Barry gets big in Ireland...

According to my editor Simon (who, as I've said, could simply be protecting me from the truth), Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody is the fifth-best seller in Ireland! Amazing! And not a leprechaun in it. (Actually, Kate's grandmother used to believe in leprechauns. As I've heard it, when she was a little girl back in Ireland, she happened to see one out of the corner of her eye, sitting on a hedge and peeing down on the ground.)



Also: last night I saw "Comedian." Really interesting documentary, much of which takes place at The Comedy Cellar down near NYU. That's my old stomping ground—right down from Minetta Tavern and that tiny little espresso joint I can't remember the name of...Guess that means it's time to move back.



Some of you may have heard about Orny Adams, the up-and-coming comedian that is juxtaposed to Jerry Seinfeld in the documentary. Orny's problem—which is much discussed in the movie, and makes him hard to watch—is that he's more angry than funny. He's an angerian, not a comedian. Listen up, everybody: comedy is NOT a substitute for therapy. If you try to avoid the latter by pursuing the former, it may work for a while—but then, you'll end up with a bunch of "jokes" poisoned by your own rage. Comedy can be a kind of redeemed rage--but the redemption is the key.