The black dog, books and writers

23 September

Yesterday was a bad day for me for most of the day. I got up feeling down and it had begun to life as I went through to bed. That really is the worst part of the day for the black dog to take a hike. I saw 2.30 this morning before I was finally able to sleep, well, that was the time when I last looked at the clock. This morning I feel not so bad, which is fine seeing as we might be having Kile for the weekend. We are still waiting for his mum or nan to let us know if he is coming here or not. It is his usual weekend to come here but earlier in the week there was talk of them all going out tomorrow; be nice to know eh …

Not so long ago a comedian named Robin Williams killed himself. He’s not the first creative genius to do so is he. Van Gough not only cut off his ear, but he later killed himself. Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers are just two more. How many more have done so over the years I wonder? I’m thinking of Jimmy Hendrix and Brian Jones for instance, musical geniuses who died from a drugs overdose; but were they accidents or deliberate acts. And what of one of my favourite actors, Phillip Seymour Hoffman? Was his death an accident of deliberate? We will never know of course, but I do wonder.

So yesterday was a bad day for me, however, I am not trying to compare myself with these genius artists, oh no, no, no. But it does make me wonder you know, it really does. How many other artists or different media have died at their own hands? I bet there’s a Ph.D. in that for someone, but certainly not me.  

Have you by any chance of heard of a writer by the name of Robert Backman? I ask because last night I finished one of his books, Thinner by name. Of course, we now know that the writer is Stephen King using a pen name. When the book first appeared there was a lot of discussion about who the real writer is. After four more books, King admitted they were his. However, those who had read a lot of King’s work could easily see his voice in the pages, and so could I. But was that down to seeing King’s name on the front cover or because I really could see his voice in the pages? I’ll leave you to decide on that one.

A few years ago I saw a bought a book by Peter James in a charity shop. I knew I didn’t know the name and the back cover blurb looked interesting, so I paid my £1 and took my chance. Mr James has since profited from me quite a bit since then and I now have a copy of all his books on my shelves. There is one that I have been struggling to find, Billionaire. That one I finally found in a new release paperback from last year, on a stall in the market a few weeks ago, I shall begin reading it later tonight. At least I thought I had a copy of all his books, but I’ve just had a look on the Fantastic Fiction website and found another seven I haven’t read, or own. My search will continue.

We do buy some strange stuff don’t we? The other day I saw and ad on Facebook for a stamping thing that made a raised mark on the pages of your books, and I fancied one. Jan ordered it for me and it arrived this morning. I’ve tried it out on Thinner and it does work, but oh dear … do I slowly work through all my current books or just stamp them when I buy them new … … …

Today’s photo …

A not-so super hero in Broad Gate.

Today’s funny …

Did you hear about the idiot who thought that the Cote d'Azur was a blue jacket?