Dr. Barnabas T. Bynum's New School Musical Revue and Travelling Minstrel Show

The writing of North Carolina native Kenneth Sibbett is made up of the three R's - raw, riveting, and revealing. He may be one of the best writers you've never heard of. But that's sure to change as he's developing a rabid, loyal following. Sibbett conjures up images of the late great grit lit author Larry Brown and the homespun wisdom found in the lyrics of a John Prine. But make no mistake about it, Sibbett defies easy characterization and insists on blazing his own trail with his provocative writing. The traditional rhyme poem 99 (see below) gives voice to the working poor trying to eke out a subsistence in spite of those protesting at the Occupy Wall Street movements. Sibbett gets the one percent versus the 99 percent. He also understands that in the end nothing much will change for those average Joes because the movement itself is not comprised of the very people ravaged by Wall Street abuses. He questions the motives of the movement itself and what it hopes to accomplish. The short story Slide Into Destiny reveals America's past time as a literal cut throat business. Separating Sara is a wicked look at a man's best laid plans gone wrong..

99

you better be careful, brothers
you're walkin' a very thin line
you messin' around with #1
and you just a 99
the PO-lice got to protect and serve
they just gotta' spray that mace
gotta' swing those big ole'
nightsticks
gotta smash that bloody face
you messin' round where you don't
belong
you screwing with the Wall
if it falls down like the last one
man, God help us all
who's gonna take care of us po'
folk
when the money machine goes
away
when the Limo drivers are out of
work
and the servants don't get paid
when they close down the
restaurants
that serve rich and 'elite
all the illegals will be out of work
where's the rich folk gonna eat
all you youngin's out there marchin'
what the hell you marching for
all you Silver Spoon Babies
ain't never worked before
you watched as they killed the
soldiers
and didn't do a thing
but now it's time to find a job
and things ain't like they seem
16 years of learning
been schoolin' your life away
now you want your slice of the pie
but can't find that big payday
I don't care why you're out there
you're here now and that's just fine
just remember to tell your kids one
day
about the days of 99

Kenneth Sibbett (posted courtesy of author)

For more of Sibbett's writing, please visit www.horriblerealityland.com/story-land

Welcome To Fred is a delightfull read from start to finish by native Texan Brad Whittington. It's chock full of colorful characters, imaginative writing and storytelling that gets you hooked from the beginning. The novel follows the adventures of Whittington's protagonist Mark Cloud, a PK (the common parlance for preacher's kid) in the late 60's - 70's. And as Whittington well knows (he himself was a PK), preacher's kids are looked upon and experience life differently than the rest of us. Sometimes its a blessing, sometimes a curse. And when you throw in the fact that Mark's intelligence and curiosity often put him at odds not only with the townfolk of backwater Fred, Texas but his father as well, it only serves to add another interesting element to the story. Mark Cloud wrestles with his faith (Mark Twain's Mysterious Stranger figures prominently), the emotions of teenage romance, and his place in the world. And what's a Texas based book without its occasional Bubba or Darnell character? They're included here as well, but Whittington makes them interesting and charming - not stereotypical. I love the musical references Whittington infuses the novel with. As a kind of soundtrack to Mark Cloud's life, references as diverse as old time Americana artist Doc Watson, ZZ Top, Neil Young, and even the soundtrack from Dr. Zhivago get namechecked for great effect. At times there is a bit of a Mayberry feel to the novel but that gives way to the reality that sometimes bad things happen to good people, relationships are complicated, forgiveness and redemption are complicated if not mysterious, and solutions to problems are found in God's good time - not in the time frame of a tv sitcom. In that regard, Whittington's writing reminds me of the great Kentucky writer Wendell Berry.whose characters often find their sustenance in a place they once scorned - their own small town community. The novel ends with a family vacation to the land of the counter culture - California. Mark Cloud envisions a hipness there that the residents of Fred, Texas could not or would not understand. What he actually finds is not "hipness", but a deeper and more meaningful understanding of himself and family connectedness. Welcome To Fred is the first of the Fred trilogy. The other two Fred books being Living With Fred and Escape From Fred. Welcome to Fred, stay a while. I know you'll enjoy it.

