Making Art is The Best Revenge

Thank you to all of you wrote emails telling me you saw me on News 12 New Jersey, “Power and Politics” show with Laura Jones. It was fun, and they have invited me to be on the show each and every month to chat about the lighter side of politics in the Garden State. I look forward to May.

This passed weekend I took a workshop with Mike Daisey, an outstanding monologist who is regularly on NPR, and who tours nationally in theaters. He teaches an intensive workshop in storytelling---not the ‘fable’ or ‘myth’ or ‘bedtime’ kind of stories, but real stories from real people. His work is not unlike the Story Corps project.

What is political about it? It’s about what real people go through every day in their work lives, their jobs, their families. Kind of like the book “Working” by Studs Terkel, only in performance form.

Nothing is more political for me than what real people do everyday just to survive.

A quote I heard in the workshop that I found very inspirational, was “Making art is the best revenge”. So, it was then I thought to myself, “Aha! I am a writer and stand-up comedian.” Not far from being a story teller, I thought. So now, I compelled to write more about politics than ever before.

The daily occurrences of politics in New Jersey---locally and statewide are great stories for any gathering. Once again, real stories from real people in New Jersey.

For example, as the election season comes upon us [today is the filing deadline for all state candidates], I was inspired by a very new Committtee person in my town who said to me in an email,

“I would not be comfortable striking a deal with them [the Republicans to not run a candidate]. I agree with the suggestion that we respect the democratic process, run a candidate, and let the voters decide.”

Simple, yet eloquent and profound.