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Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales
Presenting laugh-out-loud stories for lovers of absurd comedy, featuring an eccentric cast of characters including Derek Private Investigator, Lionel the Moth, Roman slave Servus Minimus, the Battlefield Masseur, ambulance chaser Bradley Scherp, the Incredibly Delusional Shrinking Man, Compound Fracture the Clown, and of course, the Dancer on the Ceiling.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2023
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About the author
Mark Nutter
12 books8 followersMARK NUTTER grew up in a motel near Joliet, Illinois, which is not as glamorous as it sounds. He acquired a taste for absurd comedy in the womb. Mark is the author of Dancer on the Ceiling, Giant Banana Over Texas, and Sunset Cruise on the River Styx: Dark, Absurd Tales. He's the winner of both the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the LA Weekly Theater Award for the music and lyrics for ReAnimator: The Musical. Mark wrote the music, lyrics and book for The Bicycle Men, named Outstanding Overall Production at the New York International Fringe Festival. With Cynthia Carle he created Christmas Smackdown. (www.christmassmackdown.com). Mark has also written for television ('SNL,' '3rd Rock from the Sun') and film ('Almost Heroes' starring the late Chris Farley).
"If you took Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Robert Benchley, and James Thurber, cut them up, picked their parts out of a wet hat and put a person together, that person would be Mark Nutter, only shorter. His Sunset Cruise on the River Styx is a hilarious view into the void, where only the bravest, maddest comics go. Helpless with laughter is the only way this all ends... " Dennis Paoli, screenwriter. Re-Animator, From Beyond.
"If you took Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Robert Benchley, and James Thurber, cut them up, picked their parts out of a wet hat and put a person together, that person would be Mark Nutter, only shorter. His Sunset Cruise on the River Styx is a hilarious view into the void, where only the bravest, maddest comics go. Helpless with laughter is the only way this all ends... " Dennis Paoli, screenwriter. Re-Animator, From Beyond.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 28, 2023
The criteria for reviewing most books don’t apply to Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales by Mark Nutter. It would be pointless to assess this anthology of 25 short pieces in terms of its unifying themes or artistic statements. Verisimilitude of plot, depth of characters, and mastery of literary technique are moot. By no means look for deeper meanings, double entendres, or socially redeeming messages. The only things that matter are the yuks.
These stories contain naught but inspired, irresistible silliness, like photographs taken through funny camera filters. Despite the subtitle, these aren’t “darkly humorous” in the sense that they will appeal to morbid senses of humor. A sampling of their titles illustrates Mr. Nutter’s odd muse—ex., “I Don’t Know Art, but I Know What I Like to Vacