Subject: February 7, 1964 + The Apollo
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 13:10:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lauren Welch laurenrwelch@yahoo.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Hey man! I do believe that the Wanderers were who you took Neil "Nell" Aspinall to see the night the Beatles arrived in NYC. 

I don't know if someone already answered your article - the part where you were talking about your friendship w/ Neil and sneaking him out of the Plaza.

That's some amazing stuff. What I wouldn't do to have had those experiences... I used to dream about that kind of stuff day and night!

~ Lauren

* * *

1. THE VILLAGE GASLIGHT

Subject: 1996 Village Gaslight Article
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 17:44:03 +0200
From: triana triana@thecircus.tv
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com  

I have only just found your article and it has left me spellbound... I am John Mitchell's youngest child. My name is Triana Van Den Eeden Mitchell, I am 30 years old, and I was conceived, born, and brought up in Spain.

I never really knew my father for his relationship with my mother was shortlived before he returned to the USA... I met him for the first time when I was eight and he was living in New York, but did however have the chance to meet him as an adult very shortly before he died in 1997 in Bisbee, Arizona...

My mother met him in La Carihuela, a beachside "suburb" of Torremolinos, in Malaga, Spain, where he was running yet another Fat Black Pussy Cat. From the stories she tells me (and he once told me as well), he was quite the spokesman in the area in whichever political issue that would arise. He continued his claim for being a constuction worker, as well as an electrician, and a plumber, and even in talents of embroidery when he challenged a girlfriend of my mom's in embroidering baby shirts for me (I was not born yet). His speeches were apparently quite acknowledged, even to the point of people bringing tape recorders into the bar in hopes of a chance to catch the speech of the century!

I tell you all this only because it seems you knew him well enough to possible be able to send me either photos or memorabilia or even just stories... During my last time with him, and only time as an adult, we really connected and got along and it actually felt almost like having a father... It was hard for me to lose him so soon after...

In any case, it was truly a pleasure to read your article. Thank you for writing it and giving me a part of his life!

Best regards,

Triana Van Den Eeden Mitchell
m +34 666 561 368

The Circus TV Film Productions, SL
C/Marqu's de Larios, 3
3ro izquierda
29015 Malaga (Spain)  

Tel. +34 952 122 080
Fax +34 952 061 130
www.thecircus.tv  ##

* * *

2. THE VILLAGE GASLIGHT

Subject: just read a piece about 116 macdougal
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 00:38:41 EDT
From: Sbluemon@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

i was the scrap bar guy - just thought you'd like to know that the music lived again (at least until april of 1995) . i was visited by ghosts of the gaslight while building scrap bar in 1985-86 - alan ginsberg (who astounded me with tales of cabaret cops issuances of noise complaints because of the air shafts and the birth of snapping fingers as alternative applause), pat paulson, mary travers among others. dylan even glanced in on a crowded
winter's night in 1991 or so. if the 50's and 60's were the salad days, scrap bar was the last creative gasp in the west village. 
steve t  ##

* * *

MORE ABOUT RED RUDENSKY

Subject: Morris" Red" Rudensky
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 16:27:48 -0500
From: "Temp6 - Colleen Cheney" Colleen.Cheney@leonard.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

I was one of Red's primary care givers at the nursing home in St. Paul. At that time 1982-85, Red and I had a great relationship. At times confusion would set into Red's head sometimes but a lot of the time we spent pouring over photographs of his younger days. There were snapshots of Red and Capone together at a cabin of some sort and hanging in his room was a huge portrait of Red at about 30 something hanging by his bed. He often spoke of his 3M days but really lit up when he spoke of the clown club he joined after 3M. Red was always polite and such a gentleman with me even kissing my hand on numerous occasions. Although I was his
caretaker he was always trying to pull out a chair for me ( I was pregnant two of the years he was under my care.) I always smile when I think of Red because he was so delightful with his stories and clown antics. Recently I stumbled across the title "The Goniff" and thought back on how much easier Red made it for me to work the overnight shift by his entertaining stories. He also told stories of being a clown to many of the other residents there. Red was certainly one of the most memorable people I have or ever will meet.  ##

* * *

EERIE SIMILARITIES

Subject: Too close for comfort
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 10:46:11 -0400
From: dey21 dey21@optonline.net 
To: 'Al Aronowitz' info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Dear Al,

This is a very short article that I composed about the Tonkin Gulf affair and the equally phantom WMDs that our "leader? never found! Most people, excluding myself, are completely unaware of the similarities. As a result, this statement gives equally substantiated meaning to one of my favorite sayings which was announced
by Robert C. Winthrop, a member of Congress and a historian in 1864, "Professed patriotism may be made the cover for a multitude of sins."

Dick Dettrey, a conscientious objector, a human being, and a Vietnam vet

EERIE SIMILARITIES

The invasion of Iraq has very eerie similarities to that of Vietnam, another tiny  country in which we had no business. Both of them were fully initiated because of phantom items. In the immoral and illegal Vietnam War, the excuse posed by our "peace? president, LBJ, used the excuse of a supposed battle in the Tonkin Gulf to initiate that hideous and avoidable war which, when the smoke cleared in 1973, resulted in the deaths of more than 58,000 men, who gave their priceless lives because of, in the words of LBJ, "Our Navy shooting at whales." The excuse that is used by our present president, Bush, is that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction. Bush, like LBJ, invoked a witticism the other night on the media, saying he doubted if there will be over 58,000-plus killed in action, however. However, from where I stand, the similarities are very, very eerie, to say the least.

Dick Dettrey, a Vietnam vet
40 Hospital Road, L-309
Tuxedo, New York 10987
(845) 351-4254

* * *

UPDATE FROM BIRGITTA JONSDOTTIR

Subject: update on tboh & twhb
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 05:27:02 +0000
From: Birgitta Jonsdottir birgitta@this.is 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Dear friends
it has been a long time since many of you have heard from me it has been a difficult task to get the sort of attention i had hoped the anthologies would get but i have not given up and will carry on for some time to
spread the word many of you had offered to help and now i need your help the books are at amazon and not one review on them there we need you or someone you know to go to http://www.amazon.com search birgitta jonsdottir and then you get both the books if you know anyone that is interested to buy the books then they can be bought from there or directly from "Anthony Maulucci" quietcity@worldnet.att.net the cost of postage is much less from the USA then from Iceland If you would like to get the books for yourself then you can
still get them on the discount for participants

i have given up on publishing on this scale i just don't have the financial resources for more adventures like that 
for the time being right now i am focusing on my own writing and my first novel is getting published by radical creations here in iceland in 2 months i have started to write again in icelandic

however i got a new global project brewing within that i will share with you once it has taken on a better shape.

thank you all for your part in this project and it has been great to see how so many of you have been taking
off and i wish you all mountains of joy

Birgitta Jonsdottir
Berjav?llum 4 #406
221 Hafnarfjordur
Iceland
354 692 8884
http://this.is/birgitta -Womb of Creation   
http://this.is/poems  - Beyond Borders  ##

* * *

'YOU KICK ASS'

Subject: (no subject)
Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 03:45:21 EDT
From: JSTrunner@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Hey, aren't you the guy that wrote all those kickass village voice pieces? Didn't you interview The Doors? Have you really been blacklisted? Anyways, you kick ass. 

Jeff Taylor  ##

* * *

THE LUDLUM LEGACY

Subject: The Ludlum Legacy
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 11:38:07 -0400
From: Scott.Ross@cbn.org 

Hi Guys,

The attached link is to an interview I conducted with the late author, Robert Ludlum. His novel, The Bourne
Supremacy, adapted for the screen, is at this writing the number one movie at the box office. Although the movie has little relation to the book, I thought you might find the interview of some interest. If you are looking for spirituality'there ain't none; purely diversion. 

http://cbn.org/scottross/interviews/the_ludlum_legacy.asp 

More importantly on a personal note, Nedra (my wife) continues to heal from open heart surgery; although there are some attendant emotional ups and downs. It's hard to believe its been a month since her operation.

Again, your support has been immeasurable.

With continued gratitude,

Scott, with and for Nedra. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I looked at the notes I was writing, and suddenly I thought, supposing a man is sent out to trap a jackal and loses his memory. And that was how the whole book started. Nothing mystical about it. It was just a strange sequence of events."

--Robert Ludlum to Scott Ross on the genesis of the Bourne books.  ##

* * *

WHO CHRISTENED 'THE SAN FRANCISCO POETRY RENAISSANCE"'

Subject: question about san francisco poetry ren., for on-line column
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 10:19:46 -1000
From: "Mike Wood" woodyswoody@hotmail.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Dear Blacklisted Journalist,

How are you? My name is Mike Wood; I write a column called 'the Literary Dick' (as in Private Detective) on the writer Jonathan Ames's website (www.jonathanames.com). People write to me with their
literary-themed mysteries, and I try to solve them. Recently, I was asked, "Who coined the phrase 'san Francisco Poetry Renaissance? "". The research I did trying to answer this led me to your website. I get that the Renaissance started on October 7, 1955, but do we know who the first to utter that phrase was?

Thanks very much for reading this.

Best,
Mike  //33

* * *

DISABLED POET NEEDS A RIDE

Subject: Disabled Poet Looking for a Ride to Some Readings/Slams/Groups
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 04:20:28 EDT
From: Gueneveve@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Hello, I received your email addresses from Cora after I told her that I am living here in the suburbs and am unable to drive into Cambridge where it seems most of the poetry is happening these days. I live in Canton, and belong to a writer's group at Barnes and Noble in Walpole weekly, do readings there every month but the group is small,roughly six or seven people on average. I am not asking for rides to every event, but one a month would be wonderful. I am mobile and use a walker but can manage a flight of stairs with a little help to carry my bag or walker. I cannot walk long distances and would bring my handicapped placard for parking. I will be able to split parking costs if there are any. I used to attend the poetry workshop at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and I believe I was in a poetry workshop at the University of Mass. for Veterans with Deb Priestly and enjoyed her work tremendously.

At present I am polishing a manuscript for a first book contest and am also working on an autobiography.

Please feel free to email me and ask specific questions if you need to before offering me a ride. 

Thank you all for your consideration,
Sincerely,
Gail Thornton  ##

* * *

NEW BENGALI BAUL WEBSITE

Subject: Chotton
Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 23:34:18 +0530
From: "Chotton" mishuk@vsnl.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Hi Friend
please see our new website: www.baulsamratpurnadas.com 

Chotton  ##

* * *

DID ALBERT GROSSMAN SCREW TODD RUNDGREN?

Subject: Albert Grossman
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 09:43:30 -0500
From: Daniel Watt dawat@optonline.net 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Hey Al, How are you? I was reading in "Relix", where Todd Rundgren said that the one person he felt screwed him the most in the business was Albert Grossman. Can you shed any light on that? I know you are
busy, but if you get a chance, Thanks, Danny Watt  ##

* * *

ABOUT EMMETT GROGAN

Subject: Emmett Grogan
Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 21:09:52 -0700
From: "Erik Denning" erikdenning@comcast.net 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Howdy. While searching the internet for information on Emmett Grogan I came across your very enjoyable article titled Emmett, Mac, and Peter Coyote. My wife and I are expecting our first child, a son, in a couple
months and we've been struggling to come up with a name that held some uniqueness, power, and magic. Lately, I've been lobbying for the name Emmett, in large part due to Grogan. I'm only 37 (only?!) and being born in 1966, I was denied the pleasure of experiencing the sixties firsthand. I read Ringolevio when I was in college and fascinated and impressed by how much the Diggers, and Emmett in particular seemed to be the real deal. They walked the walk and were about actions, not words. Better still, Emmett appears to have
practiced the purist form of charity and giving, giving anonymously when possible and not for praise or glory. In the late eighties or so I had the pleasure of meeting his son Max when he came into a store I was working at
in Hollywood. We hit it off and started talking. What made the meeting remarkable was that I had no idea he was Emmett's son, but somehow a subject as obscure as the Diggers came up in our conversation! Anyway, I'm writing to not only praise your article, but to ask if you might be able to direct me to any other firsthand stories about Emmett Grogan (his life would make a great movie). I'd also love to be able to track down Max
again. Last I knew he was living in Canada, I think in Quebec. We wrote and phoned each other a few times but then got lazy and fell out of touch. Thanks again for anything you could direct me to regarding the man who may well turn out to be my son's namesake.

-Erik Denning  ##

* * *

NAT WEISS, ANYONE?

