My Tweet with André
As I mentioned in my playwriting workshop today, I’m reading André Gregory’s memoir, “This Is Not My Memoir.” I track the progress of all the books I’m reading on Goodreads. When I update the app with my reading progress twice daily (once around lunchtime, and once around midnight) it puts out a tweet about my progress on reading that particular book. (I have it set up to do this; it’s an option.)
Last night I updated the app to log my progress on reading André Gregory’s memoir… and he saw my tweet and Liked it.
It’s the tiniest little thing, but it sent a thrill shooting through me. I’ve revered this man’s work for 40 years, since discovering him through “My Dinner with André.” (My favorite film.) Mark Hamill once liked one of my tweets, and he seems like a nice guy, and some other well-known people have too, but to me it’s not like Andre freakin’ Gregory liking one of my tweets! A friend of mine interviewed André earlier this year, but this is as close as I’m likely to get.
By the way, his book is superb. Entirely engrossing! He’s a great storyteller, sharing tales in a limpid, crystalline style that communicates a great deal simply but deeply. He’s had quite a life! From encounters with Errol Flynn and Abbot & Costello and a host of surprising celebrities of the 40s and 50s to working with such varied characters as David Bowie and Helene Wiegel and Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone and Martin Scorsese and, of course, Wallace Shawn and so many other colorful characters.
November 21st, 2020 at 3:22 pm
That’s certainly flattering. Andre liking your Tweet ranks up there with you hanging around with the guy from Pere Ubu and meeting Bill Irwin. MY DINNER WITH HIM is on my list of favorite movies. Of course, so is THE WORM EATERS.
The closest I ever came to such an online celebrity connection, was when I posted on Facebook about liking a Mad magazine artist. It was the guy who did two-page spreads that were crammed with endless characters. He was nice enough to reply with the news that he had another one about to appear. That was back in the good old days, when Mad was still in business.
November 22nd, 2020 at 8:57 am
And to think that I had Dinner with the guy who impressed the guy from DINNER WITH ANDRE!
November 22nd, 2020 at 10:44 am
And, to think, my 2020 copy of The Tenement Year came courtesy of the man whose Tweet André Gregory liked. Universal vibration indeed!