April 13

I’ve had a mix of being busier this week, as well as seeing my interest flag somewhat. As you’ll see, I’ve read 2 and half stories, one of which was a 2 page humor piece. Partly, the stories didn’t grab me, partly there have been a couple TV shows I wanted to catch up with (have you seen Kings or Fringe?), and partly I’m getting an itch to read a longer fiction. For what it’s worth, I’ve retrieved Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay from then library for another try. The first time around I got bogged down in a rather dense section about 50 to 80 pages in. Since then I’ve read The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, The Final Solution: A Story Of Detection, Gentlemen of the Road, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, and the graphic novel The Escapist. So it seemed like I may be better able to appreciate K and K this time around. My reasoning is…I gave up on Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire 50 pages in…twice. Then went on to enjoy The Vampire Lastat, The Queen of the Damned, and Tale of the Body Thief. Along the way I learned that my problem with Interview is the voice. That book is written in Louis’ whinny, kvetching voice, while the others are written in Lestat’s strong assured voice. As a matter of fact, the one book in the series I am angry with Anne about is Memnoch the Devil. She but Lestat in the Louis role there, stuck with the job of occasionally interrupting the story to say “what happened next?”! I ended up feeling that she’d have written a more satisfying book if she’d deleted Lestat and let Memnoch carry his own story. After that revelation, about the voice, I was able to zip right through

None of which have anything to do with this week’s New Yorker.

Shouts and Murmurs

I’d have to say that my top read from April 13 is Mi Chiamo Stan by Ian Fraser. Fraser uses the framework of a self taught Italian language lesson to spin a cute little distraction about an Illinois pig farmer’s dream of going to Fashion Week in Milan and bringing home a super-model wife. Among my favorite lines is this one: Per favore depsiti il suo tabacco da masticare all’impiegato. Le sara restituito quando sara rilasciato. Which translates as Please surrender your chewing tobacco to the desk clerk. It will be returned to you when you are released.

Profiles: Last Laugh, Katt Williams Takes On The Haters

While the promos for Katt Williams’ Comedy Central show look appealing enough, I’ve never taken the time to check him out. I appreciated the overview of Williams’ career written by Ian Fraser, but I’m still not sure I’ll be tuning in. One thing that sticks out for me, and it’s worth taking note of, is the work it takes too break through in comedy. While a similar path probably exists in other entertainment careers, the schlep of the long distance comedian is a long one indeed. Maybe this sticks out for me because I made a brief foray into stand-up a couple of years ago. At the very front end of this journey is a long string of nights practicing material and delivery at open mic events. These open mics are held at bars or coffee houses hoping to boast their mid-week crowds and not caring how that’s done. The audience, as often as not, have come in for many other reasons than to hear erstwhile comedians ply their future trade. Or they’ve come to hear and cheer their buddy. In any case, the audience’s attentiveness varies and truly fs up your concept of which jokes or what deliver works or sucks.

And once you graduate from that level to something that pays, small gigs or MC jobs, you find that they may pay, but barely. The next step up the rung is getting on the circuit, better pay, offset by the number of hotel nights you pay for on the road and the various other indignities of a life dependent on cheap ass club owners.

Let’s cut to the chase and simply say, I have a lot of respect for comedians who make it far enough to national exposure. Even if I don’t like their schtick, I give them their due.

Annals of Finance: IOU, American Way of Life

Wow, mucho frustration here. Regardless of what I wrote at the top of this, I truly haven’t had as much reading time this week. I have one issue sitting since last Tuesday while I poke at this blog entry and I haven’t finished reading one of the better articles in this issue. Jill Lepore takes us on an historical review of America’s bankruptcy and debtor treatment throughout our 233+ years. And I have to admit it’s made me think more about how we’re all reacting to the current debt crisis. But I haven’t finished reading it and I feel compelled to put this issue to bed and move on.

But don’t be surprised if I circle back here later…