Sorry to read about the distinguished gentleman, handsome fellow. (SALINGER {THE CAT} 2006 – 2018 – Issue: 8/8/18) Reminded me of one of my serial killers in the past: Mr. Bojangles. He was a polydactyl, short haired tuxedo. Handsome, sleek. And 15 lbs. of tensed alpha predator. This was the saltwater crocodile of neighborhood cats. There was nothing he wouldn’t kill. Snakes. Rabbits that outweighed him by 10 lbs. And he was one of the smart ones, the feds weren’t going to catch up to him. No trophies. All evidence was disposed of. By him, personally. Can’t leave that sort of important work to lackies. They’ll get sloppy. Leave something behind, snap a picture to impress girlfriends. No, it all had to be eaten, every crumb. Just underneath the living room window. Fear leapt in my throat the day I saw him staring in the kitchen window. Like all sociopaths, he wasn’t staring at me. Those dead yellow eyes were looking through me. And he was drooling profusely. And that’s when I had the opposing view of your observation of Salinger: what if Mr. Bojangles was the size of a human? What terror would be awaiting the denizens of northern NJ in the mid-‘80s?
Doc Slater
Son,
This is a beautiful farewell to Sir Salinger, my grandcat. Well done!
Love, Mom
I think your naming your beloved late cat Salinger says a lot about you, Mr. Campion. And I think all of your feline eulogies do too. I have been reading Reality Check for probably 15 of your 20 or so years doing this and I think your tributes are the best. I do learn a great deal from this “space” and I find you funny and informative and insightful, but when you shine, like with this piece, it really sticks with me for a long time. I get so much out of your emotion for a subject, whether music or arts or even politics, but the personal takes on your life with your wife (I absolutely LOVE your anniversary pieces) and your daughter or your parents or your immediate family is what makes you one of the finest columnists and essayists out there. I just picked up your Zevon book and right from the start it is that voice that hits me every time. Thank you for expressing your thoughts so beautifully. We are all lucky to have you to read each week.
Sarah Kalman
Campion,
You are a rotten, heartless, mean-spirited bastard, and I love that about you. But when you write this shit it makes me cry and I would rather get angry with you and write terrible letters back to you and not praise your ability to hit me in the chin on this. Fuck you. I still hate you, but I miss Salinger and I didn’t even know him and I also hate cats. I think this is a talent you have to make me forget all that and sympathize, or maybe it is this disease you have that cannot be cured, or maybe it’s just my damn problem. Who knows? Fuck you. Great job.
A-Dow40s
Holy crap, indeed. (CATHOLIC CHURCH’S ONGOING CHILD RAPE PROBLEM – 9/5/18). I am always amazed at how this goes by and people get outraged for a short spurt and then it mainly fades until the next time. And there is always a next time! There must be something the local governments can do, like in Pennsylvania, to further investigate and begin jailing these priests and get inside this dark and sheltered organization, because, like you rightfully point out, the Catholic Church seems above the law and that is wrong on so many levels, especially when it comes to raping children. Wow. Cannot believe I am even writing it. And yet no one seems to pay for this. Why? Great column. Thanx for pointing it out in your usually non-blinking, hardcore way. Someone has to confront this with the same passion and maybe something can be done about it finally.
D. Benson
Excellent job.
Regards,
Peter Blasevick
Oh JC,
This is the wonderful world of hypocrisy we live in. Many of us Catholics are truly outraged over the behavior of our clergy but still believe in the teachings of Christ. That said, I think folks lose a moral high ground when they complain about the raping of kids while simultaneously supporting the Supreme Court upheld “right” to murder them.
In a just society, many of these Cardinals and Bishops would be defrocked and jailed but the Church is big business and blind eyes need to be turned to keep God Inc. rolling. This is the tangled web we have woven. Oh, and bringing Trump into this shows once again the Trump Derangement Syndrome many are suffering from. He has nothing to do with this, but yet folks want to drag him into it.
Decent column this week but you do need to do something about your Trump Derangement Syndrome as it could cause your writing to become stale and predictable.
Peace,
Bill Roberts
Conservatively Speaking
One of your best, my friend, but why should this surprise us? After all it’s the fear and ignorance created by organized religion that fuels the hate to elect and more importantly still support a clearly unqualified lying imbecile for president. People love fairy tales because they’re too scared to face reality. Tell me the Pretty Lies lest I run screaming in anguish having to face my mortality.
Bo Blaze
I think the U.S.A should invade the Vatican and take down the Pope in the name of raped children everywhere. If this was ISIS we would be bombing everything in sight.
ZZZ-19
Do yourself no favors and “like” this idiot at www.facebook.com/jc.author or, if you dare, follow on Twitter (@FearNoArt) and Instagram (@jamescampion)
James Campion is the Managing Editor of The Reality Check News & Information Desk and the author of “Deep Tank Jersey”, “Fear No Art”, “Trailing Jesus”, “Midnight For Cinderella” and “Y”. “Shout It Out Loud – The Story of KISS’s Destroyer and the Making of an American Icon”
And coming in June, 2018; “Accidentally Like a Martyr – The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon”