Subject: Nat Weiss, anyone?
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2004 22:03:33 -0400
From: FORJAC@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

Mr. Aronowitz:

My name's David Jacks, and I'm in the midst of writing an article about the career of Peter Asher. I've been trying to find a contact person or number for Nat Weiss, who used to work for The Beatles' organization in the 60's, but to no avail. Just taking some last stabs & thought I'd give you a try. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Best of luck with your new book (I'll have to pick up a copy soon). Thanks again for your time.

- David Jacks
forjac@aol.com
  ##

* * *

REPUBLICANS WANT RONNIE TO REPLACE FDR


Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 13:09:00 EDT
From: PeterWStolz@aol.com 
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com 

In a message dated 6/16/2004 10:01:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Khunrum1 writes:

there are those who want to replace the likeness of Tommy Jefferson with Ronnie Reagan on the ten dollar bill. 

A guy writes in and says; Ronald Reagan for the three dollar bill...Ray Charles for the ten dollar bill.

I'll vote for that! There are those who want to put Raygun on the dime and replace FDR. If they do that I will never use a dime again. I'll bet there will be a boycott of dimes.
Peter Stolz  ##

* * *


FOR AS LONG AS PEOPLE KEEP LISTENING TO BOB DYLAN AND THE BEATLES, PEOPLE WILL WANT THIS BOOK

"A masterpiece!" --- SALLY GROSSMAN, widow of Bob Dylan's brilliant original manager, Albert Grossman.

"This book is a must-read for all rock 'n roll aficionados!"---EAR CANDY

"An essential reference for demystifying what the author refers to as: 'one of the most self-destructive binges of creativity in cultural history.'"---HAMMOND GUTHRIE, COUNTERPUNCH MAGAZINE

"Required Reading for anyone and everyone who considers themselves fans, followers, students, or those just plain curious of the Golden Age of Popular Music"---GARY PIG GOLD, FUFKIN.COM.

"I love the book. I love the way you can open it to any page and start reading and it keeps you reading. The book is just fun to read." --LEVON HELM, Drummer of THE BAND from Big Pink.

"Ellis Paul and I love your book."---RALPH JACCODINE, Ralph Jaccodine Management.

". . .perfect for our times."---WOODSTOCK TIMES

"Adam Duritz (he's the lead singer and writer for the famed Counting Crows). . .was at my studio and couldn't put the book down."---STEWART LERMAN, RIGHTEOUS SOUND INC.

". . .a must read for anyone who loves, music, loves life, loves rock and roll."---TSAURAH LITZKY, author of The Motion of the Ocean, Baby on the Water, and  Goodbye Beautiful Mother.  

"I recommend it."---DOUGLAS HOLDER, IBBETSON STREET PRESS.  

".  . .It is a fasinating, insightful read. You are such a wonderful writer."---STEPHANIE LEDGIN, Music Journalist.

"I could not put this book of yours down for a minute."---ED GALING, POET LAUREATE OF HATBORO, PA.

"Quite simply, Al Aronowitz is a living legend"---JOHN FORTUNATO, THE AQUARIAN.

"Every student and fan of The Beat Generation, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones will want to read this book"---RON WHITEHEAD, POET

"Volume One Of The Blacklisted Journalist is the kinda tome what a fella can dip into at any given point and find oneself hooked within a couple paragraphs"---DUKE DE MONDO, BLOGCRITICS.ORG.

"BOB DYLAN AND THE BEATLES: Volume One Of The Best Of The Blacklisted Journalist is a golden stash box of Al's You-Are-There history of two thirds of rock's Holy Troika"---MICHAEL SIMMONS, LA WEEKLY.

IN THIS 615-PAGE PAPERBACK, AL ARONOWITZ, ACCLAIMED AS THE "GODFATHER OF ROCK JOURNALISM," TELLS YOU MORE ABOUT BOB DYLAN AND THE BEATLES THAN ANY OTHER WRITER CAN TELL YOU BECAUSE NO OTHER WRITER WAS THERE AT THE TIME. AS THE MAN WHO INTRODUCED ALLEN GINSBERG TO BOB DYLAN, BOB DYLAN TO THE BEATLES AND THE BEATLES TO MARIJUANA, ARONOWITZ BOASTS, "THE '60S WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT ME."


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