brian nation: the hot dog palace never closes

Exactly 4 years ago I wrote a little story about wavy gravy on the occasion of his 70th birthday. today i was going to go all out on a wavy story because it’s his birthday again (74th), he’s in town, i went to see the brand new documentary about him, saint misbehavin‘, and i planned to have some pictures, maybe some video, and possibly a few words from the man himself. didn’t work out that way (explanation follows). the movie is superb and if you get the chance to see it, do so without hesitation. wavy gravy’s performance as poet and improvisational monologist, raconteur, and tour guide of the subliminal inspired me in 1962 when he was still hugh romney and i was more than thrilled to find that in the 48 years since he’s gone on to become something of a miraculous and wonderful human being, one of the good ones, the rare ones, who’s passage through the world leaves it a little bit better than how they found it, through good works and a some great jokes.

saint misbehavin‘ was the closing film of the doxa film festival, the only one i saw, and, in fact, the only movie i’ve seen in a theatre in about a decade. i only went because the director, michelle esrick, and wavy himself would be there. otherwise i’d have waited for a dvd. it’s always fun and enlightening to watch a movie with the director or an actor (seeing king solomon’s mines with stewart granger, for example — that was great). had i known there’d be an agonizing hour of film fest speeches before the movie i could have showed up later and i could have had something to eat. so when the movie and about half an hour of q&a was over i couldn’t stick around and had to get out and find food immediately, thereby missing what i figured out later was the closing night bash and birthday party for wavy. there’s really no need for me to meet wavy gravy. what have i got to offer him? but i might have had something to write home about.