Make Every Day a Holiday

Atheist HolidayFrom time to time, I’ll be highlighting a new book about issues that concern me as a Bright and as a rational woman. I don’t claim to be a book critic, rather simply a blogger who knows what she likes and wants to share it with the like-minded.

A book that’s timely now (and anytime) is Penn Jillette’s Every Day is an Atheist Holiday!: More Magical Tales (Blue Rider Press/Penguin).

Penn is the talkative half of the magic act Penn & Teller and co-host of the television program Penn & Teller—Bullshit!

Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! is conversational, bawdy, in-your-face, amusing, and hard-core atheistic. It puts me in mind of a stand-up shtick rather than a book of essays, but I so appreciate that, in part of the world at least, it’s possible to express oneself in print in such an impolite way.

And Jillette is very very impolite, asking us to feel his crotch and using examples that contain language I’d prefer not to use here. So if you believe that only atheists who are nice and who are patient with traditional beliefs should be writing books or discussing their views publicly, avoid Jillette’s work. If any part of you has ever longed to thumb your nose openly at, well, at whatever you consider unworthy of politeness, then he’s your man.

The first chapter is ostensibly about the Christmas carol “Joy to the World,” which Jillette finds lacking utterly in joy. He first expounds on the “Theme song from Shaft” at some length. Then he segues into why the phrase “The exception proves the rule” drives him buggy, before returning to the deeper implications of “Joy to the World.”

“Religious holidays are about how bad life was,” he writes, “or how good the way distant future or even the afterlife is going to be. . . .  In the New Testament . . . there’s lots of ‘forsake your family and come with me.'”

In another chapter, Jillette explores the complications of using offensive language, either as a joke or as an ironic post-modern statement. He doesn’t believe in tribalism and wishes all the stereotypes would go away, and he hates that it’s so easy to be misunderstood and have people think you believe differently than you do. He’s unusually aware of the power of language to stir emotions, as well as to hurt.

Jillette likes to tell stories from his own history. Some relate to show biz. They’re all rather quirky. It’s hard for me not to like this forthright man.

For me, this is the core of his message:

The awful truth of how sweet life can be is enough to crack me every second. That black-and-white picture of my mom, alive, and bursting with her future in her little wool hat and matching mittens—that . . .  is what scares the shit out of me, and . . . religion can’t protect any of us from that. I’m not afraid of a hot lead enema followed by some serious ass-to-mouth with Satan—give it your worst. I’m afraid of a life that is so full of joy and love that every second just bursts by and is gone. It’s a gorgeous, detailed, 3-D, surround sound, no-flutter-in-the-bass mural done by 10 billion artists, and it’s whipping by the car window at the speed of sound, and I’ll never come back to it. I can take pictures of it, but in the time I hold those pictures up, I’ll have missed another billion images and experiences.

Can you be any more life-affirming than that?

  • Read an excerpt here.
  • Read about a previous book of Jillette’s: God, No!

Copyright (2012) by Susan K. Perry

This entry was posted in A Rational Woman and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Make Every Day a Holiday

  1. Racingkoyo35u says:

    http://speedway-liga.pl/?wytopienie-sie-lacznika-biegunowego,14
    Shopping for a new or used automobile might be a tough procedure should you not know what you are actually carrying out. By teaching yourself about car shopping prior to head to the dealership, you possibly can make things simpler for yourself. The following tips may help your next buying trip be more pleasurable.

    Usually take a auto technician coupled when looking for a brand new automobile. Vehicle merchants are popular for selling lemons and you do not desire to be their after that target. If you can not get a auto mechanic to check out cars with you, a minimum of be sure that you have him look at your ultimate decision before you purchase it.

    Know your limitations. Before you start purchasing for your upcoming vehicle or van, determine how much you can afford to shell out, and adhere to it. Don’t forget about to feature interest in your computations. You will probably spend around 20 % as a down payment as well, so be ready.

    Prior to going to a dealership, know what type of motor vehicle you want. Study all you alternatives ahead of shopping so you can determine what works the best for your finances and family members needs. Do your research to discover just how much you should be paying for a potential auto.

    Before signing any deal spend some time to read every line, like the fine print. When there is nearly anything detailed that you just do not fully grasp, usually do not indication till you purchase an solution that you simply comprehend. Unsavory salesmen may use an agreement to insert a lot of costs which were not reviewed.

    In the event you keep the previous advice at heart the very next time that you simply go shopping for a auto, you will be more likely to get a full offer. Investing in a car lacks to become frustration. Simply use the guidelines with this article and you can have the automobile you would like at the good value.

  2. RE:Penn Jillette on Holidays | BloggingBrights Валок Kokerling Черноголовка

  3. CurtisSody says:

    apiqsaq

  4. Kfvcaula says:

    pfizer cialis generic go to my blog

  5. SimonSSsok says:

    фотосессия беременности образы для беременной фотосессии . новогодняя фотосессия дома позы для фотосессии в парке фотосессия беременных – идеи для фото фотосессия с цветами в студии сделать фотосессию в москве фотосессия в ожидании . семейная фотосессия фотосессия беременных идеи для беременной фотосессии фотосессия в студии с визажистом. фотосессия беременных дома фото беременной с мужем позы для фото пары образ беременной для фотосессии .

  6. MartinLsok says:

    фотосессия в белой рубашке образы для фотосессии дома фотосессии беременных на природе фотосессия для беременных в Москве фото. фотограф новорожденных москва фотограф беременности в москве позы для фото беременных сколько стоит фотосессия в студии . беременные фотосессии с мужем фотосессия беременных дома идеи . фотосессия в москве цена идеи фотосессии для беременных фотосессия для беременной сколько стоит фотосессия в студии фотосъемка беременности позы для фото вдвоем

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *