Are You Experienced?

It was 38 years ago today that rock legend and pioneer Jimi Hendrix died in London. The true circumstances of his death have never been fully explained.

I am Superman

Who would have ever imagined that when two teenagers named Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created a character by the name of Superman, seventy years ago, that he would become such a part of our cultural landscape? Superman is perhaps the most recognizable character not just in the United States but around the world as well.

This is evident by the number of shows, films, radio and television serials, comics, books and daily strips all based around The Man of Steel. Not to mention all the different kinds of merchandising, from clothing, jewelry and other apparel to backpacks, coffee mugs, toys, video games and even mouse pads. Apparently, he's even a close friend of Jerry Seinfeld.



Superman has been portrayed on TV by such actors as George Reeves in the 1950's Adventures of Superman to Dean Cain in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Of course when most of people think of Superman on the big screen, they probably think about Christopher Reeve from the Superman Movies.

But I believe that it is Clark Kent, Superman's alter-ego, that many can identify with. Clark is your everyman. The regular guy who has the heart of a hero. Which brings me to the purpose of this post.

When author Brad Meltzer(who penned several Justice League of America graphic novels), whose latest work The Book of Lies, visited Ohio doing research, he saw something that was considered a shame. The birthplace of Superman, not the Planet Krypton, but the house in which Jerry Siegel had lived, had fallen into disrepair.



It is truly sad when any home falls into disrepair, but especially if it's the home of someone who gave the world such an enduring character. This is where we all can try and bring out the hero in us. When several Cleveland residents and comic book creators learned about the condition of the house, they founded the Siegel and Shuster Society, whose aim is to save the Supeman House. So what do you say? Are you ready to rip open that shirt, reveal that 'S' and become a hero?

As an interesting note, Meltzer's The Book of Lies also touches on the 1932 murder of Jerry Siegel's father, Mitchell. Interestingly enough, in all the interviews that Jerry Siegel has given, is none of them does he mention that his father was killed in an armed robbery.

"But think about it," Meltzer says, in a USA TODAY on-line article. "Your father dies in a robbery, and you invent a bulletproof man who becomes the world's greatest hero. I'm sorry, but there's a story there."

Lennon's Lyrics Auctioned

The hand written lyrics for John Lennon's song "Give Peace a Chance" were auctioned off at Christie's for the tidy sum of $833,654.

They Say it's Your Birthday!!

William Shakespeare
April 23, 1564 ~
April 23, 1616

• Playwright
• Actor
• Man of many "True Identities"

Whomever you may be,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILL!!

"A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age."
--- Benedick, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2, Scene 3

Odds and Ends

All in the family
This month, two second generation writers will all have new offerings.

• The Genius by Jesse Kellerman
• Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark

Novel Writing
There are numerous books on how to write a novel, so why aren't there any books that tell you how NOT to write a novel? Good news. Now there is. You can check it out here.

Happy Birthday Converse!
I'm sure at some point in their life, many people owned at least one pair of Chuck Taylor canvas sneakers. Today, there are a multitude of colors and patterns. It may be hard to believe, but it's been 100 years since Marquis Mills Converse began making simple, rubber-sole work shoes in a factory outside Boston that would eventually lead to one of the most popular shoes of all time. Shoes have always come and gone, but those Chucks were always there.

The classics never die

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY, LEGO!

That's right, those colorful little interlocking bricks have been around for fifty years now. That's half a century of creative building fun.

Despite all the new high tech "toys", Lego continues to hold onto it's spot in popular culture around the world. There are very few who haven't owned at least a basic Lego set at some point in their life. Over the years, a myriad of different sets have been manufactured, from Star Wars to Ancient Egypt. But it's the heart of the toy that continues to endure.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to my attic to dig out my own set of Legos.

Do you remeber where you were?

The above question often refers to the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy.

How about this now: Do you remember where you were when John Lennon was assassinated?

It was twenty-seven years ago yesterday when former Beatle John Lennon was gunned down outside The Dakota in New York City by Mark David Chapman.

Following his death there have been all sorts of theories about it. One of them was that Mark David Chapman was a brainwashed assassin for the government because they saw Lennon as a threat to "the establishment." (You can read a more detailed article on that theory here)

As for myself, I don't dwell too much on the theories of political assassination. It can be a real headache sometimes. I instead just think about how Lennon was able to touch so many people with his music and non-violent activism.

I am reminded of a story that my girlfriend told me once: She and her father were in The Hard Rock Cafe in Boston when "Imagine" came on. Everyone there, stopped what they were doing to sing along. After the song was over, it went back to business as usual. That one moment shows just how influential the power of Lennon's words still is.