March 30

I had such a good start with this issue, as noted in last week’s entry, but have ended up having a hard time getting around to writing this. Partly a busier work week, I’m writing this in a hotel in Buffalo. The wings really are better here. And, partly…I don’t have a clue. Lethargy, simply distracted? But here I am…

Every time I’ve heard David Sedaris on This American Life I’ve been entertained from beginning to end. His mix of sarcasm, irony, and excellent timing makes his stories a hoot. So I have to admit being a bit disappointed in his New Yorker story about a book tour. I appreciated it, but the pleasure was of mild interest. I guess I didn’t hear his voice in it as I have other authors in their pieces.

Imagine my relief as I rolled right through Woody Allen’s Tail’s of Manhattan. This tale tickled from front to back. I’ve dodged Madoff stories whenever I could, but I was too deep into this 1 pager, by the time Madoff made his appearance that I couldn’t look away. Nor did I want to. My experience with humor at this length is always a mix of awe and a recognition that it took a simple step of imagination to get this ball rolling. And it feels like it rolled off his pen (keyboard) onto the page in one smooth delivery.

Nancy Franklin’s review of NBC’s Kings was as notable for her lead in as it was for her closing. She begins by ruminating on the other dramatic milestones this spring, including NBC’s upcoming Southland and the end of ER. Franklin then bemoans the decline of broadcast network drama series, as evidenced by next fall’s impending loss of 5 hours of primetime network real estate. The new Jay Leno 10 pm show is seen by many to be a harbinger of things to come, especially if successful. Talk shows cost much less to produce than episodic TV. As a long-time NON-fan of Jay Leno, I’m not convinced the end is neigh. Franklin ends her piece by revealing that we have a mutual interest, comic books. And dropping a piece of news I’ve been too busy to notice, the coming Green Lantern movie. In between, she introduces the main characters and thematic direction of NBC’s biblically based series. My wife and I have been enjoying Kings from the first episode, partly for the same reason Franklin mentions in her piece, the inestimable Ian McShane. As Franklin notes, McShane’s previous role, that of Al Swearengen, was cut short prematurely. When I consider that Deadwood met it’s untimely end so that creator David Milch could launch the annoyingly aimless John from Cincinnati, my blood pressure begins to rise again. I am obviously too artistically immature to appreciate what Milch was doing with “John”. NOT! I saw this short-lived series of an unfortunate waste of interesting characters…and my time. Which tells you not an inch more abot Kings or Franklin’s review, so me close by simply stating I enjoyed it, I agree with Franklin, and I look forward to reading more from her.

On the solemn side of things, Craig Raine gives us a brief but touching look into the death of a woman from cancer, scenes for her life with her husband, and brief, transitory effect of all this on her husband. In his short fiction, Julia and Byron, Raine paints a clear picture of Julia and upon her death, introduces husband Byron to us. Whereupon he simultaneously makes us pity Byron on 2 levels before leaving him to continue his life. I was touched, not in a deeply moving way, but touched none-the-less.

I’ve never played poker. Well, I could say I have, for hours, against a cheap phone game. But I’m certain that doesn’t count. So I have to admit, the allure of poker is strong when I read a about it. And this was no less true when reading of mathematician poker payer Chris Furguson. The fact that he has long straight hair and just the right beard ha earned Chris the nickname Jesus and the article a cool name, What Would Jesus Bet? That there is a format or a stylistic direction for New Yorker profile articles is becoming apperent, but that doesn’t minimize the pleasure of reading them. In this one, Alec Wilkinson familiarizes us with Ferguson, some legal issue surrounding on-line poker sites (definitely NOT a game of chance), and some professional level poker strategy. And does so in an inviting, inclusive manner.