Now. I consider myself a reasonably well-read person and I am always slightly disappointed in myself when I discover what many would consider an unforgiveable hole in my background. Usually, these omissions stem fr. the fact that my sensibilities basically stopped registering literature after the British Regency period. (The fact that I have been in school for most of my life and was therefore required to give up reading for fun for long stretches doesn't help either.) Tonight, however, I was able to patch one of those holes in a thoroughly enjoyable manner.
It all started last wk. when Jill told me a speaker was coming to the College and read the promotional blurb. Intrigued by Mr. Alexie's background (he grew up on an Indian reservation in WA) and by his eclectic professional distinctions (he is an award-winning poet, novelist, screenwriter, and director), I decided to overlook the fact that I had never heard of this person and agreed to attend. When Jill reminded me this morning that he was speaking tonight, I said, "Oh, great, I'll be there!" and then realized I had completely forgotten what the talk was supposed to cover. Later, after having worked a full day for the first time in, um, years, I began to re-evaluate whether or not I really wanted to spend another few hrs. in town to hear a lecture whose topic I could not even remember delivered by a man whose apparent celebrity was entirely under my radar. The vestigial remains of my initial enthusiasm won over, though, and all I can say is...I need to adjust my radar.
The body of Mr. Alexie's "lecture" lasted just about an hr. and could be divided as follows:
80% hilarious -- as in laughing-at-a-volume-inappropriate-for-public-places funny for most of the lecture.
15% controversial -- one guy (who obviously missed the subtleties of Mr. Alexie's presentation style) tried to start a genuine argument w/him during the Q&A session after the lecture. Then I started mocking him fr. my seat directly behind his head and Mr. Alexie demonstrated that he did, indeed, have the citations to back up his assertions and the guy gave up. Now that's teamwork.
4% angry -- and rightfully so. Plus, he is an equal-opportunity critic, taking aim at left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, vegans, and pretty much anyone else who doesn't make sense.
1% vulgar -- I can honestly say I've never been asked to repeat the word "fuckhead" by a College-sponsored speaker. And you know I did.
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It all started last wk. when Jill told me a speaker was coming to the College and read the promotional blurb. Intrigued by Mr. Alexie's background (he grew up on an Indian reservation in WA) and by his eclectic professional distinctions (he is an award-winning poet, novelist, screenwriter, and director), I decided to overlook the fact that I had never heard of this person and agreed to attend. When Jill reminded me this morning that he was speaking tonight, I said, "Oh, great, I'll be there!" and then realized I had completely forgotten what the talk was supposed to cover. Later, after having worked a full day for the first time in, um, years, I began to re-evaluate whether or not I really wanted to spend another few hrs. in town to hear a lecture whose topic I could not even remember delivered by a man whose apparent celebrity was entirely under my radar. The vestigial remains of my initial enthusiasm won over, though, and all I can say is...I need to adjust my radar.
The body of Mr. Alexie's "lecture" lasted just about an hr. and could be divided as follows:
80% hilarious -- as in laughing-at-a-volume-inappropriate-for-public-places funny for most of the lecture.
15% controversial -- one guy (who obviously missed the subtleties of Mr. Alexie's presentation style) tried to start a genuine argument w/him during the Q&A session after the lecture. Then I started mocking him fr. my seat directly behind his head and Mr. Alexie demonstrated that he did, indeed, have the citations to back up his assertions and the guy gave up. Now that's teamwork.
4% angry -- and rightfully so. Plus, he is an equal-opportunity critic, taking aim at left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, vegans, and pretty much anyone else who doesn't make sense.
1% vulgar -- I can honestly say I've never been asked to repeat the word "fuckhead" by a College-sponsored speaker. And you know I did.
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= 100% masterfully, insidiously thought-provoking. I've never witnessed someone so effectively couch a serious commentary on human behavior, perceptions, and attitudes in what many would -- and did -- register as merely a stand-up comedy routine. It was astonishing, really.
Also, he is quite affable and allowed me to chit chat and be my usual jack-ass self w/him at the reception following his lecture, which is always a plus. I recently heard that David Sedaris -- whom I adore and to whom I would perhaps liken Mr. Alexie in that they both use humor to address more serious issues -- is horrible in person and just stands reading fr. his books and seemed rather less approachable. So the fact that you can actually talk to him like a normal human being (or like me) is one more, entirely superfluous reason you should go check out Alexie's work. He recommended his collection of stories, "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fisfighting in Heaven," to Jill, which I found somehow refreshing. Perhaps b/c I am persistently plagued by my own inability to believe that anythg. I produce would really be worth someone else's time (this blog notwithstanding) and b/c so many artists of various stripes seem to share my disability, I found it impressive that he was able to say that he genuinely liked one of his (numerous) works. It often seems that it is hardest for us to find smthg. w/in ourselves worthy of praise and I suppose it was reassuring to see that in someone else.
Well, I think that is more than enough gushing for one evening. Check out his website: http://www.fallsapart.com/index.html , read his work, and see if my accolades are unwarranted.
"I was sitting at this stoplight at 3am b/c I couldn't sleep again, thinking abt. how depressed I was and how I hated myself, thinking to myself, 'Other ppl. seem to like you, why don't you?'" -- Sherman Alexie's lead-up to a story that was an absolute hoot, if you can imagine insomnia, a late-night car accident, and racial tensions being presented in an impossibly funny way. My paraphrase is not v. funny, but it apparently struck a chord in me, since that is the line I most clearly remember, aside fr. the oath he made us all, as an audience, swear that went smthg. along the lines of, "I solemnly swear that if I am on a plane being hijacked by a boxuctter-wielding terrorist, I will reach for the nearest laptop computer, hurl it like a frisbee at his head, and decpitate that fuckhead fundamentalist." heh.
Also, he is quite affable and allowed me to chit chat and be my usual jack-ass self w/him at the reception following his lecture, which is always a plus. I recently heard that David Sedaris -- whom I adore and to whom I would perhaps liken Mr. Alexie in that they both use humor to address more serious issues -- is horrible in person and just stands reading fr. his books and seemed rather less approachable. So the fact that you can actually talk to him like a normal human being (or like me) is one more, entirely superfluous reason you should go check out Alexie's work. He recommended his collection of stories, "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fisfighting in Heaven," to Jill, which I found somehow refreshing. Perhaps b/c I am persistently plagued by my own inability to believe that anythg. I produce would really be worth someone else's time (this blog notwithstanding) and b/c so many artists of various stripes seem to share my disability, I found it impressive that he was able to say that he genuinely liked one of his (numerous) works. It often seems that it is hardest for us to find smthg. w/in ourselves worthy of praise and I suppose it was reassuring to see that in someone else.
Well, I think that is more than enough gushing for one evening. Check out his website: http://www.fallsapart.com/index.html , read his work, and see if my accolades are unwarranted.
"I was sitting at this stoplight at 3am b/c I couldn't sleep again, thinking abt. how depressed I was and how I hated myself, thinking to myself, 'Other ppl. seem to like you, why don't you?'" -- Sherman Alexie's lead-up to a story that was an absolute hoot, if you can imagine insomnia, a late-night car accident, and racial tensions being presented in an impossibly funny way. My paraphrase is not v. funny, but it apparently struck a chord in me, since that is the line I most clearly remember, aside fr. the oath he made us all, as an audience, swear that went smthg. along the lines of, "I solemnly swear that if I am on a plane being hijacked by a boxuctter-wielding terrorist, I will reach for the nearest laptop computer, hurl it like a frisbee at his head, and decpitate that fuckhead fundamentalist." heh.
