"whack-a-dack, workin' on my lounge act"
Tonight I stood behind a lectern and taught twenty people about growing up in "Oakapalloka" during the 1970's. Man alive, unless I'm completely deluded, I had 'em going, and I was telling the truth too, wow. It's A.A. but I spent a lot of time mocking college English departments, and describing some of Oakapalloka's leading citizens, such as my drunken pediatrician, whose hobby was to built cannons in his garage. (There were consequences.)
Afterwards during coffee and cake, a few people came up to tell me they had similiar stories, especially about 'grown-ups' in the 60's and 70's being all f_ucked up.
Really, it wasn't part of the program. I was blaming my problems on my day and age and my town. Tried to excuse that, maybe succeeded enough to get by.
But man, what a memorable experience, getting up there and not fainting and not going by any script. My ego is grotesque tonight. Gruesome enough being a blogger sometimes, I think.
Time to sleep. Hopefully the applause I still hear will go away.
posted by Jackson @ 10:58 PM
5 Comments:
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Boy, when you think about what we grew up with. My teachers had ecology stickers on the bumpers of their gas guzzling Plymouths. They made us watch films of baby seals being beaten. Why, we had a whole month devoted to the study of the United Nations! Sesame Street was psychedelic and my friend's moms looked like "Rhoda". Meanwhile I was listening to Benny Goodman with my daddy-o.
Oh that reminds me, are you enjoying Rabbit,Run ? Captures those times, I guess, as the adults would explain them.
I think I'll re-read that someday. All the Rabbit books are were that enjoyable , to me.
Yuck, I think they were all about the shock value in those days...some of the descriptions were kind of gross, and I didn't like any of the characters. Maybe I should give it another try. bmalz
Hm. That's too bad, I hope it hasn't gone bad on me after 15 years.
Seems maybe I started with the 2nd in the series, because the 1st involved a black militant I think, and I only got the recap on that story.
There's a sort of documentary that tells the first two Rabbit stories. Not a movie, but with actors and a narrator. I think that's how I got interested.
sorry it didn't work out for ya. And lots of people dislike Updike no matter which novel of course. ...Not for everyone.
I am glad that it went well.
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