Memos From Purgatory
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Memos From Purgatory
''Memos from Purgatory'' is Harlan Ellison's account of his experience with juvenile gangs when he joined one to research them for his first novel, ''Web of the City''. It also describes the author's experience during an overnight stay in jail. Contents * New Introduction: Memo '83 (1983 edition) * New Introduction: Memo '75 (1975 edition) * Memo '69 (1969 and 1975 editions) * A Message from the Sponsor * Prologue * Book One: The Gang ** Nine chapters * Transition * Book Two: The Tombs ** Seven chapters * Conclusion Summary The book is divided into two main sections, separated by a shorter transition. "Book One: The Gang" is devoted to Ellison's ten weeks as a member of a street gang he calls The Barons, in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York considered one of the most dangerous areas of the city in 1954. His goal was to research what became his first novel, ''Web of the City''. Thus Ellison was in regular contact with his literary agent during his time in the ...
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Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'', described Ellison as "the only living organism I know whose natural habitat is hot water." His published works include more than 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, comic book scripts, teleplays, essays, and a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media. Some of his best-known works include the 1967 '' Star Trek'' episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (he subsequently wrote a book about the experience that includes his original screenplay), his ''A Boy and His Dog'' cycle, and his short stories " I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" and " 'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman". He was also editor and anthologist for '' Dangerous Visions'' (1967) and '' Again, Dangerous Visions'' (1972). ...
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22 Short
.22 Short is a variety of .22 caliber (5.6 mm) rimfire ammunition. Developed in 1857 for the first Smith & Wesson revolver, the .22 rimfire was the first American metallic cartridge. The original loading was a bullet and of black powder. The original .22 rimfire cartridge was renamed .22 Short with the introduction of the .22 Long in 1871. Developed for self defense, the modern .22 Short, though still used in a few pocket pistols and mini-revolvers, is mainly used as a quiet round for practice by the recreational shooter. The .22 Short was popularly used in shooting galleries at fairs and arcades; several rifle makers produced "gallery" models for .22 Short exclusively. Due to its low recoil and good inherent accuracy, the .22 Short was used for the Olympic 25 meter rapid fire pistol event until 2004, and they were allowed in the shooting part of modern pentathlon competitions before they switched to air pistols. Several makes of starter pistols use .22 Short blank ca ...
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1983 Non-fiction Books
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the true Internet). * January 24 – Twenty-five members of the Red Brigades are sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1978 murder of Italian politician Aldo Moro. * January 25 ** High-ranking Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia. ** IRAS is launched from Vandenberg AFB, to conduct the world's first all-sky infrared survey from space. February * February 2 – Giovanni Vigliotto goes on trial on charges of polygamy involving 105 women. * February 3 – Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Fraser is granted a double dissolution of both houses of parliament, for elections on March 5, 1983. As Fraser is being granted the dissolution, Bill Hayden resigns as leader of the Australian Labor Party, and in the subseq ...
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Walter Koenig
Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (1967–1969). He went on to reprise this role in all six original-cast ''Star Trek'' films. He has also acted in several other series and films including ''Goodbye, Raggedy Ann'' (1971), ''The Questor Tapes'' (1974), and ''Babylon 5'' (1993). In addition to his acting career, Koenig has made a career in writing as well and is known for working on ''Land of the Lost'' (1974),'' Family'' (1976), ''What Really Happened to the Class of '65?'' (1977) and ''The Powers of Matthew Star'' (1982). Early life Koenig was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of businessman Isadore Koenig and his wife Sarah (née Strauss). They moved to the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan when Walter was a child, where he went to school. Koenig's parents were R ...
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James Caan (actor)
James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974). He received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978. After early roles in Howard Hawks's ''El Dorado'' (1966), Robert Altman's ''Countdown'' (1967) and Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Rain People'' (1969), Caan gained acclaim for his portrayal of Brian Piccolo in the 1971 television movie ''Brian's Song'' for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nomination. Caan received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in the drama '' The Gambler'' (1974), and the musical ''Funny Lady'' (1975). He continued to receive significant roles in feature films such as ''Cinderella Liberty'' (1973) ...
