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    Hello loyal readers.

    Well Mother’s Day was not easy – loving and missing my mother and my son. It’s rarely been an easy holiday for me due to many reasons I won’t go into here.  The candle for my mother is still burning.

     

    Moving along … in the past week, I learned a poem of mine, On Virginity, would be published in “Remembering Hal Sirowitz.”  Also, a slice of memoir was accepted to be included in “Bronx Memoir Project – vol. X” and that slice is called, Big Butt; He Cannot Lie.

     

    Good things happen along with difficult things – the ups and downs, the yin and yang of life.

     

    I’ve needed to return to selling things.  In the cold and cool weather, I set up my table in my lobby.  That limits my customers to neighbors.  When it is warm again and I set up outside, I have the possibility of many more customers but also many more shady characters to deal with.  In the lobby today, I only made $4, but it is 4 more than zero.  Anything helps financially and helps getting things out of my overloaded apartment.

     

    My creative writing class is going very well.  I judge it by how good students feel, what they say, the work they do, and how good I feel at the end of a class.  Similar to when I taught folks who wanted to complete their basic education, I find the students are so relieved when they realize the teacher is a regular person.  That’s my claim to fame – not coming from teacher-land.  Simply being the person I am.  From there, we do great work. 

     

    It is really nice to be teaching again.  The subject matter is different from what I used to teach, so I have to work to come up with plans.  It varies depending on what each group of students hopes to get from the class.  I try to address most of what they want.  Sometimes, I write alongside of the students, and sometimes I also share what I’ve written.  We truly have a good time.  One student in the fall cycle said, “This was like a writing party!”  That felt great.

     

    Now, for the funny – on Wednesday, May 20, from 6-9pm, Diana Gitesha-Hernandez is having her jazz show, Diva Dive, at Tio Pepe’s.  I am going to do 2 short comedy sets on their breaks.  They are at 168 West 4th Street.  No cover.  No minimum.  Good food, good music, good comedy. 

     

    Hope you’ll want to be part of the fun.

     

    Mindy Matijasevic

    So much love to CGG-M ❤ 💕 ❤

    May 14, 2026

     

                                      

     

     

     


  2. A Touching Comedy Story

    Tuesday, May 5, 2026

     

     

        The EAT DRINK LAUGH SHOW on May 2nd was wonderful.  I enjoyed my set and most of the others. 

     

        After the show, one of the other comics shared with me that he has sometimes thought his wife didn’t have a sense of humor.  But, he said that the last time we were on the same show and his wife attended, he saw her laughing a lot at my set, and he was glad.  I immediately liked him for being a loving husband.  I told him, “A lot of comedy doesn’t really reach women.”

     

        “But you do,” he said.

     

        I told him that when we are both on the show again and she attends, please introduce me, and that I’d love to meet her.  He liked that idea.  I was glad he shared that story with me.  It stays in my heart.

     

        I have often felt that my voice in comedy has allowed women to feel recognized.  It’s not just the funny; it’s the point of view.

     

        I still miss Lisa Harmon very much.  She used to share the stage at Pangea with me. 

     




        On Wednesday, May 20th, Diana Gitesha-Hernandez will be doing her Diva Dive jazz show from 6-9pm at Tio Pepe’s and invited me to do a comedy set during her show.  People who come to a music show tend to be very open to comedy.  I’m looking forward to it.

     

        https://tiopepenyc.com/

     

        Mark your calendars for June 19th – Juneteenth—for comedy at The Artist, 249 City Island Avenue on City Island in the Bronx.  The show is at 8pm, $15 cover, NO minimum!  You may even BYOB.

        https://www.facebook.com/StarvingArtistCityIsland/


        The line-up, aside from me, is Rob Sajous, Shelly Colman, and Leighann Lord.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leighann_Lord 


        Lots of laughter.


        Hope to see ya.


    Mindy

    Much love to CGG-M  ❤💙❤

    5/5/2026

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


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        Hello again.  Isn’t it amazing, here in NYC, to go from summer to winter in three days!?  Life isn’t boring even when we don’t factor in people.

     

        I happened to come across a song that was banned in the 1950s.  Compared to what is deemed acceptable now, I find it remarkable.


    His Balls Got Stuck In His Zipper

     

        Last week was action-packed for me.  There was one event I had hoped to attend that I didn’t.  That was disappointing, but there were reasons.  I achieved most of what I needed to do.

