Spuddysan

"Spalding Gray's old writing spot"

2012-01-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

Excellent article/pictures from Our Town Downtown - Marissa Maier (Managing Editor)
Keyholes: Taking a peek into Spalding Gray’s old writing:
http://otdowntown.com/2012/01/keyholes-peek-spalding-gray%E2%80%99s-writing-spot/

"Spalding Gray Award and Rabih Mroue in Canada"

2012-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

From the the Push Festival, Vancouver, BC:
(Rabih Mroue is a Spalding Gray Award recepient - this is a VERY RARE APPEARANCE!!! - see below for other appearances in US - this is ONLY Canadian appearance)
"Looking for a Missing Employee + The Pixilated Revolution
Where: The Roundhouse, 181 Roundhouse Mews
Why: "Rabih Mroue is from Lebanon and it's the first time we've had work from there. He is an actor, director and playwright who presents all over Europe and these pieces were commissioned by a number of American presenters including the Spalding Gray Foundation, the Warhol museum and others. We're working with the Grunt and Contemporary Art Gallery on this lecture-performance multimedia presentation."
Tickets: $26-$32 ($28-$34 at the door) at ticketstonight.ca

"Spalding Gray Awards Performances"

2011-12-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Performances based on Spalding Gray Awards 2010 and 2011:
1) From PS122 COIL Festival:

Rabih Mroué (Lebanon) - 2010 Award Winner
Looking for a Missing Employee (US Premiere) and
The Pixelated Revolution (World Premiere)
Winner of the 2010 Spalding Gray Award
$20, $15 (students / seniors)
Baryshnikov Arts Center
Howard Gilman Performance Space 450 West 37th St., Manhattan, NY

Looking for a Missing Employee
Jan 6, 7 2012 at 7:30pm
Jan 8 2012 at 5pm
The Pixelated Revolution
Jan 9 2012 at 7:30pm

ALSO: Following the performances at COIL,
Mroué will embark on his first North American tour, which includes
the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, On the Boards in Seattle, PuSh Festival in Vancouver, and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

2) From PS122 COIL Festival:

Performance Space 122 and Baryshnikov Arts Center are pleased to present Young Jean Lee Theater Group:
the New York premiere, as part of COIL, PS122’s annual performance festival,
13 performances of UNTITLED FEMINIST SHOW will take place January 12–28, 2012 at the Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater.
Tickets are $25 ($20 for students, seniors) and can be purchased online at bacnyc.org or by phone at 212.352.3101.
The Baryshnikov Arts Center is located at 450 West 37th Street in New York City.
Schedule information: ps122.org, bacnyc.org

ALSO: The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, On the Boards in Seattle, The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (no dates known)

"Moth Award 2011 goes to Spalding Gray via Kathie Russo and family"

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Town Hall in New York City, November 2,2011, Garrison Keillor will present the 2011 Moth Award to Russo and her family in recognition of Gray’s life and work.

"Spalding Gray Journals of Spalding Gray Review"

2011-10-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent,thoughtful review full of great observations. From the magazine BOOKFORUM:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

"Excerpts from Journals of Spalding Gray"

2011-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

New York Times Article, Oct. 9, 2011, with first published material from
The Journals of Spalding Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/magazine/spalding-grays-tortured-soul.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
A MUST READ!!!
Note: first opening of article seems fine, then second time appears to need sign in/join.
Joining is free and as long as no further emails/promotions are checked, it seems fine to join.

"Spalding Gray" SHADES OF GRAY SCHEDULE

2011-09-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

MILWAUKEE - SHADES OF GRAY SCHEDULE

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - Book Event (Journals of Spalding Gray) at Boswell Book Company, 6:30pm - Kathie Russo signing

Thursday, October 27, 20111 - Stories Left to Tell with Opening Night Party (Kathie Russo present) - 7:30pm

Friday, October 28, 2011 - Stories Left to Tell with Kathie Russo Talkback - 7:30pm

Saturday, October 29, 2011 - And Everything is Going Fine - 4:00pm
Interview with Kathie Russo and Stories Left To Tell - 6:30pm.

Sunday, October 30, 2011 And Everything is Going Fine - 2:00pm

Further details at
http://www.theatregigante.org/comingsoon_subpages/spaldinggray.html

2011 "Spalding Gray" Award

2011-08-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 2011 "Spalding Gray" Award is Young Jean Lee and her theater group. Congratulations.
PS122 also announces: In addition to the local presentations, Performance Space 122 is pleased to announce that global programming continues in its second year with PS122 tours scheduled for London and Berlin in Spring 2012 and to Latin America, Asia and Australasia in the near future. Other touring presentations include continued participation with the "Spalding Gray" Award Commission which offers recipients a commission and tour with stops in New York (PS122), Minneapolis (The Walker), Pittsburgh (The Warhol Museum), Seattle (On the Boards). This award supports gifted writers/performers who fully realize all aspects of Spalding's legacy, who are fearless innovators of theatrical form, who reach into daily experience and create resonant, transcendent work that makes us all bigger, wider, wiser and, somehow, more than we were when we entered the theater.
(I'm still experimenting with getting google alerts to work - using quotation marks everywhere. No luck so far. Google is just too big to help their customers! I wonder about switching to another blog service...).

Update re Blog

2011-08-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting here for awhile for 2 reasons:
1) even though this is a google blog, google has been messing up the google alerts and despite numerous people asking for assistance, google has done nothing. I am experimenting here with putting the labels in quotes as someone kindly suggested. We will see.
2) I've been working 7 days a week on a real job which is now finished.

I hope anyone reading these posts has been patient. Post here or write me at the site under Contact.
Thanks
jb

Blue Chip Art show in NYC

2011-08-23T11:51:00.001-07:00

Blue Chip is a recent series of hand-embroidered portraits by Christa Maiwald of modern and contemporary artists, such as Spalding Gray.
The potrait is under Updates on the web page.
Exhibition is at Bertrand Delacroix Gallery - BDG
535 w. 25th street
New York, NY 10001
Blue Chip will be on view through Friday, September 2nd, 2011.
Check out both Christa's Maiwald's site and the Gallery site. Both are linked at the Spalding site under Updates.
Special thanks to Vanessa Alexandra Campos for her help in this site posting.

SpaldingGray.com Mailing List. May 2011

2011-05-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

1) First some words about the schedule of And Everything is Going Fine:
I did not receive an updated schedule from IFC until very recently. Unfortunately, I missed listing some showings. These are the ones I missed:
Duluth, Santa Fe, Anchorage, Bellingham, Woodstock, Honolulu. My apologies.
The remaining showings (that I currently know of) are:

May 29 - 31, 2011 - 7:10 & 9 PM - Victoria, BC - Cinecenta ( I won free tickets in a local contest as that is where I live- I wonder why???

June 8, 2011- Honolulu,HI (Doris Duke Theater) - date should be checked

Theatre Gigante: "Shades of Gray: A Celebration of Spalding Gray"
Oct. 27-30, 2011 at the UWM Kenilworth Studio 508, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place, Milwaukee - actual date and time of 'Fine'
and other Spalding monologues is unknown at this point.

Sadly, that is all the remaining showings that I am aware of. This weekend is the London (England) International Film Festival showing with Kathie Russo in attendance.

2) the Affiliates:
The truth is these don't get used very often so this site suffers somewhat but mostly PS122 in NYC. I was going to list all them but I realize that people will look at them if they want and remember to use them hopefully. I hand pick them so they are all appropriate to Spalding in some way or other. Plaid shirts allude me - best bets seem tobe the Gap though these days they don't seem to have many, Old Navy and Target. I do not have affiliates with any of them, mostly due to their restrictions - such as # of sales and residence in the US.
I recently realized that I don't think my Amazon connection works well as I could only get one for amazon.ca
I have been saying just click through to your country on Amazon such as US. However, that seems to negate my affiliate connection.
The only remedy is having a tax number from an American. As in from a fan perhaps. If you are interested in helping, please write me. The amount of money involved is very small and would likely have no impact on one's taxes. If it did, you could hold back whatever is necessary. I would help you in anyway possible.
3) I missed the 7th Anniversary of the Memorial in NYC...I had May in mind and missed April so it seems...

So since this is a short note mostly about 'Fine', I can add a zen story from 101zenstories.com
(aka what to do when one's depression really hurts):

Storyteller's Zen

Encho was a famous storyteller. His tales of love stirred the hearts of his listeners. When he narrated a story of war, it was as if the listeners themselves were in the field of battle.

One day Encho met Yamaoka Tesshu, a layman who had almost embraced masterhood of Zen. "I understand," said Yamaoka, "you are the best storyteller in the land and that you make people cry or laugh at will. Tell me my favorite story of the Peach Boy. When I was a little tot I used to sleep beside my mother, and she often related this legend. In the middle of the story I would fall asleep. Tell it to me just as my mother did."

Encho dared not attempt this. He requested time to study. Several months later he went to Yamaoka and said: "Please give me the opportunity to tell you the story."

"Some other day," answered Yamaoka.

Encho was keenly disappointed. He studied further and tried again. Yamaoka rejected him many times. When Encho would start to talk Yamaoka would stop him, saying: "You are not yet like my mother."

It took Encho five years to be able to tell Yamaoka the legend as his mother had told it to him.

In this way, Yamaoka imparted Zen to Encho.

now I feel much better...

take care
jb

New Dynamic Views on Google Blogs

2011-05-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

From Google Blogs - May,2011
Blogger currently offers five dynamic views for its public blogs. These views are only accessible if allowed for by the blog author.
Flipcard: available at http://uptonatom.blogspot.com//view/flipcard
Mosaic: available at http://uptonatom.blogspot.com//view/mosaic
Sidebar: available at http://uptonatom.blogspot.com//view/sidebar
Snapshot: available at http://uptonatom.blogspot.com//view/snapshot
Timeslide: available at http://uptonatom.blogspot.com//view/timeslide

I have yet to try them out - however they look like a great idea.

jb

And Everything is Going Fine in Amsterdam

2011-03-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Holland Festival, in Amsterdam (the most prestigious arts festival in the Netherlands) will present the Dutch première of Steven Soderbergh's And Everything is Going Fine, as well as Jonathan Demme's Swimming to Cambodia and Steven Soderberghs Gray's Anatomy. You can find more information at http://www.hollandfestival.nl/. The Spalding Gray programme will take place from June 10 till 13,2011 .

The Journals of Spalding Gray

2011-03-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

For Ordering (preorder)Journals of Spalding Gray
Note that Amazon seems to have a much better price:
$19.11 vs. $28.95 elsewhere
and only $14.99 on Kindle (Kindle free software can be downloaded for your computer
so you do not need a Kindle (though they are very good to have).
Please Pre-Order using the Affiliates link on this site
- either Random House or Amazon affiliates though as mentioned above, Amazon seems to have better price.
Note below Amazon affiliate link, instructions on going to your own country's Amazon, unless you live in Canada
(as I do)
Thanks
jb
webmanager for Estate of Spalding Gray

The 'Fine' page on spaldinggray.com

2011-02-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

The page about And Everything is Going Fine at spaldinggray.com is the most extensive page on the web about this film. However, for unknown reasons, it does not come up on google search. So this is a blatant attempt to at least get the blog post up - sometimes that works. So for everything about
And Everything is Going Fine including schedules and extensive reviews, please see http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html
Thank you
John Boland
webmanager for the Estate of Spalding Gray
spaldinggray.com

Spalding Gray Retrospective : Rochester, NY

2011-02-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

Spalding Gray Retrospective : Rochester, NY
George Easton House, Dryden Theater
900 East Avenue
Rochester NY
April 12, 2011 - MONSTER IN A BOX
April 19, 2011 - KING OF THE HILL
April 22, 2011 (8 pm) & 24 (4:30 pm) - AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE
April 23, 2011 (8 pm) & 24 (7 pm) - SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA

(see www.spaldinggray.com/Updates for details/links)
ALL are rare theatrical showings. King of the Hill is an excellent film much overlooked. One of Spalding's best roles. Story of him getting the part is strange (of course), also another story of Spalding taking break outside during shoot, still with fake blood all over him...

The Journals of Spalding Gray

2011-02-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

The Journals of Spalding Gray
Written by Spalding Gray
Edited by Kathie Russo and Nell Casey
Formats: eBook, 320 pages ; Hardcover, 336 pages Publisher: Knopf
On Sale: October 18, 2011
Price: $28.95 US
ISBN: 978-0-307-70052-0 (0-307-70052-6)
Pre-Order using the Affiliates link on spaldinggray.com
- either Random House or Amazon affiliates

Stories Left to Tell in San Fran

2011-01-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell - San Francisco - directed by Brian Katz and Daunielle Rasmussen
Jan. 25,27 - 29, 2011, 8PM, Feb.3 - 5, 8PM, Feb.10 - 12, 8PM, Feb.17 - 19, 8PM
San Francisco Bay Area Premiere - Custom Made Theater Company - Gough Street Playhouse
Spalding Gray lives on in his own words
Cast list and a short interview with Kathie Russo as well as Press Release, and Tickets link are available at www.spaldinggray.com/SLTT.html

SpaldingGray.com Mailing list - 7th anniversary

2011-01-10T23:56:00.000-08:00

And before you do anything else, read the recent interview with Kathie at Tribecafilm.com – EXCELLENT – A MUST READ - See: http://www.tribecafilm.com/news-features/features/And_Everything_Is_Going_Fine.html

Ok – the number one question these days:

‘Is And Everything is Going Fine going to play in … Why not? How do I get it to play here. How come it’s playing in places like Savannah but not in LA besides the opening?’

Well. Here is the answer. You need a theater to be willing to show it maybe. Then you email me the details and I send it on to the man at IFC who books showings. Prices depend on “on the size of the theater, ticket price, number screenings, and format “ (IFC). Foreign showing are different. Yet you still can email me. It’s just that someone else does the foreign bookings. And yes, if you want it to show in your community, you need to do some work. You need to find a location, preferably a theater of some description. So if you are interested and motivated enough, email me using the Contact sidebar page link on the site. http://www.spaldinggray.com/contact

Interview with Kathie re And Everything is Going Fine - 12/10

2011-01-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

Tribeca Film Interview with Kathleen Russo
by Kristin McCracken
Quote :
"Monologist Spalding Gray's widow Kathleen Russo opens up about his suicide, the 7 years since,
and Steven Soderbergh's new doc about his life.
Amazingly resilient, she's our new hero!"

EXCELLENT INTERVIEW - NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

Stories Left to Tell in NYC in Jan., 1011

2010-12-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Spalding Gray; Stories Left to Tell
Performance Space 122 - part of the COIL Festival Wed Jan 5, 2010 at 6.30
Fri Jan 7, 2010 at 6.30
Sun Jan 9, 2010 at 9.30
Tues Jan 11, 2010 at 4.30
Cast: Kathleen Chalfant, Hazelle Goodman, Ain Gordon, Bob Holman
and a different special guest at each show.
Jan 9th the guest will be Jonathan Ames

And Everything is Going Fine showings

2010-12-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

As of Dec. 20, 2010 - These are the showings of And Everything is Going Fine
according to IFC (note that occasional other showings appear in google alerts which may or may not happen - always best to check around and please let Contact at the spaldinggray.com site know of any showings not listed here)

Sag Harbor (presented by Lesser), 24/12/10
12/31/2010 (opens) - Denver, CO (Denver Film Society) - 01/06/2011 (closes)
1/3/2011 (opens) - Austin, TX (Alamo Ritz)- 1/5/2011 (closes)
1/14/2011 (opens) - Seattle (SIFf Cinema) - 1/20/2011 (closes)
1/18/2011 (opens) - Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL
1/21/2011 (opens) - Nashville (Belcourt) - 1/24/2011 (closes)
2/03/2011 (opens) - Bloomington, IN (IU Cinema)- 02/06/2011 (closes)
2/04/2011 (opens)- Portland, OR (Northwest Film Center) - 2/05/2011 (closes)
2/11/2011 (opens) - Hartford, CT (Real Art Ways) - 2/17/2011 (closes)
2/19/2011 - Boulder, Co. (International Film Series)
3/04/2011 - Omaha, NE (Film Streams)
3/10/2011 (opens) - Toronto, ON (TIFF Bell Lightbox) - 3/16/2011 (closes)
3/18/2011 (opens) - Columbus, OH (Wexner Center) - 3/19/2011 (closes)
4/23/2011 (opens) - George Eastman House, Rochester, NY - 4/24/2011 (closes)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SpaldingGray.com mailing list - Nov. 28, 2010

2010-11-30T06:59:00.000-08:00

Very short one - I have been working on numerous updates, new pages, new features and following up on many, many emails - just posted over 100 changes to the site due to emails and google alerts.
There are a surprising number of monologists requesting to be listed on the site - for sure they get listed - 5 requests in one 24 hour period - there are now 126 monologists listed...

1) And Everything is Going Fine in NYC and other places (some listed on site but best to check locally) on Dec. 10 - special stuff leading up to NYC opening
LA opening is Dec. 13th
International festival showing continue
IFC ON DEMAND is available as of Dec. 22 - see http://www.ifcfilms.com/get-ifc-films-on-demand to check you area ( I live in Canada so can not get this...whahhh!)
Everything available and current is on http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html

2) Stories Left to Tell continues some showings in 2011
See http://www.spaldinggray.com/SLTT.html

3) And yes the University of Texas has acquired the Spalding Gray archives from the Estate.They are cataloging the collection and then it will be on the site with new page.
If you google it, there are many articles about it. One of the best is:
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2010/11/09/spalding_gray_archive/
Very good and exciting. University of Texas is known for their extensive Archives.

IFC Press Release on 'And Everything is Going Fine'

2010-11-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Here is the recent press release from IFC (I got it Nov. 15, 2010):
Official Selection: Edinburgh Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, True/False Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE A Film by Steven Soderbergh Soderbergh’s Portrait of Spalding Gray, Told through Gray’s Own Performances, Opens Friday, December 10 at IFC Center
Special Screenings of Gray’s Films Presented in Days Preceding Opening
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE, Stephen Soderbergh’s incisive and entertaining portrait of Spalding Gray, opens for an exclusive engagement at IFC Center on Friday, December 10. In anticipation of the opening, IFC Center will also screen a selection of Gray’s films the week of December 6, with special guests in person to introduce those shows (screening schedule to be announced November 22).
(Also special showing in LA Dec. 13th and other openings, including IFC On Demand, Dec. 22nd
See http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html for complete, current details.)
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE provides an intimate look at master monologist Spalding Gray, as described by his most critical, irreverent and insightful biographer: Spalding Gray. Director Steven Soderbergh, who collaborated with Gray on the film adaptation of his celebrated Gray’s Anatomy (1996), has distilled 25 years of rare and revealing footage to construct a riveting final monologue. There are glimpses of Gray’s father and of his son Forrest (who provides soaring music for the end credits), but for the most part this is an inspired one-man show, a bittersweet display of the writer-performer’s playful and embattled intelligence, his gift for tracking universal truths by looking himself squarely in the eye.
“At the very first meeting I had with Steven to discuss making the film, he said ‘I want Spalding to tell the story of Spalding,’” notes Kathleen Russo, Gray’s widow and one of the producers of the film. “After that, there was no question in my mind about anyone else directing this movie. So I handed him 120 hours of Spalding footage, which became a 90-minute documentary, all told by Spalding through the eyes of Steven Soderbergh. This is a labor of love between the director, the editor, the producers and the family of Spalding Gray—a collaboration whose main goal was to have one more story be told by one of the most unique monologists of our time.”
Spalding Gray is most celebrated for his series of 18 monologues, including Sex and Death to the Age 14; Booze, Cars and College Girls; A Personal History of the American Theater; India and After (America); Monster in a Box; Gray’s Anatomy; It’s a Slippery Slope; Morning, Noon and Night and the Obie Award-winning Swimming to Cambodia. He performed with The Performance Group and The Wooster Group, and on Broadway in plays by Gore Vidal, Thornton Wilde and others. In addition to the film adaptations of his own works—among them Swimming to Cambodia, directed by Jonathan Demme, and Monster in a Box, directed by Nick Broomfield—Gray appeared in more than 40 films, including Roland Joffe’s The Killing Fields; David Byrne’s True Stories; Soderbergh’s King of the Hill and John Boorman’s Beyond Rangoon.
89 min., not rated.
An IFC Films release.

Press screenings: Tues. Nov. 30 at 11:00am, IFC Center • Fri. Dec. 3 at 11:00am, IFC Center
To RSVP, or for information/publicity photos, contact Harris Dew at 212 924-6789
or email hdewATifccenterDOTcom

(from jb at spaldinggray.com - words in () are added by me)

Fine to open in San Antonio as well as NYC

2010-10-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

'Fine' opens in San Antonoio, Texas, opens Dec. 10, 2010 - the link has all information available as of Oct. 26th, 2010
(no word on Kathie Russo attendance in San Antonio as NYC opening same night)
- Again note that NYC opening is same date as San Antonio:
IFC Center 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street,NYC - (212) 924-7771
Remember that the Spalding Gray Official website has all the latest showings, domestic and foreign:
http://www.spaldinggray.com/Fine.html

Thanks
jb
webmanager for the Estate of Spalding Gray

spaldinggray.com Mailing List Note - Oct. 10, 10

2010-10-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

There are likely things that I forget - however for now, let's concentrate on 2 films:
1) And Everything is Going Fine
2) Paper Mache Chase (Spalding's last film)

1) The web page now has a page called Fine where everything possible to my knowledge about And Everything is Going Fine is put.
At the moment, the highlights are some articles on the Sag Harbor showing...Monday I think. Very good articles including Theo's appearance in a short film.
And most if not all international showings coming up - there are LOTS - Magnolia has done a great job of distribution
And the only other US showing that I know of is in Memphis as well as the NYC opening at the IFC theater on Dec.10th, 2010.
I could use more info on American festival showings if available.
2) now...the personal quest for Paper Mache Chase - a short film - see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379924/ (Spalding's last film)
I have been trying to find out about getting a copy of this for almost 6 years. I originally contacted Barbara Feinstein who produced it. She promised me a copy but then back down as she was shopping the idea as a feature. this was years ago.Further attempts to find her have failed. I found out from a European producer that she now works for a NYC talent agency. A google search (http://www.jigsaw.com/scid15710243/barbara_feinstein.xhtml) reveals that she works at

Hartig, Hilepo Agency Ltd.,54 W 21st St Rm 610New York, NY 10010-7344
USA

I emailed her but there with no response. Anyone else knowing her whereabouts, please let me know.

