Hilarious Hopelessness: The Wisdom of John Cleese

by Michael Grosso:

April 11, 2018.  I was sitting in the second row of the very large and totally packed Paramount Theater, located on the downtown mall in Charlottesville, Virginia, not far from Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. 

When John Cleese of the legendary Monty Python Circus stepped on stage, the applause was overwhelming. John retreats to offstage and the applause dies down. Out on stage again, the roars of approval resume, and again he vanishes. Next time the audience gets the hint, and lets him speak.

“Hello Charlotte villains,” I hear him say—first laugh--and we’re off.    

When Statues Cry Real Tears

by Michael Grosso:

 

The world is full of strange phenomena that challenge the way we understand ourselves.  I’m drawn to the extreme, the rare but often deeply revealing phenomena.  I’m trying to form as accurate a picture of human potential as possible.

The project calls for a gradual piecing together of many elements from various sources.  The interesting phenomena prompt us to ask: What does this matter to me, going forward? Of course, you might not want to probe too deeply. Phenomena are sometimes ignored because they can’t be explained, or because they challenge our assumptions.