"Mr. Vertigo," Paul Auster
This was a book club book for a meeting I never made it to. Fictional autobiography of Walt, a street kid from St. Lous who is taken under the wing of a magician named Master Yehudi. The master teaches Walt how to levitate (for serious), and after his showbiz career is cut short at 14, we follow him through life as a Chicago gangster and eventual family man.
"Well, my fine-feathered rascal," he said to me that first morning, "give me the lowdown on what you know about the three R's."
"Three?" I said, going for the quick, wise-guy retort. "I ain't got but one arse, and I use it every time I sit down. Same as everybody else."
"I mean school, you twerp. Have you ever set foot in a classroom--and if so, what did you learn there?"
"I don't need no school to teach me things. I've got better ways of spending my time than that."
"Excellent. Spoken like a true scholar."
"Well, my fine-feathered rascal," he said to me that first morning, "give me the lowdown on what you know about the three R's."
"Three?" I said, going for the quick, wise-guy retort. "I ain't got but one arse, and I use it every time I sit down. Same as everybody else."
"I mean school, you twerp. Have you ever set foot in a classroom--and if so, what did you learn there?"
"I don't need no school to teach me things. I've got better ways of spending my time than that."
"Excellent. Spoken like a true scholar."