AGELESS NORTH SHORE » Books & Poetry

Less is More: Jeff Garlin loses weight and stays funny

Don — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:58:40 +0000

Jeff Garlin at Temple Jeremiah

Well yeah. I was just sitting here, eating my muffin, drinking my coffee, when I had what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity.~ Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction

For Jeff Garlin, his moment of clarity came from seeing a photo in the Living XL catalog.

“But here’s the moment that might be the real bottom for me: I turn the page and look at the model who’s displaying the Cabin Comfort Inflatable Pillow—and who do you think he looks like? That’s right, he looks like me.”

On Tuesday March 2, Jeff Garlin, a star and co-producer of Curb Your Enthusiasm, read from his new book My Footprint: Carrying the Weight of the World at Northfield’s Temple Jeremiah.

One night returning home after seeing Wall-E, Garlin

Jeff Garlin's fat doppelganger from Living XL catalog

who played the inspiring Captain McCrea in the film, decided to act on his desire to lose weight. A desire that had been with him for nearly 30 years. As the Captain in Wall- E says, “I can’t just sit here and…and…do nothing! That’s all I’ve done!”

Garlin writes, “Later on that night, as I lie in bed with my mind racing, the full idea hits me. I’ll write about it. And just like in WALL-E, I’ll go green, too. I’ll lower my carbon footprint as I lower my personal footprint.”

After reading from the prologue and the first chapter, Garlin answered questions from a packed house of

Curb Your Enthusiasm fans, Garlin’s relatives, and friends of Garlin’s relatives. It is no coincidence; Jeff’s brother Michael Garlin, is the Executive Director of Temple Jeremiah. At the book signing, Garlin’s mother Carole was “kvelling” (sort of an untranslatable Yiddish expression of joy and pride generally reserved for parents and grandparents).

Jeff Garlin and brother Michael counting the house

Michael Garlin displayed some of his own comedy chops. Jeff asked for some water and was handed plastic bottled water. Jeff seemed dismayed as bottled water does not fit into a “green lifestyle.” So Michael walked away and returned with a pitcher of water and a glass. After putting the water down and walking off, Michael said (off stage), “you can pour it yourself.”

Carole Garlin, Jeff's mom, kvelling

Garlin was happy to answer questions.” Not thrilled,” he said, “I don’t love answering questions. I love my mother. But I’m happy to answer questions.”

When asked “who makes him laugh,” members of the audience threw out answers before Garlin did. Susie (Susie Essman who plays Garlin’s screachingly funny and foul-mouthed wife on Curb) was an audience favorite. As was Garlin’s mother. “You see,” said Garlin, “that’s what’s great about a room full of Jews, they answer the questions for you.”

Garlin went on to list his comedy favorites, “Jack Benny, Phil Silvers, Albert Brooks, Richard Pryor, South Park and Modern Family.”

When asked if Susie Essman’s insults about his weight bothered him, Garlin said “It’s pretend and I get paid.”

Garlin was frank and funny about his celebrity friends and acquaintances. Jay Leno is a nice, funny guy, “but lacks character” and Garlin “would never appear on his show.” Larry David is not neurotic as he appears on Curb Your Enthusiasm and is a wonderful guy–though David says, “tell them that I’m just like I am on the show.”

When asked what it’s like to work with friend Richard Lewis, Garlin says that with Lewis says the manic behavior is not all an act. “Richard is f@#king out of his mind.”

Jeff Garlin signing My Footprint

Garlin warned his family and friends that in his upcoming show at Park West (March 4@8:00) he does swear. “You can’t do stand-up for all ages.” He didn’t let his older son watch Curb Your Enthusiasm until he became a Bar Mitzvah at age 13. Garlin was uncomfortable when his young (4 to 5 year old) co-stars of Daddy Day Care told him that they were “Curb” fans.

Which brings us back to family. One of Garlin’s cousins reminded him of some of his earliest material. “Remember doody balls?”

Garlin’s reply, “Doody balls. Doody is always funny.”

Garlin was asked if he’d had an “aha” moment regarding show business. “When I was 8 years old, my parents took me to the Palmer House. What was the name of that room? (crowd answers for him, ‘The Empire Room’) We saw Jimmy Durante. In the car on the way home, I asked my parents if that was a ‘job.’ They said that it was. I said I want that job.”

In the prologue, Garlin tells of the Cuban revolutionary poetry (and author of Guantanamera) Jose Martí once said that a person should do three things in his life, ” plant a tree, have a son and write a book.

Garlin has two sons whom he adores (he wants them to be comedians, ‘the world has enough doctors and lawyers’) and now he has written a book. All that’s left is to plant a tree. And he’s already got the tree. It’s a fig tree, “I don’t like figs but my wife does.”

When asked what three things, Garlin wanted to do with his life, he said, “open a chain of lingerie stores,
sell Old West collectibles for at least what he paid for them, and change his name to JoJo.”

