Hi friends!

Writing from Manhattan, where I’ve come to visit good friends, play with them and others, see some shows, visit some museums, and — deliver my novel “Heart Island” to the  Bellwether Prize! I figured as long as I was coming here, to New York (first time in ages!) I could hand-deliver the manuscript, making sure it didn’t get lost in the mail, or any other mishap occur to mess up its entry. Did you know I’ve entered HEART ISLAND in a perfectly-suited literary competition for this latest of 4 novels I’ve written (ALL soon coming to you via eBooks) ? I’ve mentioned it before here on Lord Flea, but for those who missed that post, please visit bellwetherprize.org to find out more details. The criteria for this competition is “unpublished, socially-engaged novel” … and that’s HEART ISLAND (read some chapters HERE).

Because I can’t get my WordPress app to work, here in the mecca of everything (ain’t that ironic!) I’ll have to wait till later to post photos of this glorious visit (The 9/11 memorial, so stunningly sacred; the emptiness of Zuccotti/Liberty Park, where the Occupy Wall Street was thrown out just a short while ago; the profusion of lights in Rockefeller Square; the opulent windows of Bergdorf’s; etc. etc.). This post is just a quick report about what’s up with Lordflea, here in the Big Apple. Without illustrations you’ll get the feel of my mood more than the city’s.

First of all, I’m an ex-New Yorker. This little town (ha!)  is like going back to my ol’ stompin’ grounds. There’s all new everywhere, but yet it’s all so familiar. Instead of grimy, edgy downtown Tribeca where I used to live, there is now trendy uptown, crowdedness of my former, out-of-the-way neighborhood. When I lived in So-So-Ho (what I laughingly call Tribeca, which is south of Soho) it was equivalent to having a lonesome, isolated cabin up  in the woods of Maine, it was that removed from the hub of the frenetic city, and really was no-man’s land back in the early 80s. Now, of course, it’s just as busy and residential as uptown neighborhoods, yet without the posh elite-ness of the upper Eastside, or the relaxed, everyman’s, family-feeling of the baby-stroller-filled upper Westside. My first home group, when I got sober in AA, was in the World Trade Center, to where I’d walk each morning for my 7:30 am meetings. So you can imagine it’s nostalgic beyond the ordinary sentiment visitors experience, when I went with my friend Jenna to view the surprising power and majesty of the National 9/11 Memorial. Two massive water sculptures represent the footprints of the two annihilated towers, combining elegiac significance in the use of stillness (on the outside of the squares), rushing motion (as the water falls off the edge), and mystical infinity (when the fountain’s rushing water falls into the seemingly bottomless square in the sculptural tribute’s center). This memorial must be SEEN, and FELT firsthand to be appreciated. Even when I do put my photos up, it will never do the appropriate tribute of the 9/11 Memorial its just dues. Please go visit this spectacular place, the Memorial, when next you’re in Manhattan, or make a special trip just to do this one thing. Entry tickets are free, yet you must reserve a time to view the vast, spacious, outdoor park-like memorial, which covers many blocks’ worth of area. The reason for this designated time-slot (there is no fee whatsoever) is to ensure safety and no over-crowding, especially during this time of continuous constructing of  the area surrounding the memorial (which opened in time for the attack’s 10th anniversary, this past September 11, 2011). Crystal-shaped skyscrapers can be seen  in various stages of fabrication in all directions. When this area is completed, i’m sure there will be more open-ness about visiting the footprint monument. But for now, it’s highly restricted. And please don’t get offended by the amount of security visitors must go through, the same as when we fly these days. This site is a highly vulnerable place for zealots to take aim at, so just go along with the checkpoints and stop whining! The memorial is still sacred even if you must go through security. You will feel like you’ve traveled to the highest mountaintop to view the two watery eyes of The Eternal when you stand before the fountains (exactly the same, except for the names of all thousands of victims of the combined attacks in Manhattan, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC).

That’s enough for now! A lot to read, correct? Attention-distracted junkies have probably moved on with more clicking! wanting MORE pictures! Okay, okay, i’ll try my app again. Must be a glitch here at my friends’ apartment. But I promise i’ll get some nice shots up for you asap.

All Light from my heart to yours,

your pal Lordflea