3) Then I found the Assistant Director through exhaustive research. She has written to the director David Jordan with as yet no response. She has provided great assistance.

I have contacted comedian Jim Gaffigan who was also in the film. He wrote back but knew nothing new.

Cynthia Nixon was also in it yet to contact her seems impossible given her fame.

4) My next step is to contact everyone who was in the film. One of the actresses with a bit part as a yoga student has asked me to find a copy as she has never had one.

So as you can see, my search has at times been relentless and will continue. Anyone wanting to help or knows anything, please let me know.

Hey, with the outstanding help of an Irish fan, we found the Black Spot in Ireland where the car accident occurred. The picture is on the page under Spalding's Ireland. There is more to come there I think. It includes an exclusive transcript of a phone interview done with Spalding from Sag Harbor after the accident with an Irish radio station. The transcript was obtained at great cost by the Irish fan. Please take special note that the transcript is exclusive and the radio station is very serious about copyrights.

That's it for now. Perhaps the shortest mailing list ever.

In Canada where I live, it's Thanksgiving. So happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians on this list.

And the almost traditional zen story from

http://www.101zenstories.com/

The Dead Man's Answer

When Mamiya, who later became a well-known preacher, went to a teacher for personal guidance, he was asked to explain the sound of one hand.

Mamiya concentrated upon what the sound of one hand might be. "You are not working hard enough," his teacher told him. "You are too attached to food, wealth, things, and that sound. It would be better if you died. That would solve the problem."

The next time Mamiya appeared before his teacher he was again asked what he had to show regarding the sound of one hand. Mamiya at once fell over as if he were dead.

"You are dead all right," observed the teacher. "But how about that sound?"

"I haven't solved that yet," replied Mamiya, looking up.

"Dead men do not speak," said the teacher. "Get out!"

So find Paper Mache Chase or "get out!" (not really - just joking - would a small prize be an incentive? Remembering that previous prizes have yet to awarded due to the chaos in my office and the stroke I had somewhat conveniently helping forget what the contest was even about, let alone the winners...)

Oh, yes, thank you for the people who signed the petition to bring back Trying Times (fantastic PBS series with Spalding doing one show). I thought I might have an in as the head of PBS programming happened to have the same name as me. I and another fan had done exhaustive research trying to find existing copies of the series which were reportedly burned in a fire. We did find most episodes. Alas when I went to contact him, my namesake had gone back to his old job.This project continues. And yes to my friend in Boston with PBS connections, please proceed with your attempts. This is another one that won't go away for me.

So many projects, so little time or is it vice-versa...

take care
jb

ps: not that affiliate income now got to PS122 at the request of the Estate.

2010-10-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

And Everything is Going Fine in Memphis, TN
at Indie Memphis Film Festival, Oct. 21 - 24, 2010
as of Oct. 6th, details were still vague - check back on spaldinggray.com or festival website

International showings of And Everything is Going Fine

2010-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

INTERNATIONAL SHOWINGS of And Everything is Going Fine as of Oct. 3rd, 2010
(Please check links for festival updates as some status is SUBMITTED = not yet confirmed,
PASSED means submitted but not accepted)
Thank you to Magnolia Pictures and the Estate of Spalding Gray for their work and information

Filmfest Munchen (Germany) June 25 - July 3, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Deauville Festival of American Cinema (France) September 3 - 12, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Batumi International Film Festival (Georgia) September 15 - 28, 2010 - INVITED
Cologne Conference (Germany) September 26 - October 1, 2010 - ACCEPTED
AmFest (Russia) October 6 - 12, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Viennale (Austria) October 2010 - PASSED
Pusan International Film Festival (South Korea) October 7 - 15, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Dok Leipzig (Germany) October 18 - 24, 2010 - SUBMITTED
American Film Festival (Poland) October 20 - 24, 2010 - INVITED
Kaohsiung Film Festival (Taiwan) October 22 - November 4, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Tokyo International Film Festival (Japan) October 23 - 31, 2010 - SUBMITTED
CNEX Documentary Festival (Taiwan) October 28 - November 7, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Sheffield Doc Fest (UK) November 3 -7, 2010 - ACCEPTED
CPH: DOX (Denmark) November 4-14, 2010 - ACCEPTED
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (Taiwan) November 4 - 18, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Stockholm International Film Festival (Sweden) November 17 - 28, 2010 - SUBMITTED
IDFA (Netherlands) November 18 - 28, 2010 - PASSED
Epos Art Film Fest (Israel) November 24 - 27, 2010 - INVITED
Plus CAMERIMAGE (Poland) November 27 - December 4, 2010 - SUBMITTED
Dubai International Film Festival (United Arab Emirates) December 12 - 19, 2010 - SUBMITTED
DocPoint - Helsinki International Documentary Film Festival (Finland) January 25 - 30, 2011 - SUBMITTED
31º FANTASPORTO - FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINEMA DO PORTO (Portugal) February 25 - March 6, 2011 - ACCEPTED
Off Plus Camera International Film Festival (Poland) April 2011 - SUBMITTED
Indie Lisboa (Portugal) May 5 - 15, 2011 - SUBMITTED

Oct. 1, 2010 - further details as of now on release of Fine

2010-10-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Scenes From A Life: Spalding Gray as Himself … and Not
- an interview with Kathie Russo about And Everything Is Going Fine - EXCELLENT
including 'opens nationally on December 10, and will continue to be screened at festivals overseas until next May'
- Spoiler alert as many scenes in the film are discussed

Fine showing in Sag Harbor

2010-09-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

And Everything is Going Fine showings at Hamtons International Film Festival
http://www.ticketinguide.com/hiff2010/And_Everything_Is_Going_to.html?
Oct 08, 6:45PM, UA East Hampton Theater 3
Mon, Oct 11, 2:00PM UA, East Hampton Theater 3
No word if Kathie Russo will attend but given she lives nearby...
And remember, reviews are most welcome for this Spalding Gray Site - see reviews

Distribution - And Everything is Going Fine

2010-08-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

From the Producer's of And Everything is Going Fine:
"Independent Film Channel is distributing the film for North America. We're still looking for an overseas distributor."
No dates as of yet (Aug. 2010).

And Everything is Going Fine in Australia

2010-07-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

In Australia! In Melbourne! And Everything is Going Fine
Sun 25 Jul 4:45 PM Greater Union Cinema 5
11:30 PM Greater Union Cinema 5
And remember the Munich Festival showings:
Munich Schedule Announced:
Wednesday, 30.06.2010 17:30
Gasteig – Vortragssaal der Bibliothek
Saturday, 03.07.2010 17:30
Filmmuseum

latest news - June 29th, 2010

2010-06-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

latest news as of June 29th, 2010:
1) Kathie talks about 'Fine'
http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/feature.php?id=807
2) Kathie talks about Irish car crash and the suicide
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/entertainment/tittletattle/article_212309535.shtml?rssfeed
...3) Kathie talks about future plans - the book, the movie based on Stories Left to Tell, and Stories Left to Tell comes to Europe
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/grays-widow-plans-book-play-film-about-husbands-life_1149058
4) Soderbergh on death of Spalding
http://www.spaldinggray.com/docs/Soderbergh_on_the_death_of_Spalding_Gray.pdf
(if link does not work, it is on the site under Updates)
5) 3 Reviews of 'Fine' in Edinburgh are on the site - all very good
Thanks,
jb , webmanager
www.spaldinggray.com

Review of And Everything is Going Fine by Theresa Smalec

2010-05-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

A superb review of And Everything is Going Fine by Theresa Smalec at the fanzine.com is more scholastic essay then review
As such, it contains many parts of the film, including the beginning and end,
which some fans may regard as spoilers
for those eager to see this film, they are teasers
Theresa unknownly did the last interview with Spalding which is also superb and is listed under Books on spaldinggray.com. Note the assistance of photographers of Clay Walker and Ali Hossaini

Spalding Gray's Ireland

2010-05-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

From an Irish fan:
I am currently investigating Spalding Gray's Ireland. He he appeared here a number of times,
at the Galway Arts festival and in Dublin. He was a big fan of Ireland which he said had the same quirkiness
as New York, that is until his accident near Moate, Co Offaly, June 2001.
That accident and how he was treated after his accident became the basis of the monologue "Black Spot"
and the unfinished book "Life Interrupted".
I have found the spot where Spalding had his accident, the interviews he gave in 2002 about it
as well as reviews and articles on him during his appearances here in the 1990s.
His accident is surrounded in mystery, we are dependent on Spalding for an account on what happened,
an account which was challenged by the doctors in Tullamore hospital where he was first treated.
I would like to find out the truth of what happened to him in Ireland
and am looking for any further records of this disaster.
Perhaps someone out there has a recording of him doing "Black Spot" before he dropped it.
Perhaps others spoke to him about his accident, I would really like to know what actually happened.
I live not too far from Moate where it happened and
I have set up a blog giving an account of my ongoing investigations:
http://spaldinggrayireland.blogspot.com/

Kind Regards

David FItzgerald, Irish Midlands

Perhaps a release of Fine

2010-04-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

At the NYC premiere of Fine (which seems to be catching on as title), with Soderbergh in attendance,the Programmer is reported as saying And Everything is Going Fine will find a wider release this fall, 2010.

Does that mean a release deal is in place??? Ohhh, we hope so as that would be Fine...

ps - to Chinese bloggers using this blog for blog spam stop - read about karma then please stop...

jb

mailing list march 28, 2010

2010-04-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

It has occurred to me that there is much that goes on at the site that goes somewhat unnoticed. Sure, the biggies make it to Updates on the page, the mailing list, blog and the facebook appreciation page. And some other things eventually make it to the page. Like the Turkish grad student who writes a psychoanalytic analysis of Monster in the Box - yes he's from Istanbul and writes virtually perfect English as well as an interesting paper. The Brazilian writer who is translating Gray's Anatomy for performance in Rio. The student who wants to know how true Spalding's stories were...and the list goes on and on - oh, a multi part blog on a one month retreat with Spalding in 2002 - great story buried somewhere in Fan Writings and destined for Updates as it's really good.

