1. I was granted an interview for a Marvel Comics internship based on a "Punisher" story I wrote and sent in. But I was turned down because I was only 12 years old. I thought my career in comics was over and cried into my pillow. And so the saga began.
2. Some of the characters depicted in the semi-biographical Bob Fingerman series "Minimum Wage" were people I hung out with when I was a teenager. (However, I never actually met Bob.)
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DOv5M9SsI/AAAAAAAAEGk/XpOVGb3sQEc/s400/minimum_wage.jpg)
3. I once had dinner with comedian Eddie Izzard and his entourage but didn't appreciate it at the time because I didn't know who he was.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DOl5M9SrI/AAAAAAAAEGc/JZvIsSLpVZs/s400/eddie_izzard.jpg)
4. The Steve Winwood song "Valerie" was not inspired by me.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DOa5M9SqI/AAAAAAAAEGU/XLNSJJ4Aesk/s400/stevie_winwood_valerie.jpg)
5. When I was in England I sat through an entire production of a Shakspeare play with Prince Charles sitting directly in back of me. Some people had come up to me during the intermission to tell me the Prince was behind me but I thought they were pulling my leg because I was a stupid tourist.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DORZM9SpI/AAAAAAAAEGM/4iBVoZ0j_Hg/s400/prince-charles-face.jpg)
6. My mom named me after actress Valerie Harper because she was watching the TV show "Rhoda" while she was pregnant with me, and thought that it would be cool if I grew up to be like the character. Which means I suppose I should wear headscarves
.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DOEpM9SoI/AAAAAAAAEGE/-hWY6wOvGM0/s400/rhoda_image.jpg)
7. When I was 14, I announced to my mother that I would become a professional philosopher when I grew up. She convinced me to become a paralegal instead.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DNz5M9SnI/AAAAAAAAEF8/m26qNkFTxoo/s400/ancient-philosopher.jpg)
8. My great-grandmother was a medicine woman in Brazil.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DNhZM9SlI/AAAAAAAAEFw/kYnD_3a06P0/s400/jseymour.big.jpg)
9. The Monkees song "Valeri" was also not inspired by me, but in certain quiet moments when nobody is looking I like to pretend that it was.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DMaZM9SjI/AAAAAAAAEFg/H_-XBL5nQpk/s400/zap_monkees.jpg)
10. I'm the distant relative of boxing great Rocky Marciano.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/R5DNT5M9SkI/AAAAAAAAEFo/iRh0GMHrnJA/s400/g1_u5989_rocky_marciano.jpg)
What about Material Issues's "Valerie Loves Me"? Or is the jury still out on that one?
ReplyDeleteHey, I just saw the site design change, not too shabby, this bird is ready to fly out of the blogspot coop.
ReplyDeleteI just have one qualm.. that picture. I don't want to offend anyone, but it's no good, you can look better and cooler in a better picture.
Rocky Marciano was a close friend of my grandfather's growing up in Brooklyn. His sister is still close with my grandmother. This is a source of far too much pride for me.
ReplyDeleteha - Brockton not Brooklyn. I think I've become too New York-centric since leaving Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteSo jealous about Izzard. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteAlex.
I'm jealous. My only accidental brushes with fame were not royalty, but rather figure skaters.
ReplyDelete. . . so yeah, much with the jealousy.
That's it. My new song "Valerie" will totally be inspired by you whether you like it or not.
ReplyDelete