Description
Matt Nagin is a writer, educator, actor, filmmaker, and standup comedian from New York City.
In other words, Nagin is a man of many parts and many talents. In the book “Do Not Feed The Clown,” we find him living at the extremes of that identity.
If Lenny Bruce was alive and writing in 2020, this might be a book that he would create. In a collection of smouldering vignettes, Nagin holds up the mirror at much that is abhorrent in this world and then promptly rubs our collective noses in the filth.
At times, you might want to look away, and accusations of poor taste may follow. But this is comic writing on the leading edge. A famous Bruce routine and Nagin’s telling piece on “Insensitivity Training” have much in common. The reader, not the writer, defines the power of language. After all, it is only a set of shapes on a page. The dark edges are there to illuminate, not shock.
At times, I found this difficult to read. Nagin’s references are drawn from sources far and wide, and his vocabulary is greater than mine. But, if I reflect and ask myself was I glad to read this book, well, the answer must be yes.
“Do Not Feed The Clown” could well be one of those important books that go severely under the radar. I hope, in a small way, this review goes a little way to redress that fear. Please read this book. It will definitely make you think.
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