I HAVE SOME NEWS, which some of you may interpret as “BAD”

I WILL NOT be reading the 700 Mole-Man Names live at the Bell House next week as planned.

UNFORTUNATELY, television shooting schedules will make this impossible.

WE WILL RESCHEDULE this event for some time later this year.

FOR NOW, if you bought tickets, they will be refunded. And please do think of the BELL HOUSE for all your future drinking/band-watching/bell-housing needs, as they were very gracious to offer the space.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, which some of you may interpret as “the convenience of not having to listen to 700 mole-man names.

That is all.

OF COURSE I KNOW THAT. I read COMICS CURMUDGEON like everyone else.

BUT I DIDN’T KNOW THAT when I wrote the introduction for Kasper Hauser’s new comedy book about people getting married:

WEDDINGS OF THE TIMES

YOU MAY RECALL: K Hauser from their earlier comedy book, SKY MAUL.

MAYBE I EVEN GAVE THAT BOOK TO YOU for Christmas/Hannukah/Saturnalia-time.

IF YOU DO NOT RECALL: K Hauser, then I will tell you that they are an extremely brilliant, decent group of young men making comedy in San Francisco when they are not being TRAINED CLINICAL PSYCHIATRISTS (at least one of them).

IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, you don’t have to be a psychiatrist to work here, BUT IT HELPS.*

I also notice that K Hauser are occasionally posting new fake Craigslist postings on their twitter feed. I WROTE THAT SENTENCE BECAUSE I USE THE INTERNET.

That is all.

*(AND IT BURNS MY SKIN! THE SKIN THAT IS TALKING TO ME!)

AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, I finally figured out how to update the EVENTS CALENDAR on the right.

AND SO YOU KNOW THAT TONIGHT, Eugene Mirman and I shall be reading in public in Brooklyn to benefit the library fund a FINE PUBLIC SCHOOL at an event we are calling:

MEN: MIR- AND HODG-

LOOK HERE for details.

NOW I MUST ASK YOUR HELP. As I will be recording the audiobook today, I will not be able to pick up TWO ESSENTIAL ITEMS for tonight’s reading.

IF ANY OF YOU ARE COMING TO THE EVENT, and at least one of you is able to bring

1) A PORTABLE “BOOM BOX” with a classical music CD or audio cassette; and

2) A VHS COPY OF: “9 1/2 WEEKS” (or: “Megaforce”)

MIRMAN AND I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL!

That is all.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

PS 107 presents:

MEN: MIR- & HODG-

AN EVENING OF EUGENE MIRMAN AND JOHN HODGMAN TALKING

WITH EACH OTHER, and maybe a special guest or two.

The Fourth Floor of PS 107

8th Avenue bet. 13th and 14th Streets in Park Slope

(F train to “SEVENTH AVENUE”)

7:30PM

A $15 TICKET PRICE goes to support the Library Fund of PS 107.

THANK YOU for your support last week of Jesse Thorn’s MAXIMUM FUND RAISER. I am proud to report that I am now going to give 1000 dollars to Thorn’s POCKET SQUARE AND RADIO FUND to match your generous dig-deeping.

CONTINUING on the theme of BEGGING, I now offer the information I promised you on MS. CYNTHIA HOPKINS.

YOU MAY KNOW that the music of Ms. Hopkins and her band GLORIA DELUXE means the world to me.

I WROTE BOTH OF MY BOOKS listening to her songs, and those of you who attended the LAST (but not final) LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURE will remember singing along to this song.

SHE IS QUITE LITERALLY MY FAVORITE NON-FERAL SONGWRITER, and just a gift to the world, in my opinion.

SO I AM LETTING YOU KNOW THREE THINGS:

1) THIS FRIDAY, her latest show debuts at St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO, right here in Brooklyn. It is called THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE, and like its predecessors, ACCIDENTAL NOSTALGIA and MUST DON’T WHIP ‘UM, it promises not only to be a VAGANZA, but an EXTRA-VAGANZA of singing, music, science fiction, and musings on mortality.

2) HER FIRST SHOW, the forementioned “ACCIDENTAL NOSTALGIA” is also going to the Edinburgh Festival this summer–A HIGH HONOR. Edinburgh is in Scotland, but THEY WILL NOT BE, unless they raise the money to FLY THERE and REBUILD THE SET.

3) THUS, I AM GOING TO SING YOU A SONG BY PHONE if you agree to give them some money. $1000 gets you a song from me. $750 gets you a song from me AND from CYNTHIA HOPKINS. Trust me: this math works out somehow.

BUT IN ANY CASE, any small amount will help them. I appreciate that these are difficult times. As per Jorge’s comments on my last post, people feel understandably torn between supporting the arts vs. other worthy causes such as MALARIA NETS, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, and EATING FOOD AND PAYING RENT DURING A WORLDWIDE RECESSION.

SO PLEASE FEEL NO OBLIGATION. I hope you will enjoy at least being introduced to the works of Mr. Thorn and Ms. Hopkins, who both inspire me.

AND IF IT HELPS, for every dollar you give to Ms. Hopkins today, I will spend 50 cents on MALARIA NETS and 50 cents on INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN LAOS.*

(BUT ZERO CENTS on your own rent. Let’s be reasonable.)

THIS WILL CONCLUDE MY BEGGING

That is all.

*IF THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO, drop a line with confirmation of your donation to hodgman at bookoflists2 dot com.