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The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was renamed ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour''. Hitchcock himself directed only 18 episodes during its run. By the time the show premiered on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades. ''Time'' magazine named ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' as one of "The 100 Best TV Shows of All Time". The Writers Guild of America ranked it #79 on their list of the 101 Best-Written TV Series, tying it with ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. In 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it 18th on its list of 30 Best Horror TV Shows of All Time. A series of literary anthologies with the running title ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' were issued to capitalize on the success of the telev ...
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Ted White (author)
Theodore Edwin White (born February 4, 1938) is a Hugo Award-winning American science fiction writer, editor and fan, as well as a music critic. He writes and edits as Ted White. In addition to books and stories written under his own name, he has also co-authored novels with Dave van Arnam as Ron Archer, and with Terry Carr as Norman Edwards. Author, editor, critic and DJ Fandom origins Since the time he was a teenager, White has been a prolific contributor to science fiction fanzines, and in 1968 he won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. His skill as an essayist is evident in "The Bet", a memoir of a tense day in 1960 when a dispute over a record owned by music critic Linda Solomon prompted fellow science fiction writer Harlan Ellison to bet his entire record collection against a single record in White's collection, and then renege on the deal. Despite his considerable professional credits, White maintains that his achievements in fandom mean more to him than anything else ...
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Grand Jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand jury is separate from the courts, which do not preside over its functioning. Originating in England during the Middle Ages, grand juries are only retained in two countries, the United States and Liberia. Other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most others now employ a different procedure that does not involve a jury: a preliminary hearing. Grand juries perform both accusatory and investigatory functions. The investigatory functions of grand juries include obtaining and reviewing documents and other evidence, and hearing sworn testimonies of witnesses who appear before it; the accusatory function determines whether there is probable cause to believe that one or more persons committed a particula ...
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Sullivan Act
The Sullivan Act was a gun control law in New York state that took effect in 1911. Chapter 195, enacted May 25, 1911, effective September 1, 1911. The NY state law requires licenses for New Yorkers to possess firearms small enough to be concealed. Private possession of such firearms without a license was a misdemeanor, and carrying them in public is a felony. The law was the subject of controversy regarding both its selective enforcement and the licensing bribery schemes it enabled. The act was named for its primary legislative sponsor, state senator Timothy Sullivan, a Tammany Hall Democrat. For handguns, the Sullivan Act qualifies as a ''may issue'' act, meaning the local police have discretion to issue a concealed carry license, as opposed to a ''shall issue'' act, in which state authorities ''must'' give a concealed handgun license to any person who satisfies specific criteria, often a background check and a safety class. According to a 2022 study, the law had no impact on ...
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No-Doz
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class. It is mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally as a Nootropic, cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine to the adenosine A1 receptor, which enhances release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Caffeine has a three-dimensional structure similar to that of adenosine, which allows it to bind and block its receptors. Caffeine also increases Cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cyclic AMP levels through nonselective inhibition of phosphodiesterase. Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline purine, a methylxanthine alkaloid, and is chemically related to the adenine and guanine nucleobase, bases of DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and RNA, ribonucleic acid (RNA). It is found in the seeds, fruits, nuts, or leaves of a number of plants native to Africa, East Asia and South America, and helps to prote ...
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The Tombs
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with pronouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of pronoun ''thee'') when followed by a v ...
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The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creative community of New York City. It ceased publication in 2017, although its online archives remained accessible. After an ownership change, the ''Voice'' reappeared in print as a quarterly in April 2021. Over its 63 years of publication, ''The Village Voice'' received three Pulitzer Prizes, the National Press Foundation Award, and the George Polk Award. ''The Village Voice'' hosted a variety of writers and artists, including writer Ezra Pound, cartoonist Lynda Barry, artist Greg Tate, and film critics Andrew Sarris, Jonas Mekas and J. Hoberman. In October 2015, ''The Village Voice'' changed ownership and severed all ties with former parent company Voice Media Group (VMG). The ''Voice'' announced on August 22, 2017, that it would cease p ...
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