More Scattered Thoughts on Another Sweltering Afternoon

Afternoon, Friday, July 11, 2025, Miami, Florida

Hi, everyone.

Today was Laundry Day for me on this sweltering last day of the regular workweek. As you know, I have never been able to write well on the day I must deal with doing two loads of laundry (one for the clothes I wear, the other for my bedding); I am a competent writer but a so-so multitasker.

So instead of writing this blog post in fits and starts, I waited till I was done with the Battle of the Laundry Room so I could devote some time, energy, and creativity to produce a continuation of yesterday’s post, Scattered Thoughts on a Sweltering Afternoon.

Without further ado, let’s push on, shall we?

1. The psychological underpinning of the MAGA movement isn’t a genuine belief that Donald Trump and his policies are the Republican Party’s version of FDR’s New Deal or that they’ll somehow restore America to its greatness immediately after World War II. It’s a deep-rooted desire by many white American conservatives to punish those who benefit the most from the changes in American society since the Great Depression and the Second World War: blacks, Latinos, women, and LGBTQ folks. They’re so intent on doing this that they’re willing to turn the U.S. into a fascist authoritarian regime that benefits the wealthy classes and their lackeys.
2. Many of the characters in my “Garratyverse” – Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen – are named after people from my childhood and adolescence. Jim’s best friend, Mark Prieto, and his first lover, Kelly Moore, are the most prominent. A few other minor characters (including Mark’s prom date, Debbie Voss) were named for kids I went to school with at Tropical Elementary, Riviera Jr. High, and South Miami Sr. High.
3. Speaking of my Jim Garraty stories: Reviewers have been consistently positive in their feedback to Reunion, Coda, and Comings and Goings, but I don’t understand why someone would think Jim is hoping to reunite with Marty, especially since readers who read both books in the Duology understand that Marty died (offscreen) shortly before the events of Book 1. Yes, Reunion: Coda can be read as “its own thing.” But skipping Reunion isn’t a good idea….
4. My favorite films of all time, in no particular order, are Casablanca, Superman (1978), Summer of ’42, A Bridge Too Far, When Harry Met Sally, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Misery, Apollo 13, and West Side Story (2021)
5.  I have far too many favorite books to list them all, but I’ll give you my Top Five Favorite Novels: 11/22/63 (Stephen King), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Red Storm Rising (Tom Clancy), The Burning Mountain (Alfred Coppel), and Salem’s Lot (Stephen King)
6. As for non-fiction books, here are five of my favorites: A Bridge Too Far (Cornelius Ryan), Apollo 13 (Jim Lovell & Jeffrey Kluger), Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway (Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully), Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War (Rick Atkinson), Guests of the Ayatollah (Mark Bowden)