Wednesday, October 24, 2012

the story thus far, chapters 76 - 100

chapters 1-25

chapters 26-50

chapters 51-75

chapters with asterisks* edited by Prof. Dan Leo. others by rhoda penmarq





*76 - "Hank and Harold" - Michael/Henry strikes up conversation with lovesmitten pulp author Harold P Sternhagen outside Prince Hal Room, as Harold gazes at poster for Shirley de la Salle. Harold recounts some of his authorial credits to M/H.


*77 - "Ol' Man River" - continuation of 76 - Michael/Henry and Harold enter Prince Hal Room



78 - "a strange restlessness" -at the automat beside hotel. "the two bills" contemplate life and fate. flossie and hyacinth enter, both recognized by bill gray. introduce derelict BOWERY BETTY and her cat, change attendant/aspiring novelist POLLY POWELL (neither named)


*79 - "How High the Moon" - Michael/Henry and Harold, now in Prince Hal Room, sit down at table with Wolverington , Aunt Caroline, Fred Flynn and Farmer Brown.


80 - "i wouldn't mind having it" - back at automat - crippled newsboy JIMMY enters, with "extra" announcing increased reward for stan slade. jimmy accosts betty, flossie, hyacinth, the two bills, and polly in turn.



*81 - "Automat Dreams" - back story of Polly Powell, cashier at automat. Polly observes Flossie and Hyacinth at table, speculates about their relationship.



*82 - "the gen" - continuation of 82 - Flossie approaches Polly, questions her about Stan Slade. Polly begins novel in notebook.



83 - "girl friday" - back at collinson residence. despite expressing skepticism, fortescue agrees to investigate possible art theft for cosima. carol gives up on conrad and johnny, decides to return to michael/henry. but when she and fortescue take a cab together, she offers to work for him as secretary.



*84 - "20 C-notes" - Sniffy Smith and Rooster reappear, in automat. Sniffy details plan to further bilk Burgoyne and O'Toole.



85 - further adventures of jake - return to jake at ace cafe. he makes tentative "date" with gayle warning, then heads to all night drugstore. lullaby lewinsky tags along with him, hints at "proposition".



86 - "looking sharp" - back in room 603, stan slade reminisces about boyhood visits to fence max jacob's pawn shop. cosette returns, with some clothes for stan.



87 -"instinctive player" - continuation of poker game at red's cafe - angie is dealt a suspiciously good hand, decides not to play it



*88 - "it had come to this" - Rooster and Sniffy wait for the two bills at the Bowery Bar - back story of Rooster



89 - "the best theater" - ambrose the cab driver, after leaving angie at red's cafe, flashes back to his days as leftist agitator, with young angie and her sister, "red rosie" ricardo



90 - "the man who buys the mona lisa" - after departure of fortescue and carol, cosima and williams the butler share their knowledge of the mysterious art dealer "mister slomo" - a mythical creature to cosima but real to williams from his wartime experiences - more mention of the sinister corporal gray



91 - "again" - harold p sternhagen, stuck in the prince hal room with lord wolverington and company, composes new pulp story in his head. text of story.



•92 - "blue moon" - Sternhagen, awakened from his reverie in the Prince Hal Room, is stricken anew by Shirley's singing and beauty



93 - "a penny in the pistachio machine" - jake, still accompanied by lullaby lewinsky, makes purchases at all night drugstore under watchful eye of clerk/proprietor MIRIAM. much banter between the trio.



*94 - "The Ballad of Holy Joe" - return to Sniffy and Rooster in Bob's Bowery Bar. Rooster purchases poem from down and out poet HOWARD P STUDEBAKER, plans to publish it as his own. text of poem.



95 - "in the war" - returning to hotel from the drugstore, lullaby begins account of recently encountering old fellow soldier "gray" in times square



*96 - "Kid Conrad" - return to Collinson residence - Frisco Johnny Ramirez discusses prospective boxing career with Conrad, with emphasis on strict training regimen.



97 - "done wrong" - continuation of lullaby lewinsky's meeting with gray - they repair to angle bar in times square - introduce MISS LAURA LOU - gray complains of treatment after wartime experiences with colonel collinson, who he is looking for in new york, not realizing he is deceased



98 - "important guests" - gray continues his account of wartime experiences in and around berlin with colonel collinson - he describes setting up meeting with mysterious "important guests" outside berlin. introduce HERR SCHICK and HERR ARNDT.



*99 - "Dee-lish" - Sternhagen summons up nerve to approach Shirley de la Salle and offers to buy her a drink. Burgoyne and O'Toole appear,strike up conversation with Sternhagen and Shirley.



100 - "endless night" - reprise of action so far.





chapters 101 -

80. "i wouldn't mind having it"

by horace p sternwall

illustrated by roy dismas, and rhoda penmarq

editorial consultant: Prof.Dan Leo

for previous chapter, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here


click here for synopsis of all chapters so far







81. automat dreams