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It’s been 3 weeks since George Floyd was murdered by policemen in Minneapolis. We saw it happen. We can’t unsee it or the wanton brutality of those cops. As Will Smith said, “Racism hasn’t gotten worse; it’s gotten filmed.” And suddenly there were films of neck-crushing, and baton wielding combined with fierce shoves and pepper spray and tear gas, and we don’t recognize the oppression that is a reality of all Black lives. Now we know more. We are seeing things we did not want to see and trying to make it better in any ways we can.
Here at headquarters we are reading books by Black authors and supporting Black-owned businesses. We’re attending webinars on slavery and reparations. We are delicately wading in as allies.
As my friend Janis Hirsch posted, “there are only 19 more Tuesdays until Election Day.” Is that possible? It sounds remarkably soon. I had planned to travel to swing states to help get out the vote, but it’s off to the phone and text banks for me. Let me know if any of you are working on any campaigns.
Lisa Birnbach and guest, Alan Zweibel
Meanwhile, have you been laughing lately? My guest this week, SNL alum Alan Zweibel is here with his new book, Laugh Lines, My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier. He wrote with Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live, and co-created It’s Garry Shandling’s Show. He wrote the play 700 Sundays with Billy Crystal. Alan knows everyone and more importantly, he goes on vacation with funny famous people. He is funny.
Have you found anything amusing or diverting? It’s hard to locate that at the moment. Try. Sometimes it requires looking back at movies that you remember as being hilarious. Some of them are still hilarious.
My list for this week:
1. Structure. My days feel much more productive when I have some appointments or things to do on a schedule. I’m not like some people who have learned a new language or to play an instrument while they’ve been at home. But it’s good to have a purpose if you don’t have a job. Know what I mean?
2. The mail! It’s sometimes the only reason I leave my apartment – to write and to receive. I’m not crazy about bills or pamphlets, but I fully and strongly support the Postal Service, and I find myself writing more notes via snail mail, because I think it’s a treat to get an actual letter.
3. I have 3 regularly scheduled zoom and conference calls a week. They basically form my structure for this amorphous time. So I depend on them. Because we are I think more introspective the more we self-quarantine, many of these conversations go deep and so personal…. It really feels like a group therapy session. So sustaining. So intimate.
4. Buying books from independent bookstores. This has been a priority of mine ever since a certain trillionaire started a book delivery company that has taken over the world. I don’t mind buying nitrile gloves or vacuum cleaner bag refills from Amazon, and I truly admire their films and tv series, but I like buying books from dedicated booksellers. I was raised with a bookstore – The Lenox Hill Bookstore which was on Madison Avenue between 86th and 87th Street – where the proprietor took pains to help his customers find just the right book for their tastes. Let’s keep those wonderful stores alive! One way you can is through bookshop.com, which in addition to giving your purchase to an independent bookstore, raises money for them.
5. The Supreme Court did something I liked this past week. In Bostock v. Clayton County, professional discrimination or termination because of sexual orientation or gender identification is now illegal. The court ruled 6-3. Good on them. Firing an employee because of whom they love is unjust. This decision gave me a glimmer of hope that at least some decency is still in our government.
Alan Zweibel’s 5 Things:
1. His wife Robin
2. Marx Brother movie, DUCK SOUP
3. Nectarines
4. Words
5. Empty baseball fields
More About Alan Zweibel
LAUGH LINES: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier
By Alan Zweibel
Published by Abrams Books
Website: AlanZweibel.com
https://alanzweibel.com/
Twitter
@AlanZweibel
Instagram
@alanzweibelofficial
Facebook
@AlanZweibelOfficial
The 5 Things That Make Life Better podcast is recorded and produced at The Field in NYC. My team is Shpresa Oruci, Michael Porte, Sam Haft and Boco Haft