“This, by the way, is your curse. And I say this about you all the time. You’re a gifted, gifted actor who is cursed with the mind of a writer.” – Jerry Seinfeld
I love old movies. And I love a good movie star bio. For many school vacations, when I was a teenager, this was what summer reading was all about. The first one I remember is Lauren Bacall’s By Myself. Veronica Lake’s, The Autobiography, was pretty powerful. I haven’t read one in a while, but I must say Alec Baldwin’s Nevertheless has rapidly made it to number one on my top ten.
As a kid, I read these books because I wanted the dirt. Now, I’m compelled by the stories. And Alec Baldwin is a master storyteller. If laughter is the best medicine, then the great comic will always win me over. It wasn’t until I watched 30 Rock – repeatedly -- that I began to appreciate the comic genius that is Alec Baldwin.
Nevertheless, however, is no comic work. Here is the Baldwin I knew nothing about, growing up amongst multiple siblings in a Long Island home awash in laundry and bills, Baldwin’s father a high school English instructor barely able to make ends meet. Apart from anything else, his story is a scathing indictment of the education system in America.
Normally, I would always buy the book, but this time I sprang for Audible because I wanted to hear the author read his words. And boy, was it worth it. Baldwin’s timing is measured and precise, in contrast to his lighting fast and almost manic comic deliveries. This, in combination with his understanding of suspense, makes the work all the more compelling.
Can’t wait to catch up with Chapter 7…