R.R. Hicks's Blog, page 2

An Open Note to Benin et. al.

February 10, 2016 Dear Benin/Diplomat/Secretaries of States/United Bank of Africa Couriers/UN Ambassadors/Mrs. Michelle Obama/Various and Sundry Agents of the FBI and Interpol: Thank you for your many, many ‘Urgent’ notices concerning the stolen/lost by courier/won lottery/long time owed by parties unclear/funds totaling $7.5/2.7/22(!)/4.3 million to me and kindly being held by the Benin Republic/The UN […]

Of Datsuns, Central Falls, Ziggy, and the Thin White Duke

Providence Rhode Island, late December, 1975, school’s on break but I’m stuck working  at the Marriott hotel. I’m working the ballrooms, we set up mid-afternoon, keep the bars stocked through a million Christmas parties back in the day when office Christmas parties were parties, tend some bar, bus tables, break down. It’s s blur, we’re […]

Garlic, Tolstoy, Mike Tyson, and Prison Exits

The forward for my upcoming book: Any Day Now, Travels Through the Criminal Justice System. A narrative non-fiction, pretty much travelogue of the system as it really is. No camps with colorful characters ala Piper and Mr. Smith, just the real thing. I was released from prison by court order. Immediate release. Immediate and prisons do […]

Ten Things Donald Trump Would Say If Jesus Came Back to Run Against Him in Iowa …

… And was gaining in the polls. I like people who weren’t captured and crucified by Romans. ‘Blessed are the meek?’ Are you kidding me? Putin will eat him alive. I’m just saying, his friends betrayed and denied him … Ya’ gotta wonder why. Guy rises from the dead and doesn’t get even … What […]

The Eleventh Minute of the … Have You Forgotten Yet?

Originally posted on rrhicks:
Perhaps if we take  a moment to remember that today is Veterans-Armistice-Remembrance Day; that at eleven past eleven this morning in 1918 The War to End All Wars ended; and then take another to really read Siegfried  Sassoon’s poem – written in the trenches – we would stop churning out veterans. HAVE you forgotten…

About that Civil War Novel in Seven Parts

William Hanlin needs help . . . okay, William’s obviously pretty self-reliant and the mysterious J.A.W. is long dead but, well, his story needs a little help getting out there. As some of you know, I’ve spent a lot of time since July putting together a narrative non-fiction book proposal with several sample chapters. That’s […]

And You May Ask Yourself …

… How did I get here? I had a sudden realization earlier this week that sort of rocked me. Perhaps it was an epiphany. Either way, it began an hour or so after listening to Tom Brady get all gushy about his personal trainer-slash-guru, then all preachy about his health regimen and reached full-blown ‘holy […]

About Mr. Smith . . .

According to the somewhat archaic rules of non-fiction book proposals I’m supposed to mention competing books (well, books with the same general theme), note what makes Any Day Now different, and not comment about quality – just in case the proposal ends up in front of the editor who green-lighted the book I slam. I’m not sure I get […]

Adventures While Running #478

I went off the road and cut through an overgrown lane through the woods … And a bear cub the size of a young Newfoundland cut across about 15 yards away, bounded into the tree line. I looked to my right, where he came from, in case mom was there. She wasn’t, she was a […]

Another Saturday Run and Tainted Love

Ten mile run way out in railroad trail boonies, musical decisions and wild thoughts: That’s it, I’ve had it, I’ve been wondering this for 40 some odd years and I’m no closer today than way back when  – what was he was doing with Julio down by the schoolyard and why was everyone so upset? […]