Garlin turned serious, briefly, when there was a question about his weight loss. “I am a food addict. For me cookie is like a glass of whisky to an alcoholic. I haven’t eaten sugar in a year.” While the book is not a “how to” book, the advice is pretty direct. “Either make the commitment to lose weight or stop whining about it.”

Jeff Garlin will be at The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm St. Winnetka on Wendesday March 3 at 7:00 Pm and Thursday, March 4th at Park West.

“The Power of Half” – How selling your mansion can bring you happiness

Don — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:00:49 +0000

It’s a sweetly ironic tale about overachieving: Jean and Kevin Salwin had worked and saved and were living the dream in an elegant Atlanta mansion – the home that would make their lives beautiful and the kids happy – when their idealistic teenage daughter Hannah, troubled by the plight of a homeless man, sparked a conversation that eventually lead to the sale of the house and donation of half the proceeds ($800,000) to The Hunger Project…

Kevin (who wrote for the Wall Street Journal before becoming an entrepreneur) and daughter Hannah have written a book, The Power of Half, about the process their family went through – a process that lead to the decision to “give half.” It’s a remarkable story of how one family carried on a year-long discussion about values and priorities and meaning and the practical issues involved in giving: help one person a lot or a lot of people a little?

Get involved in an issue that impacts all social classes or focus on the needs of the poor? Donate at home or abroad?

Hannah Salwen answering questions at HPPL

Kevin and Hannah, a very poised and articulate high school junior, spoke at the Highland Park Library last Wednesday afternoon, to an audience that included many school-age kids who responded eagerly with questions for the Salwens – just how did they find potential charities to consider (the internet, of course!) and why did they decide on The Hunger Project? (THP’s emphasis on women’s self-empowerment in places of extreme poverty).

The Salwens emphasized that they don’t want their story to be one of rich people bragging about how generous they are, but a story about how “things” really don’t make people happy, and how their re-thinking of their priorities has brought meaning and joy into their lives. Hannah emphasized her conviction that giving is not a privilege of the wealthy, but a gift anyone can share, whether it means the gift of money or time or talent.

Hannah and Kevin Salwen at HPPL

For more information about the Salwens, see the Nicolas D. Kristof Jan. 23, 2010 column that brought national attention to the Salwen’s book, Power of Half website, or video from ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, 02.08.2010. For more information about upcoming Highland Park Library programs, see the HPPL website.

Haiku in Winter/At Winnetka Library/No Cabin Fever

Don — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:00:15 +0000

walking through the zoo… / i keep my problems / in proportion
Senyru by Charlotte Digregorio

from the Old Peking Book House, circa 1979

A Senyru is a satirical haiku, focusing on human nature/human weaknesses. There is a lot more to Haiku than just 3 lines and 17 syllables! Find out on Saturday, February 20, when The Midwest Chapter of the Haiku Society of America presents a free program on the style and content of haiku, as well as readings/critique. The public is invited. Hakuists at all levels, poetry lovers, and the intellectually curious are welcome.

The event takes places at the Winnetka Public Library, 768 Oak St from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m

There will be six presentations at the event.

John Han, Professor of English and Creative Writing/Chair of The Humanities Division at Missouri Baptist University, and haiku poet. He will speak on “What Is Haiku?”
“Season and Other Aesthetics/Poetics in Haiku,” by Poet Heather Jagman
“The Silence Between Haiku Images,” by Poet Joe Kirschner;
“What is ‘Sumi-e’ Art and Haiga ?” by Artist and Poet Lidia Rozmus
“Haiku in Korea Today,” by Poet Sung Kyu Kim.
“What Inspires Us to Write Haiku?” A discussion moderated by Professor Han

©Hiroshi Yamamoto (Hakuho)

After the meeting, there will be an informal dinner at the Celtic Knot Public House in Evanston.

Did you even know that there was a Midwest Chapter of the Haili Society of America? Well, you should and there is. The Haiku Society of America is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1968 by Harold G. Henderson and Leroy Kanterman to promote the writing and appreciation of haiku in English.

The HSA has a total of about 800 members around the country and overseas. The Society’s journal, Frogpond, which features work by the HSA members and others, as well as articles and book reviews, is in its 30th year of publication.

To pre-register or for more information, contact Charlotte Digregorio, Midwest Regional Coordinator, Haiku Society of America, 847-881-2664.

I was first introduced to Haiku by the “Beat Poets.” Here are a few Haiku read by Jack Kerouac and illustrated by Peggy Shearn.

Snapshot Day: Remember February 10? (it was 2 days ago!)

Don — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:05:20 +0000

We told you about Snapshot Day, a day to support Illinois Libraries. Well, it happened and we took some pictures. And so did Illinois library people and friends. There are 543 photos on Flickr’s Illinois Snapshot Day group as of Thursday night, February 11.

