“Right now, a comedian can perform a joke in front of three hundred people, film it, and have it watched as part of a special by 5 million people on Netflix, record it and have it listened to by 300,000 people on Spotify, clip it and have it watched by 1.2 million people on YouTube, 640,000 people on Instagram, and 1.1 million on TikTok. This is what adapting to the audience looks like today, and the audience responds accordingly.” (p. 50)

Jesse David Fox is a senior editor at Vulture, where he works as the site’s comedy critic. Fox loves comedy and studies it through interviews with comedians. Fox’s new book, The Comedy Book, not only dissects jokes and stand-up routines, but goes into detail on key movers and shakers in the comedy world. Here’s Fox on Adam Sandler:

“Between 1995 when he came out with Billy Madison, and 2015, when he started making movies exclusively for Netflix, Adam Sandler starred in seventeen live-action movies that each grossed more than one hundred million dollars worldwide. During that 20 year period, that’s more hits than Ben Stiller made, more than Jim Carrey, more than Will Ferrell, more than Julia Roberts, more than Will Smith, more than Tom Cruise. It’s tied with Tom Hanks…” (p. 58)

Fox explores the various elements of comedy from adjusting to an audience to the timing of a joke. It becomes apparent that Fox prefers “cerebral” comedy. This leads him to focus on one of his favorite comedy TV shows:

“Getting through a lot of the early writing about The Simpsons, the Harvard of it all stand out. While none of the show’s three creators went to Harvard (Matt Groening went to Evergreen State College, James L. Brooks dropped out of NYU, and Sam Simon went to Stanford), four of the original seven staff writer did (Al Jean, Mike Weiss, Jon Vitti, George Meyer). Season 2 include writing from two more Harvards (Jeff Martin and Nell Scovell). Seasons 4 and 5 brought on another four (Conan O’Brien, Bill Oakley, Dan McGrath). In 2021, Harvard Magazine reported that over thirty writers from the show were Harvard alumni.” (p. 68)

Fox covers all the major comedians: Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Richard Pryor, Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Cosby, and over a dozen more. If you’re interested in comedy and how the magic works, read The Comedy Book. Who is your favorite comedian? GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Comedy — 3

Audience — 24

Funny — 51

Timing — 73

Politics — 99

Truth — 127

Laughter — 161

The line — 189

Context — 232

Community — 263

Connection — 297

Notes — 317

Acknowledgements — 335

Index — 339

Diane and I went to the State University of New York at Buffalo Music School to see Jason Vieaux, the gifted guitarist, perform in their acoustically perfect hall.

Here are the notes from the performance program: “Buffalo native and Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, ‘among the elite of today’s classical guitarists’ (Gramophone), is described by NPR as ‘perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.’ In appearances from New York’s Lincoln Center to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Seoul Arts Center, Jason Vieaux has cemented his reputation as an artist of brilliance and uncompromised mastery. Cited for his ‘eloquent and vibrant performances’ on disc (Gramophone Magazine) he is hailed as ‘virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical’ (New York Times) on stage.”

The sold-out audience rewarded the exquisite playing by Vieaux with plenty of applause. The range of music from Bach to Brouwer to Metheny to Rush just shows Vieaux’s range. Vieaux told the audience, before he played his Encore, that he was invited to a fund-raiser at one of the music schools he teaches at. The Dean asked Vieaux to prepare a short piece for one of the big Canadian donors. “Do you know something he might like?” Dean asked Vieaux tentatively. “I grew up on the Canadian/U.S. border and heard plenty of Canadian music on Canadian radio stations,” Vieaux relied. “I’ll have something our Canadian donor will like.” And, it was Rush’s “Closer to the Heart.” The donor was delighted, and so were we. Do you like guitar music? GRADE: A

Four Paths of Light: Bach to Metheny

J.S. Bach – Cello Suite #1, BWV 1007 (arr. Vieaux)

Leo Brouwer – El Decameron Negro

INTERMISSION

Pat Metheny – Four Paths of Light   -composed for and dedicated to Mr. Vieaux

J.S. Bach – Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001 (arr. Vieaux)

ENCORE

RUSH — “Closer to the Heart” — Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Lyrics: Neil Peart and Peter Talbot

“Harry Turtledove: Judy Tarr was complaining in a letter in 1988 that the cover art for a historical fantasy novel she had coming out was as anachronistic as Robert E. Lee with an Uzi. I looked at that and admired it. When I wrote back, I printed out the letter and added a handscrawl PS under my signature: ‘Who would want to give Robert El Lee an Uzi? Time-traveling South Africans, maybe? If I write it, I’ll give you an acknowledgement.’…And that’s how Guns of the South happened, and how I got to quit my day job. Thanks, Judy…” (p.104)

Jack Dann’s book could have been titled The Fiction Reader’s Guide to Alternate History. Alternate History is a genre where Japan and Germany win World War II as in Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle. I quoted Harry Turtledove above because he’s written over a dozen Alternate History novels and his first big hit, Guns of the South, has the South winning the Civil War with the help of modern automatic weapons. Decades earlier, Ward Moore wrote Bring the Jubilee which also had the South triumphant.

