February 2012
6 posts
Red Lion Post-gig recap, a week later....
Here’s how you know it went well. When the sound guy comes up to you as you’re breaking down and says, “This was great. So nice to hear something different than the same ten songs.”
And here’s how you really know it went well. When the waitresses come up to you independently and say, “This is the best Wednesday we’ve had in months. We told the manager to...
Thoughts nine hours before kickoff....
I am 14 years old and lying on the floor of my freshman dorm room in Ashley House. Given that the room is 6x10 and has a bed, desk and dresser, it is pretty remarkable that there is room for me to lie on the floor. But I am 5’1”, 93 pounds, so maybe not that remarkable.
It is late October, 1971 and even though I am going to love Deerfield Academy, I am not quite done being homesick....
Last Truants Live Video before recap: "Kicks/Have...
Truants Live at the Red Lion: "Little Girl"
January 2012
20 posts
I am late to the party on this one, but if you're...
….crack open THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach. I finally started this monster and it is as phenomenal as the people who call stuff phenomenal as frequently as they go to the crapper say it is. Crazy good. If Bernard Malamud and John Irving had a kid, it would be this guy. Completely accessible prose and wonderful rhythm. And this is me after only 150 pages. He doesn’t need any help...
While we're waiting for the news, here's the one...
(It hit the trash just before we sent the book out in February 2008. I liked it, but it was reminiscent of other scenes in the book and the ms was too long. As always, hope you think this is something….)
(September, 2007)
10
Phil arrived at the monthly gathering of the Samuel Abrun Graduates Panel a half hour early. You had to if you wanted a seat on the left aisle of the small...
To the woman who asked if The Truants do anything...
I hope this gives you a satisfactory...
Attention, the ten of you who still read this....
Potential monster monster monster news coming for EVERYTHING HURTS. When I can tell you, I will. But every writer should have the lunch I had today just once.
The Truants give their 5th(!) bass player, Al...
Needless to say, with a week to go, still a work...
Absolute classic....
Unaccustomed as I am to cross-promotion, feeling a...
@billscheft Bill Scheft
RIP Joe Paterno. Wonder if he’ll be buried looking the other way….
All these millionaire candidates railing about...
….about the first paid writing gig I got. The summer before my senior year, I was hired as the press secretary and speechwriter for Scott Harshbarger, who was running for District Attorney of Middlesex County in Massachusetts. This was 1978, two decades before Romney, when Massachusetts was so heavily Democratic the primary was the election and Election Day was a coronation. (The one...
If the Truants had gone in another directions....
The only, and I mean, only time I made any real...
….was in 1985-86, when I rode the Patriots relentless underdogness for everything it was worth. The Pats went something like 14-6 against the spread, including 12 in a row through the middle of the regular season to the playoffs and up to Super Bowl XX, where they were gutted by the Bears, 46-10 (Settle down. I had the over and kept the Green River rolling). When my older brother Tom came up...
Patriots-Broncos is 31 hours away, and I ain't...
The Red Lion gig is 18 days away, but the poster...
The Truants let Ringo have another song....
Normally, I don’t like the clip-clop music,...
You tell me....
I know this is a photo backstage of myself and one of the head writers, Justin Stangel, but come on, doesn’t it look like the Varsity Wrestling co-captain in the lounge, trying to convince the gay English teacher to change his grade?
This is all I got right now....
I was in Boston over the weekend for my mom’s 89th birthday party. At dinner, my sister Sally, who is retiring after 37 years as a fourth grade teacher, tells me this story: A kid in her class comes up to her and says, “Hey, Mrs. Reyer, you taught my older brother Michael five years ago.” Sally says, “Well, say hi.” And the kid looks at her, dead serious, and says,...
December 2011
17 posts
Some noble YouTube soul not from this earth....
As much as I recommend the LeBron James...
….I recommend this post by the author Scott Raab even more for anyone who wants to write.
Merrill Markoe has a new comic memoir out, "Cool,...