Love: Deerfield Library Style

Here are some local library groups on Flickr: Highland Park, Winnetka, Glencoe, and Evanston.

But since Ageless was on the road, we stopped by the Skokie and Deerfield Libraries.

Skokie Public Library:

The "Swans" are a bit chilly in the courtyard

I was really taken by “Writer’s Row.” These are autographed photos or otherwise from well-known local and national artists.

You can tell a lot about a writer by what they choose to sign.

The late great Studs Terkel.

Classy and professional

Remember Jean Auel and The Clan of the Cave Bear? I still remember when her character Ayla, the Cro-Magnon girl learned to count to 10 and blew the minds of the Neanderthals Did you know Ms. Auel was born in Chicago? And dig the books in her photo. Is she some kind of Mensa member?

Jean Auel, Mensa member since 19

And how about Tom Clancy? Really, Tom.

Deerfield Public Library:

Here’s where I get all arty and midwesterny on y’all.

Wednesday afternoon. The blizzard was over. The sky was gray and air was damp and cold. Now, wouldn’t you like to sit by the fire and read the paper? How pleasant is that?

Now this was weird. In their audiovisual room, the Deerfield Library had some stand up figures on the window sill.

The immortals:

The Duke-John Wayne

Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and Toto

Stephen Colbert?????

Do you have any Snapshot Day photos? You send your favorite and we’ll post them.

Support your local library on February 10: Snapshot Day

Peggy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:00:32 +0000

Let’s face it, we need libraries and libraries need us. A library is as author Ray Oldenburg would put it a Great Good Place. Not home or work, the library is that third place where the community gets together and democracy happens.

A place to bring your kids and grand kids. To write a business plan or read Rilke. I like to hang out and browse in the stacks for an old mystery by John MacDonald or Lawrence Block (but then I am a hardcore intellectual.)

"Turn back the clock day" May, 2009

Blogging for Ageless North Shore has taken us to the Evanston Library to see Warhola, a film about Andy Warhol’s ancestral home in Eastern Europe. To Glencoe to celebrate that Library’s centennial year with Professor Michael Ebner’s engaging history of the North Shore. To Highland Park for a Turn Back the Clock day to commemorate the Federal Writer’s Project. We have been to readings, films, discussions, plays and events sponsored by our local libraries.

Libraries like most other public institutions are feeling the pressure of the state’s financial crisis. And while, we on the North Shore sometimes think we are insulated from the outside world, on Monday, February 1, the Evanston City Council voted 6-3 to close that city’s branch libraries. (click here for full story)

So, if you are library fan, here’s what you do about it. Check out Save Illinois Libraries Facebook Page. They have the latest info on which legislators to write/call/text or otherwise get your point across.

Then on Wednesday, February 10, go to your local library for Snapshot Day. You’ll be able to fill out a very brief survey about your library visit, and even provide testimonials about how much you love your library. Libraries will also be encouraged to take pictures to create a photo record of just how popular the library is.

And send us YOUR SNAPSHOT LIBRARY PICTURES. We’ll show you our library pride if you show us yours!

In the meantime, here’s a few Highland Park Library events that caught our eye:

Tonight: Thursday February 4, 7:00 pm. East on Central hosts an evening of readings featuring writers who have just completed a workshop on “Performing Your Poetry and Prose” with the talented members of ARTicuLIT Readers Theater. Formed in 2006, the mission of the ARTicuLIT Readers Theater is to enhance the written word through dramatic intepretation and provide audiences with a stimulating theatrial experience.

Monday, Feburary 7, 8:00 pm. Living Oprah author, Robyn Okrant spent a year following the lifestyle suggestions from Oprah’s TV Show, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Oprah’s Web site.

Okrant began this experiment as a blog. Here is her first entry from January 1, 2008.

Oprah/Robyn

Well, here we are – January 1, 2008 – and I am starting on my Oprah-defined life path for the year.
A little about the project…
I will be following the suggestions and advice prescribed by Oprah Winfrey on her television show, on her website and in her magazines. Why? Well, for several reasons. On one hand, I am concerned about the manner in which power is wielded by celebrities and on the other hand, I am doubly concerned about how willing we are to hand over our power to our gurus.
I believe the most influential American public figure today to be Oprah Winfrey. Many of us allow her to dictate what we read, what we watch, what we listen to, how we cook, exercise, organize, and how we vote. We are convinced by her powerful public persona that her way is the right way. The road to happiness and success.

And here is Robyn Okrant on December 31, 2008

On a quick calculation, it looks like I watched 262 episodes this year. I have to say, when the final credits rolled this morning, I felt as if I just finished a marathon. Well, a marathon that one can complete by sitting on one’s butt for 262 hours. Of course, the actual finish line won’t be crossed until tonight at 11:59:59. The rest of the day will still be lived as a committed Oprah acolyte.

Is she really an acolyte or is she still concerned about “power of celebrity?” Or both? Find out on Monday. At the library. It’s free.