The Former Traveling Spotlight

The tales of a "30" something gay former stand-up comic living in NYC who is searching for his soul mate or soul...which ever comes first.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Freaking Memes

Usually, I'm an avid reader. Lately though, I've not been reading as much as I'd like to. My reasons? Well I have a few.

• All of my books are still in Cleveland at a friend's house. I was hoping to go in September and get them...but seeing that I'm not going to be allowed to lift anything heavier than 15lbs for 8 to 10 weeks, I'll have my books by Christmas.
  
  
• I have no bookshelves in my apartment. Then again...I don't have a couch or a bed either. I do have a lawn chair to sit in though.
  
  
• Books are so damn expensive. Seriously...remember when you could go to a book store and buy a paperback for $2. When did books become so pricey?
  
  
• I hate library books. This is a big one for me. I love the library, but I've got an issue regarding people who read in the bathroom. Call me a germ-a-phobe...I don't care. People, if you are spending that much time taking a dump that you need to bring a book into the bathroom...eat some damn fiber!
  
  

But now, I've been "memed" and need to come up with answers. Problem with this meme is that I've read more plays than books, so for a lot of these answers, I've

1. A book that changed my life: And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts.
   The only book I've read that made me so angry I actually had bad dreams for weeks. I read it back in 1987, the year I had moved out on my own and was living in an apartment building full of other homos. I was one of the only men in the building not HIV positive, and this book explained exactly why I needed to take a stand.
   
   
   
2. A book I've read more than once: Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
   One of my favorite tragedies, I love the painful ending.
   
   
   
3. A book I'd take to a desert island: The Norton Anthology.
   This way, I'd get to read some masterpieces in literature, and the paper is so thin I can use it as toilet paper when I'm finished.
   
   
   
4. A book play that made me laugh: Easy one. Laundry and Bourbon by James McLure.
   This is a short play that is pure comedic genius. Using three types of comedy: slapstick, physical, and storytelling, the playwright is able to bring an audience into his main idea of small town living.
   
   
   
5. A book that made me cry: Charlotte's Web
   Hey, I was eight years old. As I said two days ago...I'm not one to cry.
   
   
   
6. A book I wish I had written:
   Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone by JK Rowling.
   The woman now is richer than the freaking Queen! I'd kill for that financial security.
   
   
7. A book that should never have been written: The Bible.
   The only book I can think of that causes more wars, persecution, and murder. The Inquisition, The Holy Crusades, the conversion of the Native American Savages, even current political conservative backlash are all based on biblical beliefs. A little ironic since the bible was written to promote tolerance.
   
   
   
8. A book I'm currently reading: The Hand Maid's Tale.
   Love the way feminism is explored in this work of fiction.
   
   
   
9. A book I'm planning to read: The Great Gatbsy
   I'm blaming this on Ricker...who convinced me to read this while I'm recovering.
   
   
   
10. Five people to whom I'll send these questions:
    
    How about five people I either haven't slept with, or I'm not planning on sleeping with, or who haven't already gotten this meme.
    
    1.
    2.
    3.
    4.
    5.
    

Patrick - 4:05 PM -

---