I'm even reading another book, actually three books at the same time. One from New York, which is a collection of old New York newspaper columns, one on Kindle for my guilt-free pleasure and one fine fiction. And we will add Bourdieu's articles to my seminary, where else did I get time to start and finish another book before all these?
So that's how, when you read the column here every week, at the end you meet my picture and a few more words about me. In the third descriptive sentence, before the word writer, it says 'Feng Shui consultant'. well yeah. One of my occupations is to make sure that my clients' homes and businesses are a supportive place for them, an area free from criticism where they feel they can be themselves as they are, and that every object in their environment will be something that will lift their energies just by looking at it. This is of course a lofty ambition and a house is a living, breathing and changing thing, just like everything in life and work on it is continuous.
There are periods in my house too. And in the last few weeks I felt that I needed to refresh and organize and organize. And actually, maybe as one of my writer friends wrote this week, that every time he writes a book he falls in love with the profession of cleaning at the same time - because like you get the books ready, for us it's not that easy to sit down and write them so even dusting seems like a good decision to postpone the moment.
So a week ago I decided on writing a new book and while I was working on it I decided that I needed to dust it off a bit and create a more supportive environment in which I could write comfortably.
When the table was arranged and at least where my eyes squinted they found only support all around, came the little voice that said 'No, you can't write yet, you have the e-mail box to clean'. Do you also get endless messages over the years? The ones you keep because someday you intend to get to them? Well, I can vouch for myself that I will indeed reach them.
Johnny Boy / Yonatan Yalon
Once a quarter I refresh the mailbox and try to finish a matter with at least one of the rejected emails. I'm in good shape, I think, most of the emails are from 2023 or older. But there was one and only and special and important to me from the year 2022, from a beautiful and important date like this email - November 26, that you the one reader knows that I am full of gratitude every year on this date because you exist. Anyway, on November 26, 2022, my writer friend sent me Yonatan Yalon his book Johnny Boy.
Johnny Boy has all the ingredients that people born in my time would fly over - the 80's and the music that came with it. The book is structured like a brilliant documentary in which the author traces the forgotten figure of a singer who left behind one hit that everyone remembers but beyond that disappeared from the music world's radar. The writing is so convincing that I'm a little ashamed but still admit that while reading I googled the name of the fake singer, even though I should have remembered from what Jonathan wrote that this specific singer does not exist.
The great thing about writing was to interweave it in a real world with the names of the singers and bands we love and as per the old tradition - all the names are translated into Hebrew and this made me burst out laughing with every new paragraph. Yonatan took the Hebrew translation to the extreme and it's great, in my opinion.
I don't even know why I haven't read the book until today because before it was published I was really looking forward to it. Actually, I have to be precise and say that I didn't know why I didn't read the book until now, but this week I realized - it arrived just in time, because the book I started writing these days takes place in the 80's and 90's and there is nothing more enjoyable than staying in the period I am writing about even when I am not typing the words.
This greatly contributed to my enjoyment, but regardless, if you feel like something pan and interesting, and even if Johnny Boy is fake, we know this story of that famous man, which is what happened to him, and you can't help but think again about the price of fame and who manages to live with it and who getting hard
A quote I connected with regarding the role of musicians in our lives: "I think that even if I wasn't at that show myself, the way Claire tells about it resonates with me other shows I've been to, artists who have become significant figures in my life even though I've never met them in real life, and music that has become a part of me and forever connected me to different people and places."
In answer to the question you remaining או loose in my private library, Johnny Boy stays And I'm proud that it's among Sprey - in addition to the physical library, I also have a nice digital collection and it's among them.
When I go back to the 80s, I take comfort. Not because it was better or worse, but thanks to the perspective of the days when there was a horrible fashion that we loved to love, there was music that I see that the next generation also loves and there was also the Galilee Peace War. Even then there were all sorts and we still lived and did everything and could.
I therefore wish you days of capacity and inclusion and mutual affection for your home and your surroundings.
Pleasant reading and may good words be by your side always,
Lily