….that may blow the lid off narcissism. It would be doing much better if her publisher had done a bigger initial print run, but they didn’t figure on her selling out after appearing on the Daily Show. Which shows, once again, that even if you’re fortunate enough to sell a book and get on the right show to promote it, the results are not up to you.
But that’s not why...
Reblogged from Pablog, just in time for the day...
On last night's Letterman show....
…we did a reenactment of Jay Thomas’ classic “Lone Ranger” story. If you didn’t see it, it’s available on the Late Show website, along with a phenomenal 10-minute mini documentary about the making of Darlene Love’s yearly rendition of “Christmas Baby Please Come Home.”
But that’s not why we’re here. You’ll see in the...
Happy Holidays (Year 3!) from ABlog the Author....
I have waited the appropriate amount of time. And...
In 1998, I was writing on the ESPYs. Norm McDonald was the host, an old friend from stand-up days. His opening monologue is still lengendary, and the last time anyone was allowed to do anything remotely edgy on the show. That year, the ESPYs were produced by Lorne Michaels company, Broadway Video, which meant you spent a lot of time at the Saturday Night Live offices, mostly just hanging around...
We'll wait a few days before you see me with the...
Keith Olbermann pays tribute to Michele...
Between this and Dave tonight, better than anything I could write or say….
Our makeup lady, the singular Michele...
….lost her bout with cancer yesterday. She worked on our show since just after I started in 1991, as well as dozens of sports shows on every network. She was infectious and blunt. One time, a few years ago, we had this exchange:
“Hey Michele, I read (extremely well-known broadcaster) is getting a divorce.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Why? Why do you...
And now, the rest of the party....
The Times ran all of its photos from the evening on its website.
Late Show Christmas Party and "Celibrigum" Exhibit...
…I cannot tell you why I’m smiling in this photo by Barbara Gaines, because these things are nothing but awkward when you don’t drink. But I know why I’m smiling now. Just a perfect shot of longtime security chief Bill Delace, one of the great pieces of work of the modern era. I named a cop after him in TIME WON’T LET ME.
Where was I? Or "Lessons in Serendipity...."
A week ago, I met a guy for breakfast. The meeting ended early and I decided to get a coffee at Starbucks, pick up the papers and read in a cab down to my chiropractor. Usually, I walk the mile to the chiropractor, but it was raining.
This is sounding like a parody of every boring blog post ever. Hang in there….
Starbucks is crazy holiday crowded. Screw it. I’ll get the papers and...
My review of PJ O'Rourke's latest, in this...
As always, hope you think it’s something….
Wrong again, but never happier to be wrong....
Bobby Valentine will wear #25, paying homage to former Red Sox star Tony Conigliaro, his old roommate with the Angels. “I will gladly take it off to put it up on that wall,” Valentine said, pointing to the facade where retired Red Sox numbers hang.
If this means nothing to you, maybe I can change that with pps 124-127 of SHRINK THYSELF:
If people remember anything about Tony...
November 2011
12 posts
As the Red Sox prepare to trot out Bobby...
…as their new manager, I have two thoughts, actually a thought and a rememberance, neither of which concern how I think he’ll do. It’ll be what it’ll be. The best manager in the world will only get you five percent more wins a year. The worst loses you five percent. So, this really isn’t an issue unless they miss the playoffs on the last day of the season because of a...
I'm glad I was not as officious as I usually am...
….because four days after the Bitter End showcase, The Truants got offered a gig two doors down the street at the Red Lion. A real real gig. 7-10 pm on a Wednesday night. Three sets! And no-door, no-tip bucket money.
Three 45-minute sets. We have the material, but I am both thrilled and exhausted just thinking of the possibilities. Just the thought of seeing THE TRUANTS on chalkboard...
Post-gig report to come, but until then, "Mercy,...
Not writing, but still recommending....
On Demand, ESPN 30 for 30, “Unguarded,” the story of former Mass. high school hoop legend Chris Herren. A must.
Live Truants audio from the Bitter End: "Bad to...
Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas live on….