     

        Today I got an email that a poem of mine is getting published.  My poem is  called “On Virginity.”  It is inspired by the style of poet Hal Sirowitz.

     

        This Tuesday, 4/21, my part-time job resumes.  I’m teaching creative writing in ten-week sessions to retirees of a labor union.  I began last September which was the fall cycle.  Then in January, we began the winter cycle.  Now will be the spring cycle.  Each cycle brings new students and some who are taking the class again.  Then that’s it for the teaching year.  If registration shows interest, it will go on next fall.

     

        The students and I are in the same age range, and most of us want to have written our stories before leaving this Earth.  It’s a warm togetherness, a safe environment to be vulnerable, and a great part-time job.  And well paid in terms of the hourly rate.

     

        And now for the funny – I’ll be at Pangea (2nd Avenue near 12th Street, NYC) on Saturday, May 2nd, 9pm show.  Ten dollars in advance; $15 at the door.  Advance tickets here:  May 2nd EAT DRINK LAUGH SHOW

        Pangea has a $20 food/drink minimum in addition.




        Paul Hallasy’s EAT DRINK LAUGH show is always a good time.  Makes a great date – you get to learn a lot about a person by what makes him/her laugh.  Pay attention.



        Mark your calendars for comedy at The Artist, 249 City Island Avenue, on June 19th.  The Almost Summer Comedy Show guarantees laughter.




     

     

    Much love to CGG-M  ❤❤❤

    Mindy Matijasevic

    April 20, 2026

     

     


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        Hey everyone.  I attended a wonderful reading by Steve Zeitlin at Barnes and Noble’s Thursday night on 17th Street, NYC.  His new book "How Do You Wear the Universe?" is a collection of life-affirming poetry and essays by Steve Zeitlin that explores human        experience, creativity, and cultural heritage.


        Today, I better get my butt downstairs and set up my table with items to sell.  I need cash.  Then on Saturday, I am trying out for a game show.  I hope I do what I have to do to get chosen.  Goddess knows, I need it.

     

        I still have to deal with my taxes.  My best friend’s birthday is the 16th, an anthology deadline is the 17th, a reading in memory of Hal Sirowitz is on the 18th, and then my part time job starts up again on the 21st.  So for me these days, this is quite busy.  The Bronx Council on the Arts is having a mixer on the 23rd.  I want to get there.  I hope my best buddy can attend also, but either way, I want to be there.

     

        As far as comedy goes, I will be at Pangea (2nd Avenue near 12th Street)  in the EAT, DRINK, LAUGH show produced by the hilarious Paul Hallasy on Saturday, May 2nd at 9pm.  Tickets are $15 at the door.  There is also a $20 minimum at the place.  I hear the food is really good.  I have one complimentary ticket left (the minimum still applies).  Let me know quickly if you want the complimentary ticket.  You can let me know in the comments or at mindyinthebronx@gmail.com.

     

        Then on Juneteenth I will be having my Almost Summer Comedy Show at The Artist on City Island.  Mark your calendars.  I will announce the line-up soon.

     

        Now, for your amusement, I will share that after so many years of NOT, I finally took my clothes off for a man.  It was for my dermatologist. 



     

    Much love to CGG-M  ❤ 💗 ❤

    Mindy Matijasevic

    April 10, 2026

     




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    Last Wednesday, 3/18/2026, I was invited to do a comedy set in the Diva Dive jazz show at Tio Pepe’s on West 4th Street.  I had a very nice time.  Diana Gitesha-Hernandez is someone I know from the NYC poetry circle.  However, she is a woman of many talents – a singer and a percussionist, etc.




     

    People who attend a jazz show seem to be very open to comedy.  I was well received and enjoyed delivering.  The place is really nice.  I’d never been there before.  But I will plan to be there again.

    Tio Pepe's

     

    Then on Friday, 3/20, I had my Almost Spring Comedy Show at The Artist on City Island.  The line-up was great.  I was very pleasantly surprised by some folks who attended – my poetry pal Fred Simpson came and brought his wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law.  I felt very grateful.  My closest friends attended as did some newer friends.  I appreciate everyone – the audience and the comics and most importantly, Elliot and Monica Glick, who run the place.  Our Almost Summer Comedy Show will be in June.  Once the date is set, I’ll announce it.




    The Bronx Museum of the Arts holds events for the community, and I attended two of them recently.  Loved my experiences.  One was an art-making experience led by MutShat Mahone-Lonesome.  I ventured into something I’d never done before – assemblage.  It is 3-dimensional work.

     




     https://bronxmuseum.org/

     

    I loved the experience.  It felt like I felt as a child doing arts and crafts with my darling mother.  The time flew by.  When I left, I said to my mother (in Heaven), “We had a good time.”  It was only after I said it that I realized I was talking to my mother.  It felt so natural.


    Thanks for your interest and support.  It means a lot.

     

     

    So much love to my darling CGG-M ❤❤❤

    Mindy Matijasevic

    March 24, 2026

     

     

     



  6.  




    People, it’s been a while.  The main thing I want you to know is on Friday, March 20th at 8pm, my Almost Spring Comedy Show will be happening at The Artist, 249 City Island Avenue, City Island in the Bronx.  $15 cover and NO minimum!  You may even BYOB.  There is a menu of light fare and delicious desserts to tempt you if desired but not required.  Desserts by Jenny's Sweets.


    The line-up (Joe Fulton, Shelly Colman, Paul Hallasy, and me) guarantees laughter.  You will surely have a good time. 



     

    I had a wonderful Valentine’s Day for the first time in a while. ❤❤  I was part of Evie Ivy’s Dance of the Word show.  I loved listening to the other performers and seeing the beautiful belly dancing.  




    I was on the bill as a poet.  It was supposed to be all about love.  I really had to go through much of my writings to find poems for this reading.  Much of my poems are more about betrayal, hurt, struggles, and that sort of thing.  But I managed to find some stuff to share that had to do with love though not necessarily romantic love.  One was:

     

    Feeling Love from the Universe

     

    Tonight’s slice of moon

    smiled to me.

    I smiled back.

     

    ©Mindy Matijasevic

    June 2021

     

     

    There are other things to share – after a night of drinking wine at home, I awoke the next day discovering that I had had a water bug, and that I had killed it.  I thanked God/dess for protecting me from the trauma of even knowing I had a water bug in my apartment.  Apparently I killed it without knowing I did.  I always wear sandals or sneakers in my apartment, never barefoot.  I had much to be thankful for.  However, I could not deal with the corpse.  My best buddy/non-biological brother came over the next day to dispose of the corpse.  Even more to be thankful for.

     

    My first poetry chapbook, No One Called Him Topless, is a reality.  More on that next time.  Much thanks to Esther K. Smith, Klytemnestra Press.

     

    There’s always more – good and not so good.  But my main point here is:  get to the comedy show on 3/20, 8pm for much laughter! We need it!

     

     

    So much love to CGG-M ❤❤❤

    Mindy Matijasevic

    March 12, 2026


  7. Upcoming Funny and Other Stuff

    Sunday, January 4, 2026

     



     

     







    People, here’s to a better year ahead for us all.  If you would like to have some guaranteed laughter to start off 2026, here are two shows I am part of:

    -      Sat., Jan. 17th - Eat Drink Laugh show 9pm at Pangea, 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets, NYC.  Advance tickets are $10; $15 at the door.  Pangea has a $20 drink/food minimum.  I hear the food is delish!  Advance tickets here:  https://cur8.com/23871/project/136088

     




     

    -      Fri., March 20th - Almost Spring Comedy Show at The Artist, 249 City Island Avenue, City Island, Bronx, NY.  Cover $15; NO minimum!  A menu of light fare (vegetarian-friendly) and delicious desserts (from Jenny’s Sweets) is available and tempting but not required.  You may even BYOB.  Lovely wait staff will provide glasses, ice, and a corkscrew, if needed.  I book the show.  I have good taste.  You will enjoy.  If this is date night for you, what a great way to see what makes each of you laugh. 

     

    For those who like to plan ahead, mark your calendars. 

     

    Some interesting developments have taken place for me in the last month or two.  I read some of my poems at a poetry festival on zoom.  A small press publisher was interested, and now we have something cooking.  We’ll see where it goes.  Also an acting gig I did about 7½ years ago was supposed to result in a sizzle reel for a possible future series.  It finally did!  And now the sizzle reel is being considered for review at TLC.  I love this kind of excitement in my existence.  It helps me endure the hard stuff.

     

    There’s more going on.  There’s always more …





    So much love to CGG-M ❤ 💕 ❤

    Mindy Matijasevic

    January 2026