Now I am less depressed
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“Truth be told, I’ve never heard of the Organist, and don’t know even what a podcast is. I barely live in the 21st Century. My idea of advanced technology is a toilet seat whose trajectory from up to down takes so long to complete, I can pluck my unibrow while waiting for it to happen. Who invented the slow-close toilet? I’m sure the world wide web could tell me, but I don’t bother with that stuff and frankly, what can it really do for me? The slow-close toilet is a stay against drama. Ever seen a little boy’s finger after it’s been smashed? An entire hand? Blood burger city. And the shrieking! I’ve had four children. How many times did Nathan jam his thumb—swollen, purple, angry—under his armpit, trying not to bawl but bawling all the same because Lucy said if she found the seat up one more time she’d bring evidence of his ejaculate in Bear Bear’s mouth to school? Siblings. So mean. And that poor bear. One day you are a lovey that helps your baby fall asleep and the next you are receiving his seed in the fur of your gullet. And let’s not forget my little Jack—are you up there, baby?—who loved the sound of the lid smacking against the porcelain so much, he had only himself to blame. Even Sadie, my eldest, got her face done in, which was the thing that finally blew the door open on her troubles and made denial a little harder for us all. Poor girl. Bulimia was an open secret in my house, but secret nonetheless. But even a girl—beautiful, lithe, self-hating like you wouldn’t believe—who is expert in concealment, who is resting her cheek on the seat and wondering what it will take to arrest this compulsion, her throat is burning, her acid reflux is out of control, even she cannot stifle a cry when the lid shuts on her face, breaking one maxilla and one nasal bone, which initiates a quest for self-renovation that ends in a Buddhist retreat that cuts her off from everyone who loves her, including her mother. Sadie has been lost to me these past four years. Nathan is living in Oregon with his wife, who’d prefer her children not be exposed to the likes of me, and because hers it the expression Nathan must wake up to every day and not mine (would it were so!), my boy has conceded his filial obligations to his chosen at the altar. As for Lucy, she just paid for this new Toto toilet with the magic seat because my old one was crap—well lookee here, I made a joke—and this retirement home is too cheap to mind its own. Lucy lives in Palo Alto, which she keeps saying is so nice and that I should visit, though we both know this won’t happen. I think she says these things to feel better about being so far away, given how the rest of the kids have panned out, and I don’t blame her for not wanting to shoulder the guilt of my loneliness, my insomnia and despair, that have me sitting here at 4 a.m. on the Toto thinking about what I can do to keep on until morning, which brings with it the chance of a call or a card in the post. So here it is: My neighbor Alice has a grandson who’s 23 and her joy, though he’s obviously none too joyous to visit, just sits around with those headphones on, so I asked him today what he was listening to and he said, the Organist, and I said: church music? And he said: McSweeney’s Podcast. And I said: Sounds dirty. And he laughed, which was nice because sometimes I doubt whether I exist at all, but here was this young man laughing, though I poked him to be sure and he said Ow. I told him I can’t sleep and he said: Perfect. And then he taught me how to press play. And the night passed with a little less grief than usual. Four stars.”
Ethel W. via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/05/17
More reviews of The Organist
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“Super interesting. Love it.”
Morgan Rogers via Apple Podcasts ·
Canada ·
04/11/13
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“When I first heard that The Believer and KCRW were working together for a podcast, my heart skipped a beat. I had not been excited about a podcast for awhile. I was not let down. There are so many podcasts, it is nice to find a solid one.”
Meyercord via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
04/09/13
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“I'm sad every time the credits come up--as they are now--because I have to wait another month to listen. Wild, weird, wonderful.”Read full review »
sfjr2013 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
04/18/13
Do you host a podcast?
Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.
Listen now
Links
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon
Genres
Artwork or description wrong?
Request an update »
Updates may take a few minutes.
Do you host a podcast?
Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.
