Wednesday, May 23, 2007

"Paw Paw for Jesus!"

If you didn't hear This American Life this past weekend, then I urge you to listen to it (Episode 102: Road Trip!) online via mp3 or with their player doohickey that I can't link to here because it is javascript-crippled. The first three acts are ok, but act four--"Paw Paw for Jesus!"-- is classic. The fun commences around 50 minutes. "Paw Paw for Jesus!" is a short story by Chicago writer Cheryl Trykv who I or the Internet's tubes know precious-little about. I do know she's done other This American Life stuff, but that's about all. Anyone heard or read other stuff by her?

11 comments:

  1. A bit on the disturbing side, isn't it?

    It was fun to listen to.."PawPaw for Jesus!"

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  2. Oh I don't know--she seems very familiar to me.

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  3. Oh and it is just simple fun saying "Paw Paw for Jesus!" over and over.

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  4. familiar, how so?

    I can't get the image of her kissing his sweaty neck out of my mind, (tasting like Mountain Dew)

    ewwww

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  5. "Mountain dew" is a particularly savory moment in the story.

    Familiar in that I've known women like the narrator.

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  6. The term "Paw paw for jesus" is even in the urban dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=PawPaw+for+Jesus!

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  7. I love the last lines where she announces she's going to hell!

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  8. Anonymous2:27 PM

    Cheryl is/was a performance artist in Chicago. She did the Paw Paw for Jesus story at a club called Lower Links where David Sedaris also got his start reading his material (I believe they were in the same show actually). It was all the alternative crowd - lots of black and 'cool'. Early or mid 90s she did a lot of material. She also was in some play with Jenny Magnus (also Chicago). I was briefly friends with her while living in Wicker Park when I was a photographer.

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  9. I listened to that episode myself and Paw Paw for Jesus got played twice. What a hoot!!

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  10. I am her half sister...She does not like me to give out information, she is very secretive...too a fault...YES, she and I have had a very disturbing childhood, we grew up in a closet filled with skeletons!

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  11. I am her sister...we shared a closet full of skeletons in our childhood!

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