The Great Rememberer.

It is Friday 13^th, but I’m not bothered about all that superstitious nonsense. It has been a good day so far and promises to get even better. The post lady handed me some nice goodies earlier. Firstly, a hardback copy of Burmese Days by George Orwell. A friend who read my piece about Orwell a week ago said that it was one of their favourite books by him. I haven’t read that one, so I ordered a copy. I’ll tell you all about it in due course when I have read it. Also, a copy of Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara arrived. He is someone who I have heard a lot about, but never read, so I’ll write a review of that soon as well. Finally, I got a letter from a dear friend in Ireland who it is always nice to hear from. That was a great start to the day. 

There hasn’t been much interest in the books I have put up for sale so far, but undaunted I just put another on sale. It is the first UK edition of Visions Of Cody by Jack Kerouac 1973. I think that one will sell. As you probably know, Jack is one of my favourite writers. I don’t really need this copy though. I have it in paperback if I ever want to read it again, so I hope it goes to a good home. There is an introduction in it by Allen Ginsberg called The Great Rememberer. He is referring to Jack of course, but I used to like to think it also applied to me. I used to have a memory like a supergrass. It was so good I could even remember things that never happened!. I have noticed in recent years that my memory isn’t what it was. I meet people in the street and can’t even remember their names. I usually get away with it by saying, “Hello mate”. I can’t remember jokes anymore either. If I hear a good joke these days, I have to write it down or I forget it. Hopefully, reading and writing is good for keeping the brain active. 

Anyway, I can’t sit around here all day. I have places to go and people to see. I have been invited to a small gathering tonight to celebrate a friend’s birthday. That will be good because I haven’t seen a soul for ages. I haven’t had an alcoholic beverage for a week either, so that is something else to look forward to. See you later.