Monday, June 21, 2004

Bridge

Just finished watching "Bridget Jones' Diary" on TBS. I own it but hadn't seen it in a good long while. Perfect movie for an evening alone, as the boyfriend is at a gig on St. John. I adore the woman who plays her mother. This movie and "About a Boy" always make me think that Hugh Grant's bad-boy portrayals are probably a lot closer to his real personality. And, of course, who can forget "Tits Pervert?"

I can remember reading the book while commuting on Max (light rail) in Portland. I'd sometimes have to stop reading because I'd be laughing so hard. Not sure I'd find it that funny now--maybe my dating days are too far in the past.

Zipped through this book over the weekend. I read a feature on Meghan Daum awhile back (in "O" maybe) about how she'd left behind her life in N.Y. and settled in a tiny farmhouse in Nebraska with her boyfriend and his kids. So the entire book I kept wondering if the 'novel' was just a thinly veiled account of her life. It was alright, I suppose. Many of the blurbs mentioned its wit; I didn't find it that funny. In fact, now that I think about it, I didn't laugh once...I might not have even smiled.

Maybe my humor expectations are too high. I want to read something that's going to make me laugh so hard I'll cease making noise. You know that kind of doubled-over silent laughter that makes you cry? I like books that makes me laugh like that.

David Sedaris can do that for me. I'm trying to think of other writers who make me laugh that hard. I went to a couple of readings in Portland given by a female (L.A.) humor/comedy writer. I didn't find her books very funny at all. (At the second reading, she said she'd just seen a hilarious new film, "Waiting for Guffman." Now that's funny. The movie, I mean--not her comment.) Although she did flatter me once...I suppose. I went to one of the readings on the way to a gig. When I got to the club, I joined the boyfriend at the bar (he was on break), where I pulled the book out of my bag to show it to him and we read the inscription. She'd written, "You are the most impressive person here -- and I believe you know it." I have no earthly idea why she wrote that, since I hadn't spoken a word at the reading, nor did I say anything to her as she signed my book, except my name which she asked of each buyer. It makes me sound so arrogant. That's me...the arrogant mute.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home