“For Bob,

A man who keeps his/the word.

(I write this overview as a stranger; approaching the
subject for the first time—a migrating bird doing a fly-over of ‘Bob’s World’—from
such a perspective…).

I came across Robert M. Katzman through reading an article
about him in the Chicago Reader

newspaper (Who wants to buy old magazines?, by M.
Miner).  I asked myself what was it about
this story that had me perusing Bob’s website that very same day.   I remember saying to myself, after I’d
finished:   ‘What a rare individual’.  And as soon as I’d seen the name of Bob’s
website (DiffereSlants.com), I mused, ‘Oh, I like this fellow already’.  How could I know with such certainty?

Unlike Katzman, I am not: a man, Jewish, married, a
parent, owning a business, having a mortgage….

Yet, one rarely comes upon ‘one’s own’ in life—when you
do, you know instantly—those ‘of like mind and heart’.   No matter what apparent differences, Bob
shares a spirit of those who, at once talk to and touch my soul.  This I was sure of, as I read Bob’s poetry
and prose on his blog, and later, Volume I of his books.   Bob is in that category for me—even as I
already know he ‘ain’t one to be categorized’ (that we do have in common)!

Here are some impressions:  Paradoxical.
Unique. Vintage.
Square-peg-in-round hole, black sheep,

out-of-boxer, anachronism, magician, edge-liver, so
behind –the-times he’s ahead-of-the-times.

Such ones are jewels in the crown of life; rarities so
renaissance inside, that they seldom sprout up in other than off-the-beaten-path
venues– cloaked as prince, pauper, poet…proprietor of a magazine museum (did I
already say, magician)?  You just have to
know where to look…more importantly, how to look.  If you don’t search with your heart and mind
wide open, you never find them.  Then, as
soon as you do, you beat a path to their door—if only to say, ‘Hi ho, how fare
thee fellow traveler?!’.

After perusing Bob’s website, checking out his publishing
site, reading another great article about him and his shop, watching video
footage of him reading excerpts from his books (which document the wild ride
which has been his life up until now—and no doubt another volume is on the way
as he cannot seem to stay silent for too long—and thank God for that!).  I’m thoroughly convinced that Bob Katzman has
precious treasures to cast our way (well beyond his museum’s trove)—as  what he says he says so well.

Next, reading the illustrious, supportive input from
friends, colleagues, customers, other blog readers, I have to conclude that he
is extremely wealthy (though he might dispute this).  His wealth is in his writing (and hopefully
shall be his Opus); his wealth is in his many friends and admirers too.  Currently, his livelihood, as proprietor of a magazine
museum store in Skokie will hopefully, blossom into a vehicle enabling him to
not only expand upon that wealth factor, but also allow him to write full-time–
or to his heart’s content, whichever comes first (Bob is pretty prolific, so I
wouldn’t rule out overtime).

I felt the urge to meet Bob in person, and, along with a
friend– whom I told of this rare character and good writer– visited his store
(twice over a recent weekend just to take it all in).  You cannot leave his store without making a
purchase (not company policy, just the reality!), including two copies of his
volume I memoirs.  After both of us
stayed up until  4 and 5 am respectively,
reading his books, I have this to say:
Bob touches emotional chords deeply, and easily.  He writes at once with simplicity,
directness, earthiness, yet, simultaneously, with complexity, nuance, and fire.
In this craft he is like Hephaestus/Vulcan, mastering and forging the powerful equipment
of the gods.

Bob repeatedly claims all his stories are true.  Do I believe him?   Yes.
Simply because I believe

the stories (o.k., I gave one story in particular my  ‘acid test’—the one about his boyhood
relationship

with his mother.
It sounds utterly unbelievable to anyone who has not had such experience).  I too, went down the path of remembrance  about my own conflicted connection (or lack
thereof, with my mother), and my memories rose up similarly dramatically and
clearly—as if I was reliving them.  Who
would believe me?  But, they are true.  And, so, with Bob’s.  No need for conjecture from where I stand, in
reading his material.

I learned that Bob was born in, and lived in Chicago much
of his life.  He definitely qualifies for
the title,

‘Chicago Writer’– as in his stories about life on its
mean streets and how to survive them; he walks the walk and talks the talk of a
hungry Chi-town survivor.  Paradoxically,
Bob carries an unscathed softened core, a lost-boy naiveté, an impish twinkle
that allows him to live the life, yet ‘step out of Dodge’—out of all the mayhem
that he passionately steps into—and lives to tell (us) the tales.

Bob’s author’s voice, however it captivatingly captures
this ‘Midwest urban cowboy’ image– goes farther afield; much further.   His voice sings ‘universal songs’—archetypal
footage of the human experience comes through loud and clear: hero, villain,
wanderer, adventurer, warrior, trickster, saint, sorcerer, sinner, savior—the
entire cast of characters is employed by him.
Whereas, his loci-foci point is a newsstand on a Chicago street-corner,
his spoken word spokes outward in all directions—speaking much to many.   So, paradoxically once again, in writing
from where he stands, he could be standing anywhere—an Israeli farmer in a
kibbutz, a beekeeper in Poland, an orchard worker in Palestine, for example.

As is often said, the best writers write about what they
know.  Need I say more.  Bob knows best—his life in Chicagoland– and
writes of it best.  But this doesn’t
preclude his reaching the human core experience of ‘Everyman’(woman/child).  Thus, I’m confident that countless would
recognize themselves in his written word.
For example, my take on his writing from the perspective of being a
woman (I too was born and raised in Chicago):
Even if Bob is a man, writing in one corner of the world,  in a certain period of time, with individual idiosyncratic
attitude,  personality, et al, his anima-muse
still casts a feminine aura through his writings, that women must recognize at
once (this woman anyway)—his sensitivity, relatedness, creative impulse,
emotional intelligence, receptivity, compassion.  Whether or not women ‘read’ Bob’s writing
differently than men is not so cut and dried an issue.

So, I speak for myself alone, here:  I would never have chosen (even by force of
circumstance) to live Bob’s life on the streets—immersed in the masses—the
lusty, dusty, musty world of school-yard beat-ups, school-girl feel-ups,
Mafioso deal-ups, anon.  For starters, I
wouldn’t have lasted one day at that street-corner newsstand (even if I was me
in a he body!).  But, it is right and properly,
Bob, I have discovered, in meeting him.
And, his rawness, his sensuous hunger, his herculean and sisyphusian
labors and sufferings evoke in me, as a woman, at once a dread horror and a huge,
heaving need to want to comfort that lost child’s fears, that abused and
wounded boy’s tears.  The wounds and
wonders of that escape artist-on-the-street-urchin-raging-bull-of-a-boy-turned
man—turned writer craftsman.

I think both the boy in Bob and the man who is Bob can
only keep telling us his truth, well—unchanged, unphased, uncensored—for,
that’s all he knows.  A boy who keeps his
word.  A man who keeps the word.

(I imagine the more I read of Katzman’s writing, the more
I shall be pulled irrevocably into ‘Bob’s World’, as so many already have.  I look forward to the free-fall…).”

*** To visit in-person or on-line (and I highly recommend you do both):

Magazine Museum (and store), 4906 W. Oakton St., Skokie, IL  60077, (847) 677-9444, www.MagazineMemories.com, oldmags@MagazineMemories.com , proprietor/writer extraordinnaire: Bob Katzman

And, I want to especially address how our “pedagogic” institutions still, continue to misconstrue the actual reasons people “act out” so violently in society (such persons are just on the extreme end of a spectrum of societal violence– road-rage, child molestation, wife-beating, rape, modern-day slavery, wa…need I go on…)?

 Media coverage about such persons who “go off” seldom source the issue deeply– preferring to go for the “sensationalism” of the story and leave it at that.  And, how many times have you seen the ubiquitous tag, “loner” attached to one of these stories.  So-called loners are egregiously mixed up in the cultural mind (due to such half-baked stories) with those who are Introverts– quite, deep-thinking, even shy, or sometimes just extra sensitive individuals.  Introverts (about 25% of the population) do not deserve to become infamously associated with psychopaths, mass-murderers, bullies, etc.  Those who commit such atrocities do not exist in a vaccuum.  They are “made to”…..By whom?  By what,  you may ask?

By the way we are “brought up” Alice Miller said (and I thorougly agree).   By the way our parents were “brought up”.  By the way their parents were “brought up”….by the way multitudes of people in our world culture were taught to “bring up your children” over centuries of pedagogical dogmatism, passing into all our cultural institutions and resulting in pervasive and blind institutionalized ‘thinking’ (if such can even be called thinking,  reasoning, at all)!

As a young man (who lost a relative in the “Columbine school shootings”)  in a televised appearance with his father,  in 2007,  said (and to paraphrase here):  We as a society need to ‘re-focus’, off the glamorization of murder and mayhem, and of the ‘lone perpetrator’ image, and instead, focus on the ROOTS (caps, mine), the reasons, the backgrounds that cultivate such individuals. 

Ms. Alice Miller spent her life doing just this.  She was convinced that abusive behavior begins with child mistreatment/abuse (sexual and/or otherwise– there exists a spectrum of what constitutes abusiveness).  And this violence, in the name (guise) of so-called ‘child-rearing’, is a form of what she termed, ‘ poisonous pedagogy’, that has become endemic and entrenched dogma in world culture (esp. in the western world), primarily basing itself in the blind edict (and the subsequent ethos it engendered) of the so-called “4th Commandment” of Christiandom, which states: ‘Cursed be he who honoreth not they father and thy mother”.

Let me make it clear though, Alice Miller was NEVER out to blame parents de facto.  Her life and work was for the championing of the child which we all start out as being– fully innocent babes, subject to whatever is doled out to them in the name of ‘upbringing/child-rearing’.    And, Ms. Miller raised countless reasons/proved by case-studies why, time and time again, society has simply allowed guardians of children to unreservedly hide behind this so-called commandment’s mandate, and thus, often get away with the untmost abuse against children.  This, she contended, was why (totally as the root cause of any violence) we have mass murders, the rise and acting out of brutal dictators, and the overall sickenss of war….

Ms. Miller went into depth, studying the roots of violence stemming from child abuse, often taking as case-studies the lives of known historical figures, such as Adolph Hitler; proving why such abused figures become perpetrators of similar violence onto others.  Such abused who do finally act out in their lives in violent and destructive ways toward others, is firstly because:  1) they were themselves subject to abuse, and,  2) because they never had anyone in their lives to be an “enlightened witness” for them– someone who at some point, interceded either overtly, or quietly, through providing moral support and love– helping such an abused child to realize that there is indeed,  an alternative to abuse and violence– this is not ‘the normal way of life and human behavior’– or, should not be!….The presence of such a one (or more) supportive witnesses is the primary determing factor as to if such an abused child will or will not become an abusive adult. 

Without making excuses for who he was, yes, it is fact that Hitler too, suffered much abuse as a child– and no, there was no one there for him in his life at that time,  to steer him away from this hellish reality.  Thus he internalized it as ‘truth’ and later externalized this in what became a  literal ‘hell on earth’ for many others.  Of course, this is not saying society must condone or necessarily forgive the actions of any such ‘hitler’ (or the Columbine shooters, or the later Virginia Tech murderer– Cho), but, in all cases of such individuals, Alice Miller stated, that they have repressed severe abuse and had no positve support in their lives to help them heal.  Recall the reporting which stated that Cho wrote about ‘pedophilia’, etc.).  Why would he be obsessed over this, if something had not happened to him– something he could neither get over, nor heal by himself, thus, leaving it repressed and festering –emotionally damaged– until he could no longer hold in the ‘pus’ of such abuse, so, went out and shot many people to death).

So, all you out there who may be quick to tsk, tsk and judge and defend harsh child-rearing behind closed doors as ‘parent’s peragotive’ and ‘being religious’ , and ’ that’s the way I was brought up and I turned out all right’;  before you tag your introverted neighbor as a ‘serial killer with dead boys in his basement’, simply because he hasn’t accepted your invitation to burn some burgers on your barby-party, please…I invite you to go to Alice Miller’s website ( http://www.alice-miller.com/index_en.php) and read the tumult of letters that still pour in (many by people in their 50′s, 60′s and beyond) who have been abused because they were forced (often literally and violently) to ‘obey their themselves damaged, abused, and thus–abusive parents’– all in the name of institutionalized (whether though religion or psychiatry or mass-media purveryorship) dogma.

                                                                                                 THE END…!

NO ACCIDENT, NO HAPPENSTANCE THAT ALL OVER THE WORLD, PEOPLE POWER IS EMERGING (and  hint, corporations ain’t The People… a corporation isn’t even a person– what a historical hoodwink THAT was)!

P.S…to the TEACHERS of Madison,  You are giving ‘your students’ the best Civic’s lesson ever!

You’re invited, as a human being, to participate:  simply google, Tree of Life Celebration, or Mayan Calendar shift, or Dr. Calleman– all will tell you of the momentous shift–not “on the horizon”– but NOW!  Focusing on March 9th (this Wednesday), join with hundreds of thousands of collectives and individuals all around the world– with your mind and heart intent on coming together for the benefit of Life, the universe, the world, the environment. 

Contribute in your own way:  Meditate, intend, contemplate, light a candle,  incense, play a flute, dance, drum, hug, know your power to shift the conscious collective in needed NOW– join in whatever beneficial way you can–let us all dream the dream that creates reality– for love, for peace, for compassion, for courage, for enlightenment, for health,  for healing, for wholeness, for creativity, for cooperation, for community, for evolving consciousness, for embracing unity, for celebrating life, for speaking truth,  for integrity and justice,  for treating ourselves and others with kindness and mercy– and,  for letting ALL  forms, systems, structures,  entities, etc. that no longer are necessary– that destroy life instead of  transforming  Life  or creating  sustaining it,  be let go!   Let this be so, let this be so, let this be so!

Anagram for:

EVANGELICALS =  “A.(nti) C.(hrist ) EVIL  ANGELS”

Zak– Re: your visit to  Bobby Mackey’s; you questioned whether the guy might somehow be connected to all the phenomenon.  Follow your hunch in asking.  Read David Icke’s book:  The Biggest Secret wherein he talks of the “country music scene’s” connection to a lot of weirdness– dangerous and terrible weirdness (like Satanism, child pornography and paedophilia, enslavement and other abuses).  This, coupled with the fact that the 60s/70s were rife with “occult cultists” in such circles of Hollywood types, wealthy “jetsetters”, industrialists, bankers, makes it highly feasible that Icke was right on about this scene’s involvement too (the country music scene).  Another subgroup would be biker-gangs implicit in this nasty stuff.  

Anyway, in the video of your 2nd visit to this place, you kept questioning why Mackey wouldn’t “accept” or believe the phenomenon taking place in his own place.  Possibly, his “I don’t believe it” stance is a great cover for what he may really know, about the past and current use of his place.   Conjecture….But….trust your instincts, man.  That’s some truly DARK stuff that happened and is still occuring at this so-called “country music venue”….dontcha think?

 (Click on Link below):

Look, it is obvious by now (isn’t it?) that this is a mach0 cop from the military (where they automatically shave your head as a matter of protocol humiliation– to instantly level the playing field by making sure you no longer are an “indie” being, but “a same-looking we-can-now-do-anything-to-you-because-you-are-not-human” chess-piece/gun-fodder/take-your-pick, unidentifiable frying object.

Of course, many men– if not most of you sporting this doodoo doo-doo “doo” atop your thick skulls (ok, I just have to take a swipe at you numbskulls and knucle-heads for submitting to this!) have never been anywhere near the boyscouts…let alone involved in the hardcore-marine corps-Navy Seals–spit-out-a-mercenary-blackwater (oops, excuse me, Xe Services–which by the way–is now selling itself to the highest bidder)-speschel-ops-black-ops wobegone-weird world. 

So, WHY-oh why do you do it?  A bunch of bowling pins, that’s what you look like to me– usually, highly polished bowling pins (are they selling you on that too– your head’s gotta shine)?  Ugly, ugly, ugly (ok… a rare few of you look exotic, if not sexy; like, for instance, Yul Brynner and Telly Sevalles).  But, need I tell you these men shined in the spotlight in the 20th century? 

I thought it would be just a phase (to peter out after the summer of the first Gulf War).  But, here we are, on to taking it through the long, drawn out (and highly illegal) war in Afghanistan, and likely through WWIII with Iran (if the Zionists have their way–yes, I said the Z word)! 

O.K. men– your fake machismo (or any machismo for that matter) does not impress me…or, MOST other ladies (so, don’t freakin send any hatemail ladies, and in fact, you can’t, so there).  I am so tired of seeing you “all-the-sames” bording the bus, the el, the bike, the sidewalk, et al.  Grow some f-in hair willya!

I chose not to connect to digital TV (it’s been heaven) yet, I still watch the couple of channels still available on my old analog connection.  On one of these is the program: The Doctors.  Mainly, they’re conventional m.d. specialists in their practices, and mainly, I don’t agree with their conclusions, medical advice, or pushing of medications, immunizations, et al.  However, a couple of weeks ago, my level of respect for them went up a few notches.  They, the producer of the show and staff went to Haiti and gave the viewers a two-day look into “what went down” there.  Some pretty raw footage of disaster and injuries and suffering.  These four did their part…and then some.  They really assisted, they performed surgery, they helped save a few  lives no doubt, they brought help (and ”a ton”  of  much-needed medical supplies), and hope, and attention to and for the Haitian people.  They also praised and praised the doctors and other volunteers doing endless hours and rounds of  labor, without much sleep or even rest…. And, these doctors from the show implored us not to forget Haiti– that it would need serious help–donation-wise and volunteer-wise (especially medical assistance) for years to come. 

So. let us keep them close in our minds and hearts– send money if you can (do not send to huge funds–esp. the  unbelievable Clinton/Bush.org donation site– or, even the Red Cross– do your homework and learn about bona-fide smaller groups where the assistance is SURE to get directly on the ground to the people.  Ex:  Doctors Without Borders (but there are many others to check out and into before donating your hard-earned money to so-called “charities”…be aware, be wise, but continue to be compassionate– just make sure “your head is where your heart is” too, on that account.