November 2011: The Fiddler in the Subway

[Mimi]

Gene Weingarten's sampling of essays in The Fiddler in the Subway is probably one of my favorite books we've read this year. He covers so many topics (love, grief, fear, mental illness, life, death), and writes affectionately about diverse Americans and his own family.

His Jersualem residents, numbed by frequent bombings and defiantly purposeful, starkly contrasted with his Savoonga inhabitants, frostbitten and grappling with changes in lifestyle that was contributing to drug abuse, alcoholism and suicides. In between these two cities was Battle Mountain, also dull, but not deathly boring like Savoonga.

Gene Weingarten's profiles piqued my curiosity to look up Interwebs information on the Great Zucchini, Little Audrey, and Savoonga.

The Great Zucchini (www.thegreatzucchini.com) performs regularly Monday mornings at Jammin Java in Vienna
You can go to Little Audrey's site (www.littleaudreysanto.org/) and request the oil, but only one per person, and they do not accept payment
Gloria Kulowiyi's ANAF Profile (http://www.alaskanativearts.org/shop-...) shows some of her dolls, which sell for minimum $300

Eric Knaus's story was a strong start, and one of my favorites because of the dissonance between his wildly successful professional life and his personal life. He seems to have a supportive group of friends and is close with his mother, but as Gene Weingarten noted, like in suspended childhood. The book concluded with another successful performer, Joshua Bell, and his story was interesting too, but I think the level of personal depth and insight achieved with the Great Zucchini made The Fiddler in the Subway less impactful. Both stories note that children were the great appreciators of these two artists.

Having read Gene Weingarten's humor column in the Washington Post, I was surprised by the spectre of death and ghosts of beloved friends and family members throughout his stories but the description by one of his colleagues explains it, "He’s at once frivolous and fun and on the other hand deeply serious about doing top-quality work and meaningful work with every at-bat.” He shows people who are living life the best they can, and facing internal, external challenges, but he also has fun. The essays were easy-to-read, and a well-balanced mix of light and serious topics.

How did you respond to The Fiddler in the Subway? Which stories did you find most compelling?

[Stephanie]

There are some books that are so heart-warming that the pages constantly bring tears to my eyes. This book is one of them. I totally agree with Mimi, that it was one of my favorite books we've read together. Gene Weingarten's stories are all so real, tangible, beautiful and devastating all at once.

I loved all his stories about his family: father, son and daughter. He was able to translate the most genuine type of love using his undisclosed colors noting the fact that these are the kinds we must appreciate the most.

I also google searched a lot of his stories and am so glad to know that the Great Zucchini (one of my favorite stories of the book) can be encountered at a local joint! I'm definitely checking him out --- anyone with me?! I took a step further and looked into Gene Weingarten's personal life, and found that his daughter is now a veterinarian. Additionally, he now co-authors a comic strip with his son called "Barney & Clyde", which I haven't gotten a chance to follow yet.

Finally, I must note that every time I hear a performer at a subway station, I now make a distinct point to stop and listen, even for a bit. I admit; it's not always at the same caliber as the fiddler on the subway, but are we really always that constrained for time that we can't even take a moment for those who may be pouring their hearts out? One never knows, we may miss another Joshua Bell...