Gray, a contributing editor at New York Magazine, crafts an engrossing tale of intrigue, mystery, and obsession. The book chronicles his efforts at solving the 1971 skyjacking of Northwest Orient Flight 305. With a suspect and a Pulitzer prize in mind, Gray set out on his journey optimistic and full of hope that he could achieve his objectives relatively quickly. He soon found out it wouldn't be that easy uncovering the hijacker named Dan Cooper (erroneously reported as D.B. Cooper soon after the hijacking). Gray delves into the life histories of several suspects including airline employee Kenneth Christiansen, career criminal Duane Weber, Bobby Dayton who later became Barbara Dayton, and former Green Beret and Mormon Sunday school teacher Richard Floyd McCoy. These strange and bizarre characters warrant a book of their own. Ultimately, Gray descends into a near madness that some describe as the Cooper curse. He does keep it together enough to detail his dealings with FBI agents, amateur sleuths, and assorted Cooper conspiracists. Come along for this thrilling plane ride, but be warned - bring a parachute.

When reading Knock In The Night(www.lulu.com), one is prone to forget the celebrated artist that Balazs Szabo is and discover that he is every bit the talented writer as he is painter. But Szabo's book is not a work of fiction, but a raw, revealing, riveting childhood memoir of a life lived under Soviet domination and occupation in 1950's Hungary. And while some might like to dismiss the book as some old Cold War relic, Szabo's memoir is as relevant today as ever. Sure, the old Soviet empire doesn't exist anymore but ruthless dictators, tyrants, Islamic fundamentalists, and yes still some hardline communist regimes (North Korea, Burma) flourish while tightly controlling all aspects of their subject's lives. Extremely well written, the book contains historical narrative interwoven with Szabo's remarkable story. The book begins with a frenzied, harrowing escape into neighboring Austria on the heels of the Hungarian uprising in 1956. The book ends the same way. In between are chapters detailing family life, the failures of the "perfect" society, coming of age foibles, and of course the yearning to be free. Balazs (pronounced Balage) is the son of prominent Hungarian stage and screen star Sandor Szabo. He along with his equally talented actress wife Kati as well as Balazs's maternal grandparents figure prominently in his memoir. And while the day to day existence was dreary and at times unbearable, Szabo adds some levity with that great Hungarian sense of humor he possesses. One story in the book involves a pet pig, his grandfather, and the farmer's daughter. Other hilarious hijinks ensue but one could never get too comfortable in a closed society that was 1950's Hungary. One feared the knock in the night when the Hungarian secret police hauled you in for torture or worse - forced labor in a Soviet gulag over real or perceived threats to the state. Of course the Hungarian rebellion was dealt with swiftly and severely but you do get the feeling from reading the book that the fates of the Hungarian people would have turned out much differently if the U.S. would have dared intervened in that conflict. Others insist that would have caused a much wider conflict. I'll leave it to historians to judge that. But that is another reason the book is so relevent. We are asking the same kinds of questions today with the involvement or lack thereof in Libya, Syria, and any number of Middle Eastern countries. Remember the Arab spring which has turned into the Arab summer? Szabo and his family's remarkable journey would eventually take them to America where he has enjoyed a long career as an artist (www.balazsart.com). It would only seem fitting for a young artist steeped in communist ideology would someday find his freedom in America and paint the portrait of Capitalism's ultimate successes - Ray Croc, he of McDonald's fame. Some have compared the memoir to that of The Diary Of Anne Frank for its candid portrayal of life lived under a terrorist regime. It gained the attention and endorsement of former titan of the auto industry Lee Iacocca. It's a must read for anyone who values free expression, and the democratic ideals of a free society.

Rawhide Down is a gripping, comprehensive account of the March 30, 1981 assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan. Del Quentin Wilber, a reporter for the Washington Post definitely has a reporter's eye when it comes to detail and meticulous research. Just the facts. yes but Wilber delivers a spell binding, humanizing tale of those involved in that eventful day. From secret service agents to hospital staff, everyone kept their cool and professionalism for the most part. Wilber relates a story about one of the operating room nurses who after Reagan's surgery was complete, extended a middle finger to one of the secret service agents who doggedly watched her every move during the ordeal. The agent laughed, which certainly help to break the tension. Even John Hinckley comes across as one of the most calm, composed suspects seasoned FBI agents and DC police ever came across. The one person who came away from this ordeal with a tarnished reputation was then Secretary of State "I'm in charge here" Al Haig. A man who should know better erroneously put himself ahead in the constitutionally designated pecking order. Of course Reagan never transferred authority to the one who would be in charge if he ever were capacitated - George Bush. Bush was travelling back from a trip to Texas when he received news of the assassination attempt. The full extent of Reagan's injuries weren't revealed at the time. Wilber surmises that if a quick decision wasn't made to go to the George Washington Hospital instaed of the White House, Reagan wouldn't have survived. There was some hand wringing by doctors on whether to even take the bullet out. But leaving it in would produce unintenional political consequences. It was taken out. The title of the book refers to Reagan's secret service code name Rawhide. His presidential limousine named Stagecoach. In his account of that day, Wilber confirms some long held beliefs about the former president. His days were heavily scripted as he wanted it. He left day to day details about running the govenment to underlings. But Reagan had a superior memory and wit. When he needed to, Reagan could trot out old movie lines at just the right moment. His famous line about hoping the hospital staff were "all Republicans" was actually said twice before it caught on. The staff marvelled at how physically fit he was and also fascinated by his "unnatuarally dark hair". One must remember that two others were shot that day as well - agent Tim Mccarthy and press secretary Jim Brady. McCarthy recovered quickly from his wounds but Brady was shot in the head and at first was pronounced dead. Brady of course would go on to live but suffer a catastophic brain injury. It is he whose name appears on the gun control legislation known as The Brady Bill.

I've tried to capture the current mood of the nation with these song lyrics dealing with oil spills, immigration, Afghanistan, and general disillusionment.

It's Tough All Over (c) Les Marcott 2010

There's oil gushing into the deep blue sea
It's washed up on shore just a mile from me
The shrimp boats won't be going out
The tourists won't be coming in
There's nobody brave enough to take a swim

It's tough all over
In the cities and the towns
It's tough all over
C'mon and kick me when I'm down

I worked with this guy on a landscaping crew
He was a hard working fellow
He bled red, white, and blue
But before you knew it
They took him back home on a bus
All the while I was thinking he was one of us

It's tough all over
In the cities and the towns
It's tough all over
C'mon and kick me when I'm down

I had a brother who served in Afghanistan
He was shot out of the sky
Looking for a safe place to land
There would be no homecoming
There would be no parade
Just wave Old Glory
And pretend it's all ok

And it's tough all over
In the cities and the towns
It's tough all over
C'mon and kick me when I'm down

You can stick your pins and needles
Into your voodoo doll
You can nail your seven curses
Next to my picture on the wall
You can raise your fist in anger
But it will not change a thing
You're as helpless as a bird with a broken wing

It's tough all over
In the cities and the towns
It's tough all over
C'mon and kick me when I'm down

It's tough all over
For them who haven't got
It's tough all over
I think I heard another shot

As a child he was a steel guitar prodigy who once sat in the lap of Hank Williams. He was there at the start of the San Francisco music scene when the Grateful Dead were called the Warlocks. He had his own group called the Sir Douglas Quintet. At first they were paraded around as one of the British Invasion groups but they weren't British - they were from San Antonio, Texas. He hung out with Bob Dylan. He was a hippie, a cosmic cowboy and occassionally a redneck. He was once named Chicano of the year by Rolling Stone (he wasn't Chicano). In the 70's he helped spark a music scene in Austin, Texas that would generate fans worldwide. His name? Doug Sahm of course. Now we have a long overdue biography which explores the incredible life of this music trailblazer. Written by veteran Texas writer Jan Reid with assistance from Doug's musically talented son Shawn, we get a view into the life of one of this state's musical treasures. Though Reid focuses on the man's immense talents as a musician, he doesn't gloss over Sahm's failings (artistically and otherwise) which leads to a fuller picture of the man. Though Sahm's songs were not as lyrical as say a Dylan, they were no less memorable. Play the songs She's About A Mover and Mendocino and I swear they'll stay in your head for hours. Reid also takes note of Sahm's influence on the lives and careers of Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez, Roky Erickson, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Toward the end of his career, Sahm started the Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados which featured Fender, Jimenez, and Augie Meyers. Many came to know Sahm and his music due to the formation of this group but unfortunately the writing is a little skimpy on this chapter of his life. Sahm died in 1999 due to a heart attack, but thanks to Reid his memory and his music live on.

