WYSIWYG
Time: a few nights ago. The WYSIWYG Talent Show.
Place: Bowery Poetry Club, NYC.
Speaking in front of crowds, I never get nervous.
I can work a room much easier than I can talk one-on-one. Standing in front of a crowd is like steering a ship, you just spin the wheel in a direction and keep the motors running, and everything will work out. Just give me the mic and I'll be fine, I'll think of something. On a date, why do I talk so much? I'm a nervous wreck.
I usually don't care what people think of the stuff I do. My theory is: if I'm always trying my best, if you don't like it there's nothing I can do about that. I can only be disappointed if I screw it up for myself by not being prepared. It's a good way to live life, methinks.
Standing on this stage, in front of the...what...50 people?...60?...small crowd, whatever it was, I literally almost vomited. I was slated to read last, which gave me the opportunity to sit through 4 other people do really well. Great. No pressure. Their stuff: really funny. Mine...not meant to be funny, really. And it's a little weird. And it's, like, totally gay. Hopefully this room filled with predominately heterosexuals will still get into it.
I read a few selections of this. I wanted to see how it sounded out loud.
Turns out, it worked pretty well.
Actually, I liked it better.
When do you start that diet? When do you start making those plans? When do you start going for it?
How scary to think if you don't start right now, perhaps you never will.
I need to finish writing this thing.
I'm so pissed that I missed it. I was stuck in a work situation and couldn't get free in time. Please keep up informed about the next time you are doing something like this in New York!
Posted by: kat | December 22, 2006 at 10:55 PM
God I wish I was there. I love your AG blog entries! I would totally buy that book. Hope you had fun.
Posted by: ED | December 22, 2006 at 11:37 PM
Merry Christmas, Dan...
Hope all is well.
Yours,
Dan Estabrook
Posted by: DanNation | December 23, 2006 at 01:36 AM
Speaking of AG, whatever happened to him?
Posted by: Jane Jane | December 23, 2006 at 10:52 PM
Although yours was not meant to be funny, I really enjoyed it. I understood all the 'routines' and 'dancing' you referred to with your friend, as I have similar experience.
It was nice meeting you after the show as well, even though you referred to me as a stalker.
Posted by: Jeff | December 24, 2006 at 08:33 AM