I’ve read a fair number of Alternate History books over the years and have enjoyed many of them. In THE FICTION WRITER’S GUIDE TO ALTERNATE HISTORY, practitioners of Alternate History writing discuss their approach, methods, and craft (check the list of authors included in Chapter Six below). Fascinating stuff!

As a result of reading THE FICTION WRITER’S GUIDE TO ALTERNATE HISTORY I came away with a long list of Alternative History books I want to read. If you read THE FICTION WRITER’S GUIDE TO ALTERNATE HISTORY, I’m sure you will, too. Are you a fan of Alternate History? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. A Few Introductory Notes and Thoughts About Alternate History and the Slippery Slope of Fiction — 1

2. Let’s Examine What We’re Talking About — 3
– Definitions and Divergence Points
– ‘Alternate History’ and Science Fiction: a Potted History
– Model making…

3. Are we really Theorizing about History and Morality and Choice? — 19
– How To Bring Your Readers Up To Speed
– Thinking About History…and Your Readers

4. Taking a Break From Me: “White City” by Lewis Shiner — 29

5. Craft Problems and Solutions — 35
– Deconstructing Tesla and Assembling the Counterfactual Fiction Writer’s Toolbox
– A Quick Inventory

6. The Tactics of Creating Counterfactual Texts: a Roundtable Q & A — 55
With Kim Stanley Robinson, William Gibson, Pamela Sargent, Harry Turtledove, John Crowley, Michael Bishop, , Lisa Goldstein, John Kessel, John Birmingham, Barry N. Malzberg, Janeen Webb, Bruce Sterling, Mark Shirrefs, Christopher Priest, Terry Bisson, Mary Rosenblum, Michael Swanwick, Paul Di Filippo, Richard Harland, Howard Waldrop, Lewis Shiner, and George Zebrowski

7. A Very Personal Meditation On Writing: Or How I Do It…and Think About It — 125

8. A Very Few Last Words About…You — 141

Bibliography — 143

About the Author — 152

About the Contributors — 154

Index — 162

On February 29, I reviewed Best of the Bubblegum Years (you can read my review here). In a comment, Fred Blosser suggested I check out 25 ALL-TIME GREATEST BUBBLEGUM HITS: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION from 2000. It took a bit of searching on-line but I finally found a copy and bought it. Now that I’ve listened to 25 ALL-TIME GREATEST BUBBLEGUM HITS: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION I have to agree with Fred. It is vastly better than Best of the Bubblegum Years. And, it includes my favorite Bubblegum Hit, “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies!

“Bubblegum Hit” can be loosely defined. I don’t really consider “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees a Bubblegum Hit but it was certainly a hit song : the single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967.

Many of these Bubblegum Hits are One-Hit Wonders. What ever happened to The Cuff Links and The Banana Splits? Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: A

TRACK LIST:

From 1978 to 1991 Charles L. Grant edited a series of anthologies titled Shadows, published by Doubleday, followed by a number from 1 to 11. The first volume in the series won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. There was also a Best of Shadows anthology published in 1988. I found most of the stories in the Shadows series dealt with psychological suspense for the most part. Yes, there was some violence in some of these stories, but it was more of the toned-down variety.

My favorite stories in Shadows 4 (1981) are Tanith Lee’s “Meow” and “The Spider Glass” by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. I had already read “Meow” when I reviewed a short story collection by Tanith Lee last year (you can read my review here). “Meow” features a moody magician who engages in a torrid affair with a beautiful young woman who loves cats.

“The Spider Glass” is one of those discursive stories where you don’t really know where the plot is heading. Over brandy, Charles Whittenfield tells his dinner guests a weird story of an antique Venetian mirror and a woman who encounters Yarbro’s popular vampire protagonist, le Comte de Saint-Germain!

This type of anthology is rarely published today. Charles L. Grant not only selected the stories for these volumes, he wrote insightful essays to engage the reader and wonderful introductions to the stories. I recommend the books in series if you can find them. GRADE: B

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Introduction – (1981) – essay by Charles L. Grant — vii
• The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands – (1981) – short story by Stephen King — 1
• Yours, -Guy – (1981) – short story by Robert F. Young — 18
• The Belonging Kind – (1981) – short story by John Shirley and William Gibson — 27
• Calling Collect – (1981) – short story by Barry N. Malzberg and Arthur L. Samuels — 39
• Hearing Is Believing – (1981) – short story by Ramsey Campbell — 46
• Threshold – (1981) – short story by Deirdre L. Kugelmeyer — 55
• A Visit to Brighton – (1981) – short story by Alan Ryan — 58
• Echoes From a Darkened Shore – (1981) – short story by Cherie Wilkerson — 68
• The Blue Chair – (1981) – short story by Tabitha King — 80
• Meow – (1981) – short story by Tanith Lee — 95
• The Giveaway – (1981) – short story by Steve Rasnic Tem — 106
• Need – (1981) – short story by Lisa Tuttle — 111
• Waiting for the Knight – (1981) – short story by Beverly Evans — 122
• Under My Bed – (1981) – short story by Al Sarrantonio — 129
• The Hour of Silhouette – (1981) – short story by Juleen Brantingham — 133
• Snow, Cobwebs, and Dust – (1981) – short story by John Keefauver — 142
• The Spider Glass – (1981) – novelette by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro — 145

Forty-four years ago, I read James Clavell’s 1000 page novel, Shogun, and then watched Richard Chamberlain in the 5-episode TV version of Shogun. Set in 1600, the story of a shipwrecked English “pilot” (aka, navigator) taken prisoner by the Japanese, is full of action and adventure. This new FX version of Shogun (10 episodes) paints a much more complete picture of Clavell’s epic novel with a much broader canvas.

