Hi, People.
How’s it going? I hope you are okay. Grim time. Darkness and violence. Be aware of the macro, engage and do what you do. Appreciate the micro, your life. It’s what you have.
Quick reminder that Brendan and I will be in Seattle this Saturday, November 11th. We'll be at Third Place Books in Seward Park doing a talk, taking your questions, and signing copies of Waiting For The Punch. See you there. I’m going to eat some fish there too. Probably at Jack's in Pike Place Market. Maybe some cioppino. The micro.
I did a benefit the other night for the International Myeloma Foundation. Ray Romano has been hosting it for 11 years. He started it after Peter Boyle died of Multiple Myeloma. I was happy to be asked to do it. I like watching from the wings. I love that view. I watched Ray open the show. Then me and Ray pulled some stool into the side aisle of the audience and watched Hannibal Buress and Rachel Feinstein and some of Nikki Glaser. Everyone did great.
Before the show I went backstage to the green room and when I walked in, there was just Fred Willard sitting by himself in a very bright blue suit. I said, "Wow, crazy party in here." He said, "I invited a lot of people." Fred is funny. Then Robert Klein came in. I don’t have a great history with him. Apparently, that is one-sided because he didn’t seem to recall ever meeting me. Which we had. Back in ‘95ish he climbed on stage and started improvising with me. He didn’t like what I had said about computer nerds and he decided to set me straight. I didn’t ask for that. It wasn’t an honor. It was annoying, really. I said some shit about him the following week at the same place. It got back to him. I apologized. Blah blah. Something always rubbed me the wrong way about him. None of that mattered. He didn’t remember. I was mostly over it. Years later I interviewed him at Air America. He didn’t remember that either.
He and Fred Willard were in Second City together. He sat down next to Fred. I was next to the two of them. It’s interesting to watch two guys with a long history in general, and with each other, interact when they haven’t seen each other in while. They basically challenged each other to remember things about their lives. And they went way back with the memories. I thought it would be a good bit. I jotted it down in my notebook. Klein blurted, "What are you writing?" Like I was taking private notes about their conversation. "Joke idea," I said. "Oh, you still do that," he said. "That’s great."
When I got off stage after I did very well he was in the wings waiting to go on, fidgety, darty. He said, "Very irreverent." I don’t think he meant it as a compliment. I said, "Thanks. Great crowd." He’s just who he is. Didn’t matter. I stood in the wings and watched Robert Klein be Robert Klein for a few minutes. Then I left.
Today I have a lovely chat with Jenna Fisher. She has a book coming out. On Thursday, I talk to the amazing and unique John Dwyer. He’s had a helluva journey in the music.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron