THE BOOK OF JOE

OK I know I haven't written in a while so I'll tryto update you as plainly as possible. I stopped writing the screenplay (that should be my theme song), but this time I have a really good reason: it just wasn't honest. I was trying to write about a relationship by focusing mainly on the good times and rarely on the bad, but thats not the way it really was. Teh writing was poor, the characters flat, and the plot weak. Basically it was yucky (How's that for description?) Perhaps one day I'll move past page 51 in the script and rewrite it more honestly. I have turned my writing in another direction which I'll keep hush-hush right now out of fear of the eyen hora.
There's is absolutely nothing worth mentioning in my social life, so we won't go there. Although I said I wanted to slow things down in this area 6 weeks ago, I think after Pesach I may get out there again- we'll see.
I did start learning with a rabbi in the neighborhhod again (we're doing Rambam, which I enjoy). And the Mets scored 28 runs over the last three games which is simply outstanding- and fun to watch.
The thing I've been most excited about over the last week is this incredibly thought-provoking, funny novel called The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper. It's a coming of age tale of a 34-year- old man who must return to his home town to see his dying father. The problem is that basically everyone in town hates him because he wrote a book trashing their traditions, unveiling thier hypocricies, and revealing some very dark secrets. He must somehow learn how to get along with his older brother, try to be a good role model for his nephew who idolizes him, ease the suffering of his former best friend dying of aids, try to reconcile his relationship with his high school sweetheart ("the one that got away"), see if he can control himself around his childhood crush (an old friends mom), and try not to get killed by the old high school bully who took quite a shalacking in his book, and his it out for Joe.
The following statement is quite a heavy one if you know me, but I certainly mean it:
The Booke of Joe is the best non-Stephen King, non-class assigned book I have read in my adult life (sorry Chabon). It truly touched me, and had me laughing quite a bit. I should point out that there is a lot of sex in it, if you're sensitive about such things (although that probably just sealed the deal for some of you to go out and get it).
Even if I wasn't going through my own coming-of-age I have zero doubt I would have enjoyed this novel for its engrossing plot, sardonic narrator, and inspiring themes. GO READ IT!!
Well that's it for now. Hope you all have an awesome Pesach!! But more importantly I hope I have an awesome Pesach- because after all isn't it all about me? Something to think about over the holiday. CHAG SAMEACH AND SHABBAT SHALOM!