I entered the Dork Forest with Jackie Kashian the other night. Jackie is an amazing comic, probably in my top 5, and I somehow finagled my way onto her podcast. She does this really funny one where she interviews people about their favorite dorky things. Originally I was going to pitch myself to go on to talk about Jack Reacher novels. Somehow during the pandemic I became addicted to those books. Well, not “somehow.” I know exactly how it happened. The short version is that I was trying to read Infinite Jest as a pandemic challenge but because I was sleep deprived and being driven slightly mad by new fatherhood, I quit. I couldn’t do it. So I asked my friend and fellow new dad, Charles, who runs a book shop, what kind of book I should read that will keep me engaged but also help me fall asleep. He recommended Jack Reacher. He said, “It’s just plot. Something happens on every page.” Alas, Jackie already had someone talk about Jack Reacher on her podcast.
So I pitched these topics: Rollerblading, How It’s Made (the TV show), and Documentary Filmmaking. She chose How It’s Made. And man oh man was it fun. Or not. My friend texted to say that she tried to listen but found it to be a “boring conversation about a tv show that is already boring.” That stung. But sometimes when you enter the Dork Forest it’s not necessarily a wild adventure. Sometimes you’ve gotta get in there and hack through the thicket in the dark. Which I find exhilarating. But apparently not everyone does.
Anyway, here it is for you to decide. Check out Jackie Kashian’s Dork Forest: