Anne Zender hipped me to a B-ton-based pub, The Pin-up, which provides arts and entertainment info in addition to running regular bits of history journalism such as Carol Krause’s recounting of attending a Dancing Cigarettes concert which also featured readings by John Giorno and William S. Burroughs in 1981 (my sometime partner in crime Bill Weaver is featured in a cameo appearance as a 21-year-old, I think); or the history of the East Asian or Indian woman who has gazed down on Kirkwood in my hometown since I can recall.

Authentic Bloomington character John Barge issued an update alert for his Wacky Hoosiers clip-o-rama celebration of the oddities that heavy corn farming can bring to the world (at Angelfire, so batten down). John notes:

“This month’s postings include:

• Libertarian Wins Office
• Hoosier Pagans
• Tex Terry, Cowboy B-Movie Star
• Soldier Patton Slapped Was From Indiana
• Cunning Hoosier Crimminal, The Midget
• Punk Rockers For Jesus

and many others!”

Uh, what else?

Carrol also has a fine reminisence of what I long thought my first riot experience, the NCAA riot in near downtown Bloomington. (This one features a cameo by my favorite boss of all time, one Paul Smedberg.)

Lessee now, I would have been, um, 15. I spent some of ’81-’82 in Switzerland. It seems unlikely my memory is reliable in this instance. I suppose I could have grafted tales from friends onto my recollection – I have memories of watching a kid climb up a fish in the Showalter Fountain and aslo seeing a scuffle behind some nearby bushes.

Krause mentions that the riot happened the same day that Reagan was shot; I think I was in town for that, since I have a clear recollection of hoping the wrinkled bastard was dead.