Here are the latest 'biggies' (and it always seems I miss a few or make a mistake - last time I got something completely backwards but I don't remember what, it was relatively obvious, and I had few complaints(corrections) - besides my favourite (Canada spelling, eh) bumper sticker is 'DAM - Mothers Against Dyslexia'...
1) numerous excellent reviews for And Everything is Going Fine - blogs where people got stuck in Austin traffic, some making it, some not.
Latest great review is:
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/sxsw-review-and-everything-is-going-fine.php
2) I think I sent out some of the festival showings. They are all on Updates on the site. The unofficial Soderbergh site(www.soderbergh.net) chose spaldinggray.com as their link for 'Everything' since it has the best listings - better than imdb!!!
Of recent note is the NYC showing on April 6th with Soderbergh in attendance, and the Canadian showing in Toronto (Tarrannta) April 30th, May 1st - all details on the site. Based on the SXSW attendance - get you tickets asap.
3) Stories Left to Tell keeps showing to wonderful reviews - one NY writer doing a great 3 part series from rehearsal to show.
4) the Monologist page has been redone in alpha order. Believe me it's a lot of work to move lots of code around even with an alpha program to help. There are about 100 monologists listed now!!!
5) and it is official as of today - the 2010 Spalding Gray Award has been awarded to Lebanese playright Rabih Mroué who performs mostly in Europe - and that will now change. The best links for him will be on the site soon (now!) but for now here is what the NY Times wrote today:
The 2010 Spalding Gray Award has been given to Rabih Mroué, below, an actor, director, playwright and visual artist in Beirut known for controversial work that reflects his country’s political climate. The Lebanese Interior Ministry banned his 2007 performance piece about that country’s civil war, “How Nancy Wished That Everything Was an April Fools’ Joke,” written with Fadi Toufic. (The ban was later reversed.) The award, named after Gray, the monologist who died in 2004, is sponsored by a consortium that includes Kathleen Russo, Gray’s wife; Performance Space 122 in New York; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh; and On the Boards in Seattle. It comes with a stipend to create a new work and provides for a full production of that work by each organization. (copyright NY Times).
6) And while I think of it, Radiohole, who won the 2009 SG Award continues for a bit to perform at PS122. And spring is wonderful in NYC...
7) and at SXSW:
during the q & a, one of the producers (Joshua Blum or Amy Hobby)
answered a question about plans to release Gray's performance films on DVD
by saying, "We hope to see a box set come out through the Criterion Collection in 2011,
but the deal's not done yet."

- Hope springs eternal that unreleased monologes such as SAD (Sex and Death) will be included
and yes, for our British fans, that the Box Set will also be on Region 2!!!

So that's the biggies for now. With the eventual success of Everything, things will just get busier and busier ... and ain't that Going Fine...

somewhere in the Dharma
(another good bumper sticker - 'my karma just ran over your dogma')

jb

Schedule for And Everything is Going Fine

2010-04-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

For the most up to date schedule for And Everything is Going Fine, go to Updates at www.spaldinggray.com. Includes NYC, Toronto, Munich, Edinborough and more...

Thanks,
jb

Review : And Everything is Going Fine

2010-01-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

The first full length review
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941957.html?categoryid=3883&cs=1
is in for And Everything is Going Fine
and it's FANTASTIC - congrats to Soderbergh, Kathie and Forrest...and Spalding...

SLTT in Flushing Meadows

2010-01-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL by Outrageous Fortune Company
Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona, NY 11368
- Box Office 718.760.0064
Fri. Mar 19, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 20, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 21, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Fri. Mar 26, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sat. Mar 27, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Sun. Mar 28, 2010 @ 3:00pm
This production appears to be not be the original cast, but by their own cast.

Anniversary poem

2010-01-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Missing Spalding

His "Swimming to Cambodia"

Those monologues we knew

Such talent in one single man

So much, yet still so blue

Six years ago, his mind made up

Our Spalding went away

This world was just too much for him

He knew he couldn't stay

With scrambled thoughts, alone he went

To find his peace of mind

He's found that peace, though sad we are

For us he left behind

Some people still don't understand

Unclear inside their brain

But we who do must learn from him

Must come in from the rain....

We miss you, Spalding.

Always, Barb
copyright Barb Murphy, 2010

Heather Woodbury's new show

2010-01-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Fomenting ARTS unlimited, Inc. presents: Heather Woodbury’s AS THE GLOBE WARMS
(Heather was the winner of the first Spalding Gray Award)
the new meta-serial for the age of DIY, live and on-line
January 9th, 2010: The episodic marathon begins at Echo Curio in Echo Park, Los Angeles!
A Live, Brand New Half-hour solo performance every Saturday night at 8:00p.m. for 12 weeks.
(Resuming for 12 weeks in July, August, Sept.)
AND On-line from January12th, 2010, continuously every week for 48 weeks
@ www.heatherwoodbury.com
See http://heather-woodbury.blogspot.com/2010/01/for-immediate-release.html

BOWERY POETRY CLUB

2010-01-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

From the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/readings/2010/01/11/100111goab_GOAT_above1
BOWERY POETRY CLUB
Ain Gordon, Bob Holman, David Cale, Carmelita Tropicana, and Josh Lefkowitz read from the works
of Spalding Gray, the actor and writer who went missing in January of 2004 and whose body
was discovered in the East River two months later. (308 Bowery, at Bleecker St. . Jan. 10,10
at 8.)

(These people are from Stories Left To Tell and the location is very good.)

2009-12-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

INTERVIEWING THE AUDIENCE with ZACH HELM
http://www.bootlegtheater.com/mainstage.html
- NOTE - this is the second timer Mr. Helm has presented this without the permission of the Estate or even informing the Estate. I believe the Estate is very understanding.There is a link on the Sidebar called Performance Rights and if that is unclear, you can use the Contact link. Performance without permission is bad form at best...
jb
webmaster
www.spaldinggray.com

Soderbergh Documentary: And Everything is Going Fine

2009-12-11T15:22:00.001-08:00

and the Soderbergh Documentary, initially just called Spalding Gray, now has a title:
'And Everything is Going Fine'
major kodos to anyone who can tell me why such a title...completely new to me!!!
World Premiere - Saturday, January 23rd at Slamdance which is part of 2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL January 21, 2010 - January 31, 2010 in Park City, Utah.

Swimming to Spalding gets great review in NYT

2009-12-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Swimming to Spalding gets great review in NYTimes :
http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/theater/reviews/09swimming.html

Make sure you also read excellent first comment.
A must see!!!

Forrest Gray's new band...

2009-11-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

Forrest Gray's new band is on myspace - http://www.myspace.com/theglazzies
Download some songs...

2009-11-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

Lián Amaris - Swimming to Spalding, directed by Richard Schechner - How exciting is that!!! I need someone to review this for the site please. Use the Contact link.

2009-11-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell
featuring Kathleen Chalfant, Hazelle Goodman, Ain Gordon, Lucy Sexton and more!!!
Time: Saturday, Nov 28, 2009
8:00pm
Location: Sag Harbor, NY, Bay Stret Theatre
One Bay St., Sag Harbor, NY, 11963

Stories Left to Tell in Albany, NY

2009-10-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Egg (Albany, NY) has announced the cast and special guest readers for the upcoming production of “Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell” on Saturday and Sunday, November 13-14, 2009: NYC cast members: Bob Holman, author-poet-poetry slam champion Carmelita Tropicana, Obie Award-winning writer-performance artist Josh Lefkowitz, playwright-poet-performer Ain Gordon, three-time Obie Award-winning actor-director-writer Special guest readers: James Howard Kunstler, Saratoga Springs author of “The Geography of Nowhere” and other books about the urban condition Rex Smith, editor of the Albany Times Union and co-host of “The Media Project” radio show.
See http://www.nippertown.com/2009/10/28/spalding-grays-got-stories-left-to-tell

URGENT help needed - Save NPR WLIU

2009-09-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

As the site (spaldinggray.com) is being totally redone in CSS code (early version maybe up as soon as tonight!), and I have changed hosts, the mailing list needed to be rebuilt. I have done this in Outlook as I couldn't wait for host since there is an urgent message here. Once the site is rebuilt and up, I will send out another note with other goodies. I hope the email addresses are hidden as that is the intention. If they do show, they are all private, xept me...Also, Outlook is warning me about Unicode and possible problems reading this, so let me know if it is not formatted properly. However, for now:

As most of you likely know, Kathleen Russo is the widow of Spalding. As many may not know, she is a producer for the NPR (National Public Radio) station WLIU 88.3 FM in Sag Harbor, NY - you can listen on the net...
http://wliu.publicbroadcasting.net/WLIU_listenlive.html - it's a very good station in terms of helping all types of artists (authors, actors etc.) and the music is good...

HOWEVER:
Please read the following from Ms. Russo and help save the Station: (some email links did not come thru on copy and paste - if you want them, email me please) - however, the important web site link is there: www.peconicpublicbroadcasting.org
Artists and Writers of East HamptonUrgent News and Call to Save Arts Radio WLIU 88.3 FMDire Prospect of Shutdown of WLIU 88.3 FM, Urgent Action Needed Just got the dire news from Bonnie Grice, which will affect every working artist and writer on the east end. Long Island University has decided to shut down WLIU 88.3 FM as of October 3rd. What this means is artists, arts organizations and writers will lose one of our most important advocates and voices.

For the hundreds of individual artists and arts organizations who have been on Bonnie Grice’s show “In The Morning” the silencing of both a friend and an integral part of the art indigenous Hamptons Art scene will directly impair our ability to communicate with each other and the outside world. We need to make our voices heard to keep the important arts voice in the Hampton Art community on the radio. Go to new website:www.peconicpublicbroadcasting.orgSign up today! Also any letters to editors/Fred Thiele/Tim Bishop etc..would be mostwelcome and crucial to20the efforts to Save Public Radio on the East End(SPREE)

Letters to the Editor:East Hampton StarEmail Congressman Tim BishopOr regular mailSouthampton Office 137 Hampton Road  Southampton, NY 11968  (631) 259-8450 (631) 259-8451 (fax)  Washington Office: 306 Cannon H.O.B. Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-3826 (202) 225-3143 (fax)
Email Assemblyman Fred ThieleOr regular mail2302 Main StreetBox 3062Bridgehampton, NY 11932631-537-2583 ALBANY OFFICELOB 443Albany, NY 12248518-455-5997
David Steinberg, president Long Island Universitydavid.steinberg@liu.edu

SPALDING GRAY: Stories Left to Tell REVIVED

2009-07-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

SPALDING GRAY: Stories Left to Tell REVIVED

Thanks to Kathie Russo, Lucy Sexton and mappinternational.org, the play Stories Left to Tell (SLTT) will beging a national tour. The following are the cities and dates that have been arranged so far. Keep watch on the site, or join the mailing list or ever better - find a theatre near you that wants to present this amazing work. Note that I do not have the exact theatres yet, just the cities and dates:

Albany- Nov. 13 and 14, 2009
Minneapolois- March 18-20, 2010
Philadelphia- March 25-27, 2010

ONE NIGHT ONLY - SPALDING GRAY: Stories Left to Tell

2009-07-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

FROM KATHIE RUSSO:

SPALDING GRAY: Stories Left to Tell

To benefit the Spalding Gray Award

ONE NIGHT ONLY presented as part of Barrow Street Theater's
Summer SOLO Series

Thu, July 16 8pm
Tickets $35 Online
By Phone: (212) 691-1555
In Person: Soho Playhouse Box Office
(Open Tue - Sun 1-8pm)
15 Vandam Street (1 block north of Spring Street, just west of Sixth Avenue)

"Vividly funny. joyous, devastating, affecting, gorgeous...a breathing portrait." - Ben Brantley, New York Times

"Fresh, engaging, moving, powerful. Gray's words not only relate the story of his own life, they allow a new group of artists to reflect on what being alive can mean." - Mark Blankenship, Variety

Stories Left to Tell catapults us into the hilarious and heartbreaking life and words of one of the most revered storytellers of our time. A five-person ensemble performs Spalding Gray's legendary stories and monologues---interwoven with previously unpublished material from his letters and journals. As Backstage put it: "Gray was a funny funny man; this show20is a gift."

Featuring Ain Gordon, Bob Holman, Aasif Mandvi, Carmelita Tropicana and Frank Wood

Conceived and Directed by Kathleen Russo and Lucy Sexton

100% of the proceeds from Stories Left to Tell presented by the Barrow Street Theater directly supports The Spalding Gray Award

The Spalding Gray Award is an annual commissioning award created by Performance Space 122, UCLA Live, and Kathleen Russo.