Former professional wrestler and maverick Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura has shocked us all again by engaging in a new career as a professional conspiracy theorist. His new book bears this out as well as his stint as host of his own show on trutv. At least he hasn't given in to the urge to partake in some dreadful reality show. In the book, Ventura does bring up a lot of interesting questions about political assassinations, CIA connections, the electoral process, Watergate as well as other uniquely American historical events. But Ventura like a lot of other conspiracy theorists tends to overreach with his conclusions. For instance, the major political assassinations this country has suffered originated from the CIA produced MK-Ultra program according to Ventura. This top secret program dealt with mind control and it may have succeeded all to well according to its critics. While Ventura offers some interesting observations, more evidence needs to be supplied to skeptics. Ventura also delves into the pre- MK-Ultra assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Calling this a conspiracy is not exactly news. Several books and articles over the last several decades including the recent Manhunt by James L. Swanson lays out the cast of characters who assisted John Wilkes Booth in his dirty deed. Ventura decries the fact that this conspiracy is not taught in schools and textbooks. But the problem probably lies in the complexity of those times and the ability of young minds to grasp it all. Ventura also examines 911 and the fall of the twin towers. Again, he makes some interesting points about the highjackers and alleged CIA contacts but goes off track when he alleges the towers were brought down by explosives instead of an aircraft. Ventura is not the first to suggest this, but here is the problem with that accusation. Where are the witnesses to this massive undertaking of bringing such a huge amount of tnt into the World Trade Center. As busy as that place was, no one saw anything remotely suspicious over the months and weeks leading up to 911? Tons of explosives would have to brought in and hidden. No one noticed? Ventura makes his strongest case for conspiraciy when it comes to the possible hijacking of elections in this country. He shows how voting machines can be tampered with remotely and that the companies who contract with counties to provide these machines and associated services are big contributors to Republican candidates. Scary indeed. His research on cult leader Jim Jones and the events surrounding Watergate may ultimately lead somewhere. More work needs to be done. Of course getting to the truth of the matter of a lot of these events is forever difficult due to the government's lack of transparency. Important documents are conveniently "lost" or "stolen" or simply held back due to "national security" concerns. And while we always need to keep an open mind, we also need to follow the preponderance of the evidence. So what we have here with this book is a mixed bag. A much needed look into some of these great controversies of American history but a controversy doesn't always equal a conspiracy, But if you want to write another book Jesse, I will definitely read it.

A memoir filled with humor, introspection, and wonderful showbiz stories as recounted by the one and only Paul Shaffer. We all know Paul - David Letterman's long running musical director and comic foil. What many don't know is that Paul appeared on SNL in its infancy and flirted briefly with having a television show of his own. Beside his Late Show duties, Shaffer is in great demand as a session musician and musical director of such ceremonies as the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. At times, Shaffer seems like one of those guys on facebook who brags about the number of friends he has and the postings of photos of himself taken with various celebrities. But Paul can be forgiven for all of that. After all, he possesses real talent and has played behind nearly every music superstar of the last quarter century. He even has an obligatory Bob Dylan chapter which leads the book. Shaffer simply loves show bizness and all it entails. (You'll love reading about his long running spoof of the James Brown cape routine.) He also loves his Orthodox Jewish faith and his family that help keep him anchored which is made abundantly clear in the book. A standup guy and an excellent storyteller. Showbiz could use a few more Paul Shaffers.

In his book Always Been There, Michael Streissguth attempts a part bio, part exploration of Rosanne Cash's latest recording project, and part analysis of the current state of the recording industry itself. Streissguth is no stranger to the Cash family as he has written an excellent bio of Johnny Cash. The List stems from essential country songs Cash thought his daughter should know as she began her own performing career. Written down and long tucked away, Rosanne has finally come to terms with that canon of classic songs and ready to pass them on to the next generation. The problem is that the actual list is never found. Rosanne has had to rely on memory and her own intuition as to what songs should be recorded. Much agonizing and hand wringing over the list and what it should and shouldn't contain bog the book down at times. This worry also makes its way into the actual recording studio where Cash's husband John Leventhal produces. Undoubtedly the most talented of the Cash/Carter clan, Rosanne has none the less gone to great lengths to get out of the huge shadow of her iconic father. Her emotions and feelings, which Streissguth is all too willing to showcase also weigh the book down. So much so that Rosanne and the book are prime subjects for an Oprah episode. Nothing wrong with Oprah, but I would prefer a little less of her and a lot more about the spirit of southern music. Unfortunately, there are instances in the book in which Cash comes across as a diva. Maybe not the author's intent but the impression lingers. In the end, list or no list the finished project is marvelous. It is perhaps one of the best recordings of last year and one her father would proudly welcome. And if you have the rare chance to see her and Leventhal perform, you will witness magic onstage and observe the greatness of Rosanne Cash and forget the character flaws displayed in the book. With The List, Rosanne has finally come to terms with her father's legacy. Hopefully she can come to terms with her own.