December 29th, 2011 · 2 Comments
On December 17, 2011, I did my bit for the annual “Filthy Song Night,” at the Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn. I brought out my baritone horn, which I seldom play in public, and offered a traditional variant of the hymn tune “Old 100th.” You can listen to it here.
Addendum: No, I guess you can’t. Whoever posted it removed it.
Tags: *Music · F
December 29th, 2011 · 2 Comments
When I was 13, I played ‘cello in a city-wide youth orchestra in Washington, D.C. I had forgotten about this performance at the White House until I rediscovered this program. Simply to amuse myself, I slipped “played ‘cello at the White House” into a couple of bios. So, if you happen across one of those, remember: it’s true.




Tags: *Music · M
December 26th, 2011 · Comments Off on UnConvention 1998
For my first appearance at the UnConvention, the weekend bender organized by the Fortean Times, I gave talks on the Count of Saint-Germain and Richard Shaver. The nice folks at FT even hired a ‘cellist for me, so that I could sing a couple of the Count’s songs with a proper continuo.


Tags: *Words · U
December 25th, 2011 · Comments Off on Dull Comics
A 1979 mini-comic, given to the world under the name of my whilom character, Red Telephone.




Tags: *Cartoons · D
December 21st, 2011 · 2 Comments
Every year, Meg Reichardt holds a holiday recording party. Everyone writes a seasonal song; and records it with whoever and whatever is available. My contributions for 2011, “Jesus Under the Mistletoe” and “The Easter Bunny’s Noel,” are now online over here.
I also participated in 2009, with “Or So I’ve Been Told” and a round about Jesus.
Tags: *Music · H
December 21st, 2011 · 1 Comment
As far as I know, I’ve only been quoted once in Hustler magazine. The occasion was an article on Forteana by Skylaire Alfvegren, in the November 2006 issue.

Tags: *Words · Q
December 19th, 2011 · Comments Off on A Tape Cassette
A tape cassette of my songs, from 1991, in the days when people made tape cassettes. This, of course, is the artwork; which was cut, folded, and inserted into the little plastic box.

Tags: *Music · T
December 16th, 2011 · 1 Comment

“Warburton’s Cook” is a one-act play based on the melancholy literary anecdote of John Warburton, a collector of rare manuscripts, who discovered that his cook had used many of them to line her pie tins. The cast was a treat; and I enjoyed tailoring the script to their talents.

Tags: *Stage · W
December 16th, 2011 · 2 Comments
I drew this in my notebook at school, rather than listen to the teacher. I think it was in middle school — then, of course, called junior high.

Tags: *Sketchbook · I
December 15th, 2011 · Comments Off on Cracking Up
Cracking Up (1996) was a film written and directed by Matt Mitler, who also played the lead, a self-destructive comedian. I was one of the many downtown performers who appeared.

Tags: *Other · C