My latest Hollywood war story concerns the licensing of my mystery character, Fiona FitzGerald, the heroine of my six mystery books, to Lifetime Television for a potential one-hour series.

Tottering between hope and reluctance, I allowed my agent to proceed with the deal. I was partnered with a producer who was supposed to shepherd the development through the network minefield leading to a pilot from which the network would judge whether to move forward to a regular series.

As always, I assumed that as the creator of the material, my input would be solicited and respected as the project moved forward. It is, of course, a weakness in my character to be addicted with such a delusion since I know from bitter experience that once my work falls into the hands of the Hollywood crowd it disappears into a mist of creative confusion and imaginative paralysis.

Fiona’s character and the geography of her world was so clearly defined in my six books that I could not remotely contemplate any but the most minor changes.…

Read more: The Fiona Fiasco!

When I was a kid growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Hoffman’s Cafeteria was a fixture on Pitkin Avenue, the main bustling shopping thoroughfare that snaked through this mostly Jewish working class immigrant neighborhood. Every night, in fair or foul weather, people, mostly men, gathered in groups to discuss their grievances in free-for-all ranting sessions that went on well into the night.

They argued, accused, inveighed, advocated, cursed and shouted their various points of view. Nothing was sacred. Nothing was off-limits, certainly not the traditional no-no’s of politics or religion. It was long before political correctness took hold on the public square.

To many, in the days before television and radio talk shows, it was the principal recreation of a certain segment of the population who reveled in any discussion of politics and public affairs and who today are addicted to such activities. The main issues, as always, were injustice, unfairness, discrimination, inequity, corruption, prejudice and bigotry.…

Read more: Internet Hate Bazaar