Category: Humour
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V. A Little Levity: (intro.)
Introduction After thumping dirges, the old fingers need a break. It is time to play a few lighter pieces. The common thread of the following vignettes is a certain levity of tone. The humour tends to be dark so the ‘levity’ in some pieces applies more to the manner in which the self-flagellating lash is…
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V. A Little Levity (con’d)
“You must be the fella wants a coupla pet mice!” The door was opened by a grinning Herman Munster holding a spoon. “Com’on in fellas–– I was just feedin’ our kitty. Don’t worry about the shoes.” My son gave me a nervous glance as we followed the tall man with a large forehead into his…
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Y. Tombstone Chronicles
Introduction: ‘Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip’ was Charles Bukowski’s first published story… Robert Pirsig claimed to have accumulated 103 rejection slips before his masterwork, ‘Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance’, was accepted… Much more intimidating was the boast of Truman Capote that he “never had a rejection slip.” I have no presumption of comparing my experience to that of…
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I. Soundtracks (con’d)
Like many Canadians of my generation, I became a devotee of Saint Leonard from the first hearing ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen.’ Through the mid-1970s, I eagerly awaited the release of each of his albums. I was never disappointed in his music until ‘Death of a Ladies Man’ (1977). The excuse that the nearly unlistenable record…
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I. Soundtracks (intro.)
What could be more joyous than the smell of honeysuckle and sour mash whiskey along with sinful fornication on the bank of the baptizin’ creek? -‘Highlights of a love-hate affair’
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H. Dead Time Reveries (intro.)
Introduction: 10 hours a week of driving to and from work (1993-2015) is probably a low average for most urban commuters. While the time I spent behind the wheel over 25 years in greater Vancouver was certainly no more onerous that that suffered by fellow wage-slaves, I still wonder how many others sometimes found themselves…
