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Midnight
Shrink, Vol. 5 of 7
by Mel Waldman
ISBN: 978-1-934209-97-4
Who is sane and who is mad? After reading these stories I'm not too sure....I did understand this and although always sad it did mean and convey something to me.
--Jessica Roberts, BookPleasures.com
Written in the space of four decades, this 7-volume set contains more than 140 stories – an international trip through the landscape of the bizarre, a smorgasbord of stories of ‘espionage, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, experimental fiction’ and a dab of Old West tales.
--Tom Elliott, Book Review Editor
Mensa Bulletin, Waltham, Massachusetts
Mr. Waldman is a seasoned writer with more than his share of droll imagination. Drawing on his background as a counselor to drug patients, he has created “street-wise” characters who are quaint, charming-and alive! They have a better than average chance of staying that way-as long as they don’t mess with...General Tom.
-- THE SAINT MAGAZINE, August, 1984.
Thanks so much for sending me GENERAL TOM. I loved it, although it’s scary. Funny twist ending, too. But still very gripping. I’ve never been able to pull off a short/short. So congratulations!...“The Game” by Mel Waldman is one weird story! I like it, and it will do well as a macabre piece in the fantasy issue.
-- Nancy Hallinan, Fiction Editor of PULPSMITH.
“The Game” was published in PULPSMITH, a highly acclaimed literary magazine. Death & madness, the only exits.
--PULPSMITH, August ’84.
Mel Waldman, semi-finalist for the CAPS (Creative Artists Program Service) Award for 1984-85, is a novelist, short story writer, sometime newspaper reporter, and a poet. His unusual tale featuring the “Rabbi of Berlin” is a welcome addition to ESPIONAGE.
--ESPIONAGE, August 1985.
I’m delighted to take “The Rabbi of Berlin.”
--Jackie Lewis, Editor/Publisher of ESPIONAGE.
Your publication record is a downright inspiration to a tired writing teacher. “Werewolf” has pace, narrative invention, and the Waldman touch. It is good of you to think of me, and I’m grateful.
--Sidney Offit, novelist, teacher and curator of the George Polk Journalism awards.
Mel Waldman is a fellow Brooklynite who makes his debut in DETECTIVE STORY MAGAZINE with his female P.I., Selena Smith, in a little tale called “Halloween Mask.”
--Gary Lovisi, Editor of DETECTIVE STORY MAGAZINE.
Mel’s last stories were “Halloween Mask” way back in DETECTIVE STORY MAGAZINE #5, and “The Red Angel” in HARDBOILED #10. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this short tale called: “The Victim.”
--Gary Lovisi, Editor of HARDBOILED DETECTIVE.
I’ll read anything you send me, and I’m interested in anything I get from you. You’ve got a fine ferocious talent.
--Matthew Paris, Editor of THE BROOKLYN COLLEGE ALUMNI LITERARY REVIEW and THE BROOKLYN LITERARY REVIEW.
“The Victims” I love your mind.
--Rey King, Editor/Publisher of COSMIC CIRCUS.
On first reading this evening, Mr. Waldman, I would like to run either or both mss. THE VICTIMS is damned good and we would like to consider this for our forthcoming volume 9 sometime this year—Growing Up is the tentative theme, a collection of stuff of which the story of Carlos is…well, we’d like this for Blue Horse anytime and would like to somehow work it in on our volume 8—Bar Room Ballads and Gaol House Songs, dedicated to such alkies as Malcolm Lowry, Dylan Thomas, Hemingway, Zelda and Scott Fitzg., Bukowski, et al. If you have something of either a prison motif or bar room ballad or alcohol story, may we see it? Our vols. 6 and 7 are at printers, so we’re talking about something later in the year—unfortunately. THE VICTIMS is a most powerful piece and I definitely would like it whether it has been run elsewhere or not and you retaining rights or to publish before we do here at BH. Also, perhaps we can pay you something—not much, however.
--Patrick Kelly, Editor of BLUE HORSE.
“Anna” What a powerful story! All around me at this moment my five daughters are milling about, preparing for the wedding of their sister. The grandchildren are racing about happily-and I am sitting in a corner, engrossed in your story-and aware of the irony of my situation and that described in your story.
--Arlene Pollack, Associate Editor of INNISFREE.
Mel Waldman is both a writer and a psychologist. Some of his stories look evil in the eye. “Anna” does, and it penetrates the darkness, too. Great story.
--Rex Winn, Editor of INNISFREE Seventy-Seven Volume XI, No.5.
“The Voyeur” Thanks for your submission, THE VOYEUR. As usual, a good story, with suspense and interest.
--Iris Bancroft, Associate Editor of THE SAINT MAGAZINE.
“The Red Angel” Solid work by Mel Waldman.
--Wayne D. Dundee, Editor.
Dr. Waldman’s stories include rich and complex characters…Jack Hood, P.I., is a modern day Robin Hood. Detective Quackenbush is a soulful, artistic logician/visionary going blind…“The Honorable Father” Intriguing. Very clever…"A PTSD Party" informs us about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and multiple personality (dissociative identity disorder). Dr. Waldman, a master of the 3 M’s-Murder, Madness, and Mayhem-enchants and seduces the reader with an array of unforgettable characters traveling across a dark Waste Land of violence, insanity, and evil. He introduces us to the Rabbi of Berlin, a prisoner in a concentration camp, Anna, a Jewish courier traveling on a train with a Nazi soldier during the Holocaust, General Tom, a dwarf assassin, The Magus, a grand magician who rewrites his own history, the Midnight Shrink, a radical therapist of the criminally insane, Cain and Abel, twin robot spies, Jack Hood, P.I., a modern day Robin Hood, Detective Roger Quackenbush, a soulful, artistic logician/visionary going blind, and dozens of weird, freaky, fringe characters with guest appearances by Tennessee Williams and Elvis Presley. An entertaining, surprising, and powerful collection by a prolific writer who continues to amaze me!
--Dr. Richard M. Radzin, psychologist.
"The Gold Key" is a Jack Hood, P.I. mystery and an editors’ choice story chosen by a panel of editors. BEWILDERING STORIES Editors’ Choice Second Quarterly Review: spring 2007, issue 242…We want to publish 5 of your stories. Your style is good and the stories are very entertaining. We especially like “Professor of Time” and “Murder in Old Quebec.” These two are very humorous. We’ll include all of the stories in 2 issues of our Sleuth Journal.
--SLEUTH JOURNAL
Dr. Waldman takes us on an international journey through the landscape of the bizarre, serving us a smorgasbord of stories of espionage, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and experimental fiction, with a few tales of the Old West as hors d’oeuvres. His stories take place in all time zones and dimensions and around the globe, in such places as Brooklyn, New York, Greenwich Village, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Fire Island, Mystic Seaport, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Quebec, Vienna and Berlin. Dr. Waldman gives us fresh insights into mental illness, violence, the Holocaust, and the nature of evil and challenges us with dozens of puzzles to solve. But perhaps, the greatest puzzle he offers us is the mystery of the human psyche. A significant collection. A must-read!... Dr. Waldman is an important writer of our times. This is a significant collection of stories. I’ve got dozens of favorites. But my top five are: “Rabbi of Berlin,” “Anna,” “Werewolf,” “Peace Games,” and “General Tom.”
--Dr. Ken Weissblum, psychoanalyst.
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