Lewis Black shows some love for William Kennedy

Cover of An Albany Trio

Local site All Over Albany scored an interview with Lewis Black. Black, whose resume is a veritable bucket list for stand-up comedians, shared his views on New York State politics and happenings in advance of his concert at The Palace on October 21st. He’s made Albany a regular stop and comes across as having a legitimate familiarity and affinity for our strange, tertiary locale.

The item that struck me, though, came at the end of All Over Albany’s post. From the man himself:

Seriously, something Albany should be proud of: William Kennedy. He’s one of the great writers. Basically, whenever you’re in doubt, just go back and read him. I like the way he writes about the city and the people. Any writer who gives you a sense of place like that I really admire. It’s why I’m not a fiction writer — it’s an extraordinary talent. Faulkner had his place, Hemingway had Spain. Kennedy writes that way about Albany.

Kennedy, who won the Pulitzer for Ironweed, happens to be one of my favorite writers. I first read him when I was 21, having been given a collection of his Albany trio as a gift from someone whose name escapes me now. Albany is not only a consistent setting but a muse for Kennedy, whose work often incorporates the sites and historical happenings of the region.

Though I like Ironweed, I think my favorite of his might be his fictionalized biography of Jewish gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond titled Legs, which is an intriguing character study and exploration of the local mob scene. For what it’s worth, which isn’t much, reading Legs I always yearned for James Woods to be twenty years young so he could play the title character in a big-screen adaptation.

Anyway, one of my favorite comics likes one of my favorite writers. What a delightful combination.

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Speaking of wonderful combinations, I can think of another one: your generosity and the Special Olympics of New York! I’ve dedicated essentially the remainder of the Summer to raising money through their Over the Edge fundraiser, which will culminate in myself and upwards of 100 other individuals rappelling down the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Albany on September 16th.

So if you have a minute and a couple dollars to spare, it’d mean the world to the over 47,000 children and their families that the Special Olympics of New York serves – free of charge, I might add – if you visited http://bit.ly/stuntraising and donated to the cause. My group, Team (Kevin Marshall’s) America, is offering tons of great incentives for giving: poems, projects, commissioned portraits, baked goods and more! Check it.