The Spalding Gray Award supports gifted writer/performers who fully realize both aspects of Spalding's legacy, who are fearless innovators of theatrical form, who reach into daily experience and create resonant, transcendent work that makes us all bigger, wider, wiser and, somehow, more than we were when we entered the theater. The Award Committee is Vallejo Gantner (P.S. 122), David Sefton (UCLA Live), Philip Bither (Walker Arts Center), Ben Harrison (The Andy Warhol Museum), and Kathleen Russo.

Gray developed may of his famed monologues at Performance Space 122 and it is still home to his signature desk. Gray developed and created Morning, Noon and Night, Gray on Gray and Interviewing the Audience at P.S. 122, where he was working on Life Interrupted at the time of his death.

Winners of the Spalding Gray Award:

2008 - Radiohole

2007 - the National Theater of the United States of America

2006 - Heather Woodbury

Be sure to check out all of the one-night-only performances of acclaimed solo shows and take joy in the fact that $1 of all ticket sales to the festival will also be donated to The Spalding Gray Award!

CANADA ONLY on CBC TV - exerpts from Monster in A Box to be used on TV show Triple Sensations: TIME: June 29th, 2009, 8 PM (this appears to be consis

2009-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

CANADA ONLY on CBC TV - excerpts from Monster in A Box to be used on TV show Triple Sensations:

TIME: June 29th, 2009, 8 PM (this appears to be consistent across Canada but check your local listings). I have no further details about the show.

Thank you to Instinct Entertainment and www.thesidestreetproject.com for their cooperation.

To SpaldingGray.com mailing list

2009-06-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Spalding Gray Day
No poem today as the sites poet laureate has been ill. I hope for her quick recovery. Today is Spalding Gray day. It is also the U.N.s World Environment Day http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/ My math tells me that Spalding would have been 68... News: 1) Lately at the site, I have still been working on updating every page, before adding new pages, such as Poetry, Depression, Performance Rights and others. With the site originally done in Netscape, it is difficult to convert over to Dreamweaver as the code is often misread. However, it is doable as opposed to a complete rewrite in CSS. I have more or less completed such things as Fan Writing and Monologists (http://www.spaldinggray.com/monologuists.html) something like 75 monologists listed! Safe to say, the update of every page is a slow process. 2) Two new dates for SLTT (Stories Left to Tell): a) Stories Left to Tell at Soho Playhouse - All tickets are $5 with a portion of the proceeds from each performance going to benefit the Spalding Gray Scholarship Fund, and may be purchased by visiting the Soho Playhouse website at www.sohoplayhouse.com, or by calling (212) 691-1555. For group sales, please email: boxoffice@sohoplayhouse.com, or call (212) 691-1555. b) March 18-20, 2010 - Minneapolis, the Walker Arts Center 3) Please remember to sign the Bring Back Trying Times petition.Spalding wrote and starred in amazing episode called Bedtime Story. The whole series was wonderful. PBS had said the masters were burned in a fire, but a fan has located 10 out of 12 episodes in master form and we are looking for the missing 2. The Spalding episode is one of the existing ones. I will soon be sending the petition to John Boland (no relation!) who is the head of programming at PBS. Please sign it if you have not already: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/trying87/petition.htl 4) I have recently put google adsense on the blog. This is an experiment to see what ads get placed. If the ads seem poor or inappropriate, I will pull the program. I ask that people join the blog and post to the blog as this helps its exposure. http://uptonatom.blogspot.com/ 5) Affiliates - the affiliate page is up and running. All the companies are at least remotely associated with something about Spalding, though there are stretches... Using the affiliates for on line purchases is very important for the site and for raising funds for the Scholarship fund. Here are some of the companies (they are being adjusted as I go): Amazon if you are not Canadian, use the link, and change countries at bottom of Amazon page. Abebooks, eBay, abebooks UK, alibris books, bonsai boy, cheap air, Barnes and Noble, Zone Alarm, Nirvana chocolates, Rockwell Tools, tshirts, customes, Playboy Store (yes, Spalding was in Playboy ~1968), shopzilla (Rockport shoes), ike stores, spiritual cinema stores, and buy.com (so that almost everything else is covered). welcome other suggestions of companies with affiliates. http://www.spaldinggray.com/fundraising-affiliates.html I notice the page needs some coding changes. It is very strange. The site contents get mysteriously changed quite frequently, including changes to the affiliates. There is essentially no way this can happen unless I do it so it is indeed mysterious. Hence the note on the site that it appears to be haunted! So happy Spalding Gray Day, take care and I hope I can get this out without all that lousy code mixed in. If that happens, I will redo/resend.
jb (take care of what's in front of you, leave the rest to the universe)

Summer Solos Series Launches 6/16 At Soho Playhouse

2009-06-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

Also from http://broadwayworld.com/article/Summer_Solos_Series_Launches_618_At_Soho_Playhouse_20090603

Re Stories Left to Tell - All tickets are $35 with a portion of the proceeds from each performance going to benefit the Spalding Gray Scholarship Fund, and may be purchased by visiting the Soho Playhouse website at
www.sohoplayhouse.com, or by calling (212) 691-1555. For group sales, please email: boxoffice@sohoplayhouse.com, or call (212) 691-1555.

The broadwayworld.com article also has very good list of schedule for other monologists.

Spalding Gray's Stories Left to Tell - NYC benefit concert July 16, 2009

2009-06-03T17:20:00.001-07:00

June 3, 2009:

This article is so good, and so packed with information about monologists' performances, that I am going to copy and paste right here - I will remove this at any time upon request. Strict copyright remains with Theatre Mania. I am only using it because it is excellent. I apologize that if you don't go to their site to read this, as that means less hits for them and they do have ads. It appears to be a very good site so please visit. Part of article by Dan Balcalzo:

Aasif Mandvi, Dallas Roberts, Nilaja Sun, et al. Set for Summer Solos Series: (my addition to Title - one performance only of Stories Left to Tell):

Jun 3, 2009 · New York

The Soho Playhouse will present the Summer Solo Series, featuring one-night-only performances of acclaimed solo shows, June 18-August 4.

Highlights will include Martin Moran's The Tricky Part (June 22), Dallas Roberts performing writer/director Adam Rapp's Nocturne (June 25), Nilaja Sun's No Child... (July 9), Aasif Mandvi's Sakina's Restaurant (July 28), and Heather Raffo's In Concert: Sounds of Desire (July 30).

There will be a special benefit performance of Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell on July 16, directed by Lucy Sexton and featuring Ain Gordon and additional artists to be announced.

The series will also include Amy Wilson (June 18), Stephen Payne (June 29), Taylor Negron (July 7), James Braly (July 14), Thaddeus Phillips (July 21), Debra Ehrhardt (July 23), and performances of works by Glen Berger (June 30 and August 4).

For more information, visit www.sohoplayhouse.com.

May 09 update on Soderbergh Doc.

2009-05-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

At http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/joes-movie-lounge/joes-movie-lounge/2009/05/steven-soderbergh-on-hookers-and-hedge-funds/ (interview with Soderbergh), it says:
Q: You’re rumored to have at least five other movies coming out. What’s next?
A: I’ve got a movie about Spalding Gray that I hope we’ll finish editing by the fall. “Moneyball,” based on the book about baseball executives, we’ll be shooting this summer. The Cleopatra project (a ’20s musical featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones and a soundtrack by Guided By Voices) will shoot next year, and so will the movie about Liberace (starring Michael Douglas).

Embracing the Mundane

2009-05-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

Embracing the Mundane
aka Swimming to Mundane
aka Thinking like David Sedaris

The reason for the multiple titles is that I understand that David Sedaris edits his stories many, many times. Therefore, I would imagine that he has many possible titles. I do not like editing. And yet it does seem mundane so perhaps it is something to explore.
I only recently decided to embrace the mundane, mostly because I seem to do so many mundane things. I also started to finish reading Mr. Sedaris’s When Engulfed in Flames, which was significant in that I have not been reading since I had a stroke, as my one good eye now tires easily. However, this book I had to finish. While reading it, I realized that if I was to begin to think like him (note that all further him/hes will be in reference to David Sedaris), that would assist greatly in embracing the mundane.
To start with, I have an advantage. I tend to be obsessive/compulsive just as he appears to be. Up until now, I have channeled much of this in to specific activities, such as being the Webmaster for the Spalding Gray website (interestingly enough, Mr. Gray seemed quite obsessive compulsive himself). I remember as a child, when I was in the rec room (aka basement with rug and TV), my eyes would seek out shapes, usually squares, in the bookcase. Then my eyes would follow the shape around and around for long periods of time. I resisted doing this quite strongly at the time, but it continued. Why it ended is beyond me. Now, I wish that I could do it again as it is a common method of hypnosis. I’m not sure what self hypnosis would gain me, but am willing to find out.
Now what other characteristics would help me to think like him. He describes himself as both a snob (now due to staying in luxury hotels), but also admits to being kind hearted. I think I can eliminate the snob stuff. Remember that when he arrives at a book signing with hordes lining the block, he goes to the end of the line and begins to sign books. Does that sound like a snob to you?
And this laundry thing. He does all his own laundry while on tour in the hotel room sink. This surely is mundane. It is reported to be the most common reason for him being late. It would seem to help the line build up as well, assisting in his trick to begin at the end.
“Excuse me for being late. I was finishing my laundry. Now that it’s drying on the towel rack, I was wondering if you have a book you wish me to sign? My name is David Sedaris. Am I in the right line?” (not a real quote).
Now there are limits. I don’t intend to type everything on a manual typewriter. I don’t type that well, making word processing akin to a miracle. But typing as he does, only indicates more mundaneness.
So I’ve decided to practice this thinking like him for awhile and report back. So far, I’ve noticed a slight irritable edge which I want to monitor. So far, I think that’s because I’m reading about him quitting smoking. Mark Twain said it was easy as Mark Twain had quit a thousand times. Me I quit years ago and still had a stroke. Excuse me now while I find mundane things to do.
Report: Besides the afore mentioned edge which is perhaps not new and does not seem mundane – in fact, it interferes with mundaneness as I tend to stay that way and hence be less likely to be mundane. And a second besides was can a person with such a publicity program really be irritable? On the positive side, my oc tendency (existing yet mostly latent) of counting and doing things in 3s has come back. I am also less anxious upon waking up. I believe that saying ‘Om Mane Padma Hum’ 3 times upon arising helps.
Why ‘Om Mane Padma Hum’? (the six syllabled mantra of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hum for the Dalai Lama’s translation) I have no idea why as there are certainly other mantra that come to mind.
When I was living in a houseboat in Varanasi (Benares),India, I arrived at the beginning of a 108 day nonstop chant of ‘Shri Ram,Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram’. I think we got a better deal on the boat (~$3 a month) because it was next to one of the large speakers set up along the river ghats for blaring broadcast. So I listened to that chant for 108daysx24hoursx60 minutesx60 seconds = 9,331,200 seconds. And yet I ever repeat it as a mantra.
Then a close confidant told me that this whole mundane thing was just mindfulness…
And then I heard that David Sedaris is coming to a book signing right here in Victoria BC (rumour being the lineup will start the night before). So I’ll continue to think like him and report back after meeting him. Om Mane Padma Hum, Om Mane Padma Hum, Om Mane Padma Hum…
(unedited…)
www.spaldinggray.com