The story starts with a Dutch trading ship Erasmus and its barely surviving crew blown ashore by a violent storm at Anjiro on the east coast of Japan. Pilot-Major John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), the ship’s English navigator, is taken prisoner by samurai warriors. The Catholic foothold in Japan puts Blackthorne, a Protestant and therefore a heretic in this situation, at a political disadvantage that might cost him his life.

The influential Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), mistrusts this foreign religion now spreading throughout Japan. He is competing with other samurai warlords of similar high-born rank, among them Catholic converts, for the very powerful position of shōgun, the military governor of Japan. Toranaga, under political stress that might cost him his life, sees John Blackthorne as a wild card that might change the balance of power among the warlords–and maybe save his own life.

My favorite character is Lady Markiko Toda (Anna Sawai), a tormented aristocrat who balances her Catholic religion and her loyalty to Lord Toranaga, who becomes the interpreter and eventual lover of Blackthorne.

Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks (co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick), show runners of Shogun, present a feudal and beautiful Japan full of treachery and political intrigue. The scope and power of Shogun with its bold drama and scale makes this series one of the year’s best! GRADE: INCOMPLETE but trending toward an A

“One morning I woke up with my head in the shower and my feet by the toilet. The children were with their grandparents for the weekend, and I used that as an excuse to binge. My knuckles were bleeding, my face was red, my body was bloated, and my mind was on edge. It scared me. All the rules I had set years before when I reentered the drinking world had gone out the window by the end of that first year of the pandemic. I was drinking away my crippling fears about the end of the world and how the children I’d brought into it would navigate it. Meanwhile, I couldn’t navigate it myself.” (p. 267-268)

Margo Price, a Nashville-based singer and songwriter with three albums, a nomination for a Grammy for Best New Artist, and a performance on Saturday Night Live, narrates this harrowing story of her difficult life.

Margot struggled as a kid, never fitting in. But she was drawn to music and taught herself how to play the guitar. For years, Margot worked as a waitress while she pursued her dream of becoming a singer. She wrote songs and performed on street corners. She fell in love with another musician, Jeremy, but their relationship was stormy.

The music industry, as Margot describes it, is harsh and difficult. As a result, she and Jeremy turned to drugs and alcohol. That did not improve their relationship. As far as I can tell, it did not improve their chances at success in the the music industry, either. Only years of persistent performing and touring finally brought some acclaim and a growing audience for Margot’s songs.

If you want to read a no-holds-barred description of life as a performer today with endless tours and a myriad of problems navigating life on the road, Maybe We’ll Make It is the Real Deal. GRADE: A

Last year, TURBOTAX refused to allow me to e-file my Federal and State returns. When I called the TURBOTAX help line, they wanted to charge me $50 to tell me how to fix that. “Go to Hell,” I told them and printed out my tax returns and mailed them in, vowing I’d never use TURBOTAX again!

Well, Time heals some wounds and last week I decided to give TURBOTAX one more chance. It took me about an hour to install the program, input our tax data, and fill in the New York State tax data. Finally, the Moment of Truth: would TURBOTAX allow me to e-file or would I never use TURBOTAX again? Fortunately, both the Federal and State returns were e-filed successfully. We owed some money to the Feds and a bit more to NY State.

Do you have your taxes done? Do you do it yourself or do you farm the tax preparation out?

As usual, I know very little about the politics of the Oscars. Here are my best guesses for the winners:

BEST PICTURE:  “Oppenheimer”

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”)

BEST DIRECTOR:  Christopher Nolan

Who do you think will win?

The Bad Batch, Season 3 is the final season of this Star Wars series. The elite clone unit is on the run from the Empire and trying to stop a secret, experimental project. I’ve watched five of the 15 episodes in this series. The Bad Batch is going out with a bang!

I’m impressed by the story-telling and cast of this series. Michelle Ang, who portrayed the young clone Omega perfectly from the beginning of this series, continues to dazzle in this final chapter. The dissension among the clones is partial resolved as the threats from the Empire grow. The clone squad–Omega, Crosshair, Echo, Hunter, and Wrecker–face dire danger as Project Necromancer ramps up.

I watched The Bad Batch from the beginning ( you can read my review here) and enjoyed the steady progression of improvement from episode to episode. This animated series captures much of the excitement and thrills of the original Star Wars series. If you’re in the mood for some “sense of wonder” entertainment, give The Bad Batch, Season 3 a try. GRADE: Incomplete, but trending towards a B+