April 19, 2004
Watched Deadwood last night. They did the trial of Jack McCall, killer of Wild Bill, and they got much of it right: the real McCall was acquitted of killing Hickok and he did claim Wild Bill had killed his brother. In the historic Deadwood, there was a sentiment in the camp that Hickok was part of the gambling element and the jury, mostly miners, took pity, or, at least identified with McCall. I believe it was Charlie Utter who swore vengeance and tracked McCall to another town, but it appears they are going to give that honor to Seth Bullock (who never met Wild Bill by the way, having arrived the day before Hickok was killed). Still, the show has good characters and is quite edgy. During the semi-lesbian scene last night, I looked over at Kathy and said “Well, there goes another boatload of oldtime Western lovers leaping for the remote.”

Speaking of Wild Bill and the HBO series, here’s a sneak peek at the next cover of True West. The subhed is: Deadwood’s Dirty Words: Authentic or B.S.? And the tophed is: Did Custer Commit Suicide?

Listened to Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion yesterday on the way to the dump. It was the joke show, something Garrison does from time to time and one joke was so bad I remembered it: Victoria Secret is selling all of its Janet Jackson bras at half off.

Also saw a great New Yorker cartoon of a grizzled rock band on stage and the lead singer says into the mike: “The next one is a hard-rockin’, kick-ass, take-no-prisoners tune we wrote about turning sixty.”

“I don't mind lying, but I hate inaccuracy.”
—Samuel Butler