REVIEW - from CHOICE, the review arm of the American Library Association

2009-05-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

REVIEW - from CHOICE, the review arm of the American Library Association

Humanities \ Performing Arts \ Theater & Dance
Demastes, William W. Spalding Gray's America. Limelight Editions, 2008. 270p bibl index; ISBN 9780879103606 pbk, $19.95. Reviewed in 2009may CHOICE. This first book-length study of the life and work of celebrated monologist Spalding Gray (1941-2004) is wonderful. Covering Gray's life from his early beginnings to his untimely death, Demastes (Louisiana State Univ.) delves into the major works of this most self-reflexive of performers with a deft hand. Although this is not a biography per se, it offers significant information about Gray's life and its intersection with his art: close readings of Gray's performances allow one to see how in exposing his personal triumphs and tragedies Gray exposed and analyzed America and Americans. In sum, in dissecting Gray as observer of events, as artist, and as performer--a fascinating approach to the performer--Demastes makes sense of how Gray's monologues worked and what made him original. Including a wonderful personal reflection on Gray by Richard Schechner, this volume provides theater scholars and practitioners with an invaluable introduction to Gray and his work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. -- S. W. Cole, Bridgewater College

Note from Webmaster - please remember to order all books, DVDs, video, what have you, using the affiliate page for www.spaldinggray.com (all proceeds to Spalding Gray scholarship fund):
http://www.spaldinggray.com/fundraising-affiliates.html

Spalding Gray Mailing List

2009-04-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

This mailing list is somewhat delayed due to my schedule or whatever you call life.I am actually going to school full time plus extra on line course. As that sounds scary, fortunately, it is over soon.> The site is mostly up to date, save for links and such contained in this note. Some of the pages still need updates pictures for example. And I would really like you all to check out the affiliate page. I regard it as in flux. I have some excellent on line stores that I can also justify by saying they are at least remotely, perhaps associated with something Spud like. I even explain some of them.> > http://www.spaldinggray.com/fundraising-affiliates.html> > (put it in your favs or bookmark!)> > I have noted on the site that:> > As of Feb. 2009, this website has become 'haunted' by a spirit - a site spirit - who seems to randomly change jpgs and some fonts. It remains unknown if the spirit is Spalding...tough it is clear that 'they' can't type...> Update: the affiliate page code was changed without my knowledge, which is not possible> > The page is now backed up with back up.> http://www.spaldinggray.com/fundraising-affiliates.html> > >
And if you have not listened to Ms. Russo story on NPR, it is highly recommended. > http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=369> > And somewhere on utube, there is video of Spalding doing the promo as in:> 6) Brothers Keeper 10th Anniversary DVD has the original theatrical trailer which is kinda like a mini Spud monologue > -hey, I bought it just for that (truly obsessed!) besides the fact that this is an excellent documentary truly strange but as a documentary, it keeps you right on the edge of your seat (unless you already know the verdict in this bizarre true murder trial.) > > Here are some links, about the very successful run of Stories Left To Tell in Boston:> (please see the final part of this message also) > > http://ww.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/02/28/told_by_others_stories_reveal_a_clearer_picture_of_gray/> > http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view/2009_02_27_Actors_do_Gray_s_%E2%80%98Stories__right_at_ICA/> > http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/02/22/focusing_on_the_words/> > http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/03-2009/radiohole-receives-2009-spalding-gray-award_17984.html Radiohole was founded in 1998 by Erin Douglass, Eric Dyer, Maggie Hoffman, and Scott Halverson Gillette.> > http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=526848> > http://media.www.thejusticeonline.com/media/storage/paper573/news/2009/03/03/Arts/Guests.Honor.Gray.At.Ica-3656055.shtml> > > >

PART TWO IMPORTANT> > Here is an email from my adopted daughter #2 and hardcore Spuddy. It is fairly straight forward. I have the program on my facebook and its high on the list for coding on the site. I believe it to e a very interesting site and program, with a very good fund rising karma and very unique product connections please direct any questions to me and I can forward them to Emma> > mah homies--> > i need your help. it will literally take 20 seconds, and when you're done you'll be supporting a great cause, and supporting ME (which i know y'all are dying to do).> > i am part of a founding team of everywun (www.everywun.com) we've been featured by NBC, CBS, CNET, NPR, and more. they're all calling our vision a revolution in philanthropy.> > the model is simple: you sign up, put a badge that supports a great cause on facebook, a business sponsors that badge, and the funds raised are used to make an impact on behalf of that great cause.> > we're having an internal team competition to see which of us can get the most friends signed up and having a badge on facebook. while the competition in and of itself may not inspire YOU to sign up, doing well in it will ensure that i move one step loser to this being a PAID job so i can sustain my livelihood while doing omething i love and enjoy.> > feel free anytime to ask the same of me!> > much love,> emma lou> (END)> >

Trading Dialogue For Lodging (Zen Story from> http://www.101zenstories.com/) > Provided he makes and wins an argument about Buddhism with those who live there, any wandering monk can remain in a Zen temple. If he is defeated, he has to move on. > In a temple in the northern part of Japan two brother monks were dwelling together. The elder one was learned, but the younger one was stupid and had but one eye. > A wandering monk came and asked for lodging, properly challenging them to a debate about the sublime teaching. The elder brother, tired that day from much studying, told the younger one to take his place. "Go and request the dialogue in silence," he cautioned. > So the young monk and the stranger went to the shrine and sat down. > Shortly afterwards the traveler rose and went in to the elder brother and said: "Your young broter is a wonderful fellow. He defeated me." > "Rlate the dialogue to me," said the elder one. > "Well," explained the traveler, "first I held up one finger, representing Buddha, the enlightened one. So he held up two fingers, signifying Buddha and his teaching. I held up three fingers, representing Buddha, his teaching, and his followers, living the harmonious life. Then he shook his clenched fist in my face, indicating that all three come from one realization. Thus he won and so I have no right to remain here." With this, the traveler left. > "Where is that fellow?" asked the younger one, running in to his elder brother. > "I understand you won the debate." > "Won nothing. I'm going to beat him up." > "Tell me the subject of the debate," asked the elder one. > "Why, the minute he saw me he held up one finger, insulting me by insinuating that I have only one eye. Since he was a stranger I thought I would be polite to him, so I held up two fingers, congratulating him that he has two eyes. Then the impolite wrtch held up three fingers, suggestin that between us we only have three eyes. So I got mad and started to punch him, but he ran out and that ended it!" > > jb > > ps: it is reported that www.mikedaisey.com survived the encounter with the Cargo Cults way down there near Australia and www.jamesbraly.com appears to be perhaps still in NYC > (just in from jamesbraly@aol.com):> I'd like to invite you to be my guest for a workshop performance of my new monologue, The Monthly Nut, this Monday (April 6th) at 7PM at The Barrow Group Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 3rd Floor.> > Seating is limited, so please let me know asap:> > 1. Number of seats> 2. Name for reservation> > I'll be trying out material for my new show about how much misery a man needs to be happy. Its rough, but its fun, and its free!> > I hope you can make it. > > James>

spaldinggray.com is haunted!

2009-02-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

spaldinggray.com is haunted!
yes, it's true. a cyber ghost...though I prefer 'site spirit.'

'they' change jpgs, pictures, mix pages, and delete main banner for site.

It remains unclear if the spirit is Spalding but A&E is being contacted...
An indication that the spirit may be Spalding is that the spirit can't type!

"troubled, inner directed and can not type" - from Spalding Gray grave stone.

Spalding Gray affiliate page

2009-02-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

the www.spaldinggray.com affiliate page is up now with it's first alpha page...remember that all proceeds go to the Spalding Gray memorial scholarship fund.
Comments on the page are most welcome.There is a Survey:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=8YYnSK7InSsYu9AXIx1Teg_3d_3d

Affiliates page is :http://www.spaldinggray.com/fundraising-affiliates.html

Please use it. It is expanding...
Thank you
jb
www.spaldinggray.com

Mike Daisey and Cargo Cults

2009-01-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

On rare occasions, I post updates from friends of the Spalding Gray site. With Mike Daisey, I usually leave it up to him as his site www.mikedaisey.com, does a great job. But this one is so bizarre, it's a MUST read:
From Mike:
In a few weeks I'm traveling to the remote island of Tanna, a tiny speck at the end of the Vanuatu island chain in the South Pacific. It is the location of the last cargo cult in the world: a religion created by islanders after Americans built temporary bases here during WWII.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cults
The religion revolves around the worship of American power, and the summoning of America's power back to the island through sympathetic magic. Islanders enact rituals where they wear whiteface and create costumes that look like military uniforms, and sit at bamboo tables to "type" on bamboo recreations of typewriters...because they saw American servicemen doing the same, and it made the cargo come, and with it the power of America.
From the Wikipedia entry about the John Frum cult:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frum
"In 1941, followers of John Frum rid themselves of their money in a frenzy of spending, left the missionary churches, schools, villages and plantations, and moved further inland to celebrate traditional custom through feasts, dances and rituals. The movement gained popularity in the 1940s when some 300,000 American troops established themselves in Vanuatu. The islanders were impressed both by the egalitarianism of the Americans and their obvious wealth and power. This led them to conflate perceived benefactors such as Uncle Sam, Santa Claus and John the Baptist into a mythic figure who would empower the island peoples by giving them cargo wealth."
Meticulous simulacra have been created—life-size models of McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft, lovingly shaped from bamboo and straw, totems made to call power back to the island. Control towers of bamboo, whole runways accurate to an inch but made of palm fronds—a universe constructed from faith that they could compel America to return to the island.
Now the religion is over fifty years old, and the islanders' faith has evolved with the times. Today the village elders watch CNN on satellite uplink...and they write new hymns to draw out the power of America, based on the news events they see occurring in that far-off land.
I will be there for a massive celebration, held once a year, when the islanders recreate the stories of America from across the sea. They will re-enact the events of the past year—I hope I will see Obama be inaugurated a second time—in great detail.
Thanks Mike. Check out the links. Totally in the belive it or not category!!!

Stories Left to Tell in Boston

2009-01-31T12:52:00.000-08:00

Playbill - Stories Left to Tell (Spalding Gray) in Boston -
Cast announced!
Josh Lefkowitz, Ain Gordon, Hazelle Goodman and David Cale. Guest performers feature Claire Messud, Buddy Cianci and Christopher Lydon.

someone please go and send me a review. I know there was/is someone in Boston who wanted the show there...just can't remember...
for times:
http://calendar.boston.com/boston-ma/events/show/85701563-spalding-gray-stories-left-to-tell

Free Reading...

2009-01-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

Spalding Gray's America by William Demastes
Chapter 5 - (strictly copyrighted)
Courtesy Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group19 W. 21st Street, suite 201,New York, NY 10010
is now available for reading both in Updates and Books at www.spaldinggray.com

Also remember that :

Thanks to permisson from Kathleen Russo (Estate of Spalding Gray) and in cooperation with www.sideshowworld.com and John Robinson, I am extremely pleased that we will be posting the complete text of In Search of the Monkey Girl, photos by Randal Levenson, www.randallevenson.com. The book is quite rare ($50 minimum)and if you purchase it, please use our affiliates.
See www.sideshowworld.com/thstgod-RL-SG-SearchMonkeyGirl.html (all copyrights are maintained by Estate of Spalding Gray and Randal Levenson)

From our good friend James Braly

2009-01-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

From our good friend of the Spalding Gray website, monologist James Braly:
As an American who believes deeply in the Founding Fathers' credo of enlightened self-interest, there's only one thing more important to me than my former classmate Barack Obama's upcoming inaugural address: my new monologue.It's called The Monthly Nut, and if you've ever hated your job and loathed your life, yet loved your lifestyle though you couldn't begin to afford it, this show is for you.Directed by maestro Hal Brooks, the first workshop performance will be presented by The Deep End Productions on Saturday, February 28. More at http://deepend.typepad.com/Tomorrow night (Tuesday), I'll be performing a short section of The Monthly Nut as part of the QUARTERLY IDEASMYTH READING-PA-LOOZA:Tuesday, January 13th, 2009, 7pmTrattoria Dopo Teatro 125 West 44th Street (btw Bway & 6th Ave)Performers/readers include:James Braly (Off Broadway: Life in a Marital Institution, 2x Moth GrandSlam winner)Andy Christie (The Liar Show Producer, Moth GrandSlam winner)Cindy Kaplan (author of Leave the Building Quickly and Why I'm like This)Joel Solomon (head writer MTV Works)NO COVER-NO MINIMUM-DOWNSTAIRS PRIVATE DINING ROOM Please come at 7pm to place your orders; Readings start at 7:30pmwww.dopoteatro.comThe next night, I'll be appearing in the “REAL TALES OF COLLEGE” storytelling show. All I can promise you about this event is that it will feature the man who graduated from Columbia University in the mid-1980s, who has two beautiful children of the same sex, aged 10 and 7 years old, who wrote a critically-acclaimed autobiographical story, but who is not going to be the 44th president of the United States:Wednesday, January 14th - 7:30 PM SHARPOchi's Lounge/Comix353 14th St. between 8th and 9th AvenuesHosted by Adam Wade and Jake Goldman
Finally, in this season of change through elections, I'd like to draw your attention to another candidate worthy of your vote: Victoria Rowan, host of READING-PA-LOOZA, founder of IDEASMYTH, and writing workshop leader extraordinaire, who has been nominated for a Daily Candy Sweetest Thing Award.My writing workshop leader for five years, Victoria helped me (and many other writers I know) significantly improve their craft. In my case, her work helped me land a book deal-perhaps the most reliable litmus of a writing teacher, and certainly a clear measure of her ability to attract serious students. She's the real deal. And as Al Franken (and Norm Coleman) just learned in Minnesota, every vote really does count.Please visit http://www.dailycandy.com/sweetest_things/2008/new_york/advice.jsp
Stay tuned for more on The Monthly Nut. In the meantime, just keep asking yourself, How much misery does it take to be happy?Thanks for reading,James***Now Booking:Life in Marital Institution: 20 Years of Monogamy in One Terrifying Hour“Never less than excellent.” (The New York Times)“Gaspingly funny.” (Variety) “Four stars.” (TimeOut New York)“One of the best feats of one-person-show-ship I've seen."(Sarah Jones, Tony Award-winner, Bridge & Tunnel)“Excellent.” (The Times, London)"A masterpiece of storytelling." (The List, Edinburgh)Booking info: http://offbroadwaybooking.com/www.jamesbraly.com

Perfect Moments

2009-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

When any person leaves this earth
We're sad, engulfed in pain
The worst is when depression wins
Can't wrap around our brain
Our Spalding left to find his peace
To quiet his own mind
We're sad he's gone but glad he leftHis legacy behind
His wondrous words his monologuesTurn back those dreary clocks
His talent lives and he is safe
That monster's in a box
We miss you Spalding Gray
5 years gone
- Barbara Murphy, site poet laureate

Petition to bring back 'Trying Times'

2009-01-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Dear John Boland (NOT from PBS),
Thank you for using our free petition hosting service.Your "Bring Back 'Trying Times' on PBS" petition is now live online at www.PetitionOnline.com, and it will be considered for linking from the PetitionOnline.com directory pages.The main URL for your petition is: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/trying87/petition.html
Now that your petition is actually live here on the web, we recommendyou put some energy into spreading the word. The concept is simple: themore people you can send to read your petition, the more people willsign it and thus contribute to your cause.In addition to promoting your petition on your own web pages, ideas forencouraging visitors to your petition include e-mailing a petitionannouncement to your friends and sympathizers, submiting your petitionpage to major search engines, promoting the petition in appropriate newsgroups and online forums, and getting as many good incoming linksconnected to your petition as possible. Consider contacting thetraditional media press as well, locally or nationally, as appropriate.
Please contribute $2.00 (or more) and help maintain PetitionOnline.comas a premiere free speech forum. Contributing is quick, easy, private,and secure, directly to PetitionOnline.com: https://artifice.securesites.com/cgi-bin/support_petitiononline.cgi or if you prefer, via the Amazon.com Honor System, online at: https://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3KXN6BPYN3FLV -- * --Note, however, that in helping to promote this petition you areexpressly prohibited from sending unsolicited bulk mail messages ("junkmail" or "spam"). This includes, but is not limited to, bulk-mailing ofcommercial advertising, information announcements, and political tracts.Such material may only be sent to those who have specifically requestedit.To help support your primary petition promotion efforts, each person whosigns your petition will automatically receive an email message from usto confirm their signature, which also suggests that they take a momentto tell a few friends about your petition.If your petition is a good one, with support among visitors, lots oftraffic will lead to lots of signatures. And that's the whole point!Good luck and best wishes,Kevin MatthewsPetitionOnline.comby Artifice, Inc. "This is the marketplace of free ideas" (tm) http://www.PetitionOnline.com > A new petition has been submitted by John Boland (NOT from PBS), uptonatom@telus.net.
The petition title is: Bring Back 'Trying Times' on PBS.> > The petition URL is: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/trying87/petition.html
The petition is directed to: John Boland, Chief Programmer, PBS> > The start date is: ..> > The end date is: ..>> The petition statement says:We,the undersigned,ask that PBS bring back the show Trying Times that ran in 1986 and 1987. There were 12 episodes. The main reason to bring this series back is that it was exceptional. It was also the early work of many actors now well known. The list is at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190206/. These include :
Rosanna Arquette, Candice Bergen,Teri Garr,Spalding Gray,Steven Wright,Stockard Channing,Carrie Fisher,Sally Kirkland,Robert Klein,Jean Stapleton,Jessica Harper,Tim Matheson,Ted Stidder,John Stockwell,Lyman Ward,Griffin Dunne,Corey Feldman,Sheila McCarthy,Judge Reinhold,Peter Scolari,Louie Anderson,Catherine Bach,Hagan Beggs,Hope Lange,Ketty Lester,Gail Boggs,Anne De Salvo,Katherine McGrath,Linda Purl,Danitra Vance,Dustin Berkovitz,David Byrne,Bruno Gerussi,Betty Phillips,Ruth Springford,Richard Dimitri,Alejandra Gollas,Jerry Houser,Marcell Rosenblatt,Al Ruscio,Melanie Jones,Catherine O'Hara,Keanu Reeves,Robert Ridgely,Ron Silver,Eric Ayala,Buck Henry,Kurt Knudson,Jon Polito,Tracy Brooks Swope,Anne Ramsey,Jeff Schultz,Doug Tuck,Laura White,George Belanger,Kalimba,Max Perlich,Ken Smith,Jay Brazeau,Norman Browning,Jackson Davies,John Steadman,Álvaro Carcaño,Ellen Gollas,Dondee Spencer,Alex Bruhanski,Brandon Call,David Alden,Gabriela Goldsmith,Ron Wertheim,Janne Mortil,Jaqueline Fernandez,John Sabol,Irina Areu,Jeff Daniels,Julie Hagerty,Swoosie Kurtz,Roger Cudney,Geena Davis,Nancy Lenehan,Peter Riegert
I have had a number of people ask me if I have particular episodes. It was never released on VHS or DVD. Releasing the complete set of episodes on DVD and PBS selling them is another viable alternative.
We specifically address this request to John Boland, Chief Content Officer, PBS. The fact that this request was started by another John Boland is purely coincidental. My interest in particular is the episode 'Bedtime Story' written by Spalding Gray and Renee Shafransky. As with all the episodes, the writing is hilarious and the episode outstanding.
Respectfully written by John Boland Webmaster for the Estate of Spalding Gray www.spaldinggray.com

Stories Left to Tell - Boston 2009

2008-12-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

Stories Left to Tell - the amazing play of Spalding Gray's works and Diaries will play in Boston in 2009!!! A MUST SEE!!! for fans and everyone else too!
Schedule:
Sunday, Mar 1 (2009) 2:00pm
at Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
AND

Thursday, Feb 26
7:30pm

Friday, Feb 27
7:30pm

Saturday, Feb 28
7:30pm

(http://calendar.boston.com/boston-ma/events/show/85701563-spalding-gray-stories-left-to-tell)
AND
http://www.storieslefttotell.com/ (note: as of Dec. 24th, 2008, this site is NOT up to date)
For Reviews of the Play, see http://www.spaldinggray.com/spudreviews.html

Book: Spalding Gray’s America

2008-12-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

From Limelight (Publisher):
Spalding Gray’s America is a thoughtful study of Spalding the artist, taking readers from his early days with the Performance Group and Wooster Group all the way through his entire career. It’s a lively and accessible evaluation of Gray's career, nicely illustrated. We definitely recommend it for all Spalding Gray fans! Here are a few lines from the introduction to give you an idea of the author’s point of view:“Gray the consummate storyteller offered honest, usually hilarious, and often poignant confessions that bear witness to a world that has generated ever more frequent moments of isolation, self-doubt, and despair. Gray was willing to deal with such moments. But in a spirit that is almost uniquely American, he never allowed us to wallow in the misery that often accompanies those times of doubt, desperation, and panic. Optimism pervaded his performances, even as he recounted dark times when a positive attitude seemed more like foolhardiness. But then, isn’t that what America is all about? Gray’s perspective on life in our world always took on an absurdly funny luster that penetrated his audience and offered us all a sense that, whatever our particular woes, we’re all in it together. And that is a good thing. Of course, Gray was doing far more than just talking. He worked hard at his craft, elevating his talent as a storyteller to an art form rarely (if at all) recuperable by the most ambitious of imitators. One felt that there was something intense and very significant going on when we were in Spalding’s presence, despite his disarming affability.”
http://www.applausepub.com/itemDetail.jsp?itemid=332725

new music for Spalding Gray

2008-12-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

David T. Little, a New York based composer has written a piece in memory of Spalding Gray, which will be premiered Dec. 9th, 2008 by NOW Ensemble at Princeton University. It ends the concert, which begins at 8 pm EST, and is being webcast from http://music.princeton.edu NOW Ensemble will perform the work again on December 17th at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York.

Sderbergh Documentary

2008-12-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

Update links about Soderbergh Documentary about Spalding Gray (it's still in the works)...
http://animeboobs.org/?p=2817#comment-68
http://www.indiewire.com/people/2008/12/honor_roll_08_v.html

jb

Stories about Birds

2008-12-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

After I listened to Kathie Russo's recent story of NPR about Spalding Gray and a returning bird, http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=369
reminded me of a friend who also had a bird story. Not nearly as hopeful or spiritual but alas still true.

They were at the SPCA and found a cockatiel in a nice cage. They wanted to save it but could only fit it into their office at work. They found that it was very noisy as it appeared to have been mistreated. However, no one complained.
Then one day, their 'team' turned against him, making all kinds of false accusations, including that they were cruel to the bird. Which was absolutely false. They had saved the bird and treated it very well.
They had to agree to get rid of the poor bird who went back to the SPCA. My friend's team was vicious from then on, led on by 2 people whom my friend had helped a great deal. Eventually my friend had to leave their position and their team did nothing to back them up. They should all feel a great deal of SMAME and I personally hope that birds never bless their lives. I hope the Squeek, the cockatiel, found a great home.

Fundraiser at Kathie Russo's

2008-11-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Fundraiser to benefit Time for Teens will be held at the North Haven home of Kathie Russo on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $150 and $250 (the $250 amount will sponsor a child for camp in 2009). Nick & Toni’s will cater the event. To reserve, call Laraine Gordon at 338-7258.
Teens Find Time to Grieve
http://sagharborexpress.sagharborpublishing.com/shexpress/community/teens-find-time-to-grieve/#comment-2661
Fundraiser at Kathie Russo's - if you can go, please send me (Contact/jb) pictures.

Black Spot

2008-11-15T14:42:00.001-08:00

where in Ireland is the precise location of the Black Spot? Where Spalding Gray had car accident...near Moate,Ireland...

Mike Daisey DVD / plays Vancouver BC

2008-11-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

Important Update from Mike Daisey:
"we're making a movie. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING is becoming a feature film.It's being directed by Steve Anderson, who did a film a few years ago about the word fuck, conducted the last interviews with Hunter S. Thompson, is a trained Hollywood stunt driver, has lounged in the grotto at the Playboy Mansion, and posesses a great eye and understanding of the piece—between all these skill sets he will be outstanding at translating this monologue to film."
This will now be complete. Please watch for the DVD. I'm sure Mike will tell us when it's released. Remember to buy through affiliates (ebay and abebooks being fixed)
PS: Mike is playing Vancouver, Canada! see www.mikedaisy.com for details. Any one going to Vancouver show? (let me know -click contact,join the spiders!)
VANCOUVER, BC MONOPOLY!at the Push Festival February 4th,2009 at 9pmDetails

Spalding Gray Book...

2008-11-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

Note re book: Spalding Gray's America:
Author:
William Demastes

Biography & Memoir
Publisher:
Limelight Editions
ISBN-10:
0879103604
ISBN-13:
9780879103606

Format:
Softcover
Publication Year:
2008
is from reports: "really this isn't anything... and his is more for academia."...
Will I read it...oh yeah, I want a signed copy!
Remember to buy thru our link to amazon.ca (link to amazon.com coming soon!) For now, sign in thru .ca on out affiliate page then click link to .com - schorlarship fund still gets percentage).
jb

Black Spot...

2008-11-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

where in Ireland is the precise location of the Black Spot? Where Spalding had car accident...near Moate,Ireland...

Halloween Pasts

2008-11-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

I once had gotten a job at an unnamed hospital in a clinic.
My first day of work was Halloween. I was living in my uninsulated cottage with a fireplace, sauna and break thru ice for water. That part was fine except the days that the wind came off the lake. It was called windy bay in the winter, sandy bay in the summer.
The first place I went at work was the cafeteria as I was early and needed a coffee. Virtually everyone in the cafeteria was dressed up, from the servers to the doctors.
Then I went to the clinic - I had been hired on the phone.
No one was dressed up. My denial kicked in but I was fairly sure what was wrong. It turned out I was right about both guesses. Half or more of the staff were rigid, and the other half were recent hires in total fear of rocking the boat. Anything new or 'liberal' was taboo. I can't say more as it would identify the hospital and at this point I don't want to. But I can always come back and edit...
My days there were short as I was on the cutting edge of the work done at the clinic, and that was way too threatening. Not only did I suffer, but many clients suffered as well.
As Lou Dobbs says of the current Bank bailout going into executive pockets - it is despicable...

jb

Spalding Gray mailing list (Bonus Material at End!)

2008-11-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Spalding Gray mailing list (Bonus Material at End!) (tried to > copy and paste from Word into notepad to remove code, then paste again. > So since> I sent it to myself, then edited in reply mode. Hence the > signs.> There is so much that I will likely miss something, so here goes, in some > vague sense of priority. Or just skip to the zen story at the end!> 1) Soderbergh Documentary is still alive!!!> - quote from http://animeboobs.org/?p=2817:> "Steven Soderbergh got quizzed about his untitled Spalding Gray project. > It is still in the works and he has masses of material but the process is > being lengthened by the fact that only he and one other are working on it > >> And you heard it hear first. I have applied to help out- no joke! After a > stroke (I recently had another one this time 'minor' like a stroke can be > minor!!!) I figure I either get depressed or bold personally I prefer > bold!!!> 2) a 3 month complete update to the site is underway. Every pe plus new > pages. There will be lots of new info. Iam transferring to Dreamweaver so > the site will be CSS compliant if you dont know CSS and dont have a > website that you yourself code, dont worry. Just know its better!> 3) and yes, as I am doing this all myself, I still need volunteers,eh!> 4) because blogs have not died as predicted, unlike the world financial > system, there is now YES! a Spalding Gray blog. SO tell your friends and > neighbours to visit the page, write on the blog (use Spalding Gray in the > entry and google alerts will pick it up) and VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!> We in Canada want Obama as prime minister as we unfortunately re elected > the quasi fascismo conservative party think mccain without nuclear weapons> http://spaldinggray.blogspot.com/> 5) kudos to James Braly for his success in NYC and Shawn Watson for his > brilliant performace of Swimming to Cambodia in Victoria, Canada hey, > thats where I live. Shawn needs to tour this show. An amazing > performac!!!> 6) delays the DVD box set has been delayed (at minimum) because it needed > to follow Soderbergh for publicity sake. It the #1 question that I get > asked where's the box set! (next to 'I once saw a monologue with Spalding > where he was buying a cabin, it was hilarious but I dont remember the > name where can I get it) I see now used on Amazon starts at $24 and new is > $133!> So chant 'om mane padme hum' 'box set' 'om mane padme hum'etc.> 7) affiliates - I am working hard on this as part of the site update.> The amazon link still works and the pennies still flow thank you.> But ebay and abebooks (recently bought by amazon for 160 million - not > bad for a 10 year old company, except if you compare it to utube. I > estimated that the 2 founders made about $200,000 an hour each based on > the sale to google) anyway, ebay and abe went to new affiliate company and > we need to start all over. I will let everyone know when its set up. In > the meantime, please use our lnkfor amazon tell your friends and tell > them to vote for OBAMA!!!> 8) which brings me to the following:> I have a very good idea for a software program that will help affiliates > and non profits in a potentially tremendous way hence making it very > sellable to amazon. Two things:> a) I'm no good at writing Java> b) I need a partner who does write Java and will agree that 10% of profits > will go to the Spalding Gray Scholarship Fund.>> Interested??? Email me. You will have to agree to a strict confidentiality > agreement as this software has the potential to make a great deal of money > and do groovy things like help out any non profit such as red cross or...> 9) and going back to affiliates if you got to updates on the site, you > will see I have posted a survey about affiliates. If you have any ideas > for companies that have affiliates and somehow are appropriate to the > site, please fill it out. By the way, Spalding (the company turned me down > I will try again)andthat favourite beer of Spalding which always slips > my mind but is contained in the 2000 + emails I am currently sorting, > doesnt seem to have an affiliate but I'm thinking a banner anyway.> 10) I NEED A JOB> Simply because I am going broke and its not a great time for that as my > mutuals have turned into unshareds (actual opposite believe it or not), I > am possible facing bleak times. I was working on line as a mediator for > eBay but the program was closed. I have an MSW, have lots of computer > skills and have even been diagnosed (among other things!) as high > intelligence asbergers (as are 80% of MIT professors), so smart and a good > writer. If anyone sees any LEGITMATE online jobs, please, please tell me.> 9) perhaps of not everyone's interest but I have at least 2 Irish fans who > are searching for the Black Spot (Irish term for dangerous corner) where > Spalding was in accident. I am searching my thousands of emails/articles > etc. for the date of accident for locl Irsh newspaper search, for the > Vets last name same last name as realtor in NY that Spalding did not like.> To quote one of the fans:> Most valuable of all would be a radio interview Spalding did on a popular > afternoon talk show in which he criticised the hospital in Tullamore, Co > Offaly he was in.> There was a reaction to Spalding's comments from other listeners defending > the hospital which was wrong, we may have lots of nice thigs in Ireland > but our health care is a mess. The people who work in the hospitals are > lovely but work under enormous pressure> Now does that sound familiar. I'm blind in the right eye because the > emergency did no have enough doctors so the stroke was not properly > treated or in time. IÃfï¿½Ã¯Â¿Â½fÃfï¿½Ã,Â¯Ãfï¿½Ã,Â¿Ãfï¿½Ã,Â½Ãfï¿½Ã¯Â¿Â½,Ãfï¿½Ã¯Â¿Â½Ãfï¿½Ã,Â¦am I angry and bitter you betcha!> 10) ZEN STORY (thanks for the feedback that people actually enjoy these).> True story - one day, Suzuki Roshi (Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, if you have > no read this, go right now to amazon, through the affiliat page of > course, and buy it!)> and some followers were to plant a tree on top of a hill for some reason. > After reaching the top of the hill, it was discovered that someone had > forgotten the shovel. The blame game broke out until someone noticed the > Roshi had already gone down the hill and was half way back with said > shovel>> jb>this message is dedicated to Janwillem van de Wetering, the author who wrote Empty Mirror, zen detective stories and fantastic children's books, who recently passed on from colon cancer in Maine) So don't forget your colonoscopy! The new virtual colonoscopies are either out there now or about to be and I can tell you, since I was diagnosed with colitis at 12, I have had colonoscopies since they were invented and the virtual type really is going to be a huge improvement. I will miss you Janwillem>>> Bonus Material>> 1) Completely forgot : in cooperation with www.sideshowworld.com,> Randall Levenson and Kathleen Russo> I have begu to put parts of In Search of a Monkey Girl (part written by > Spalding) on the site. It will eventually have it own page. Sideshow is > posting it in parts so I haven't checked lately to see how much is there. > However, it's great to have access to this rare book.> 2) Who won the 3rd Spalding Gray Award. My memory suggests that it should > have been awarded last June (?)> 3) Someone kindly pointed out that the sidebar is way too far down on the > Updates page and perhaps others. It was suggested that for unknown reasons > there was a lot of &nsp code. So I eliminated the excess code but it did > not solve the problem. Could someone familiar with XTML code look at the > code and make a suggestion. Greatly appreciated.> 4) awhile back, I wrote a story called Open Letter to Amy Sedaris (aka > Swimming to Amy). I have yet to post it on my site , should as it is funny > if you have read her 'I like you Hosptitality Under the Influece' if you > haven't...then> So today, I wrote anopen letter to joe the plumber and I am pleased to
> be able to copy the complete letter here:>
dear joe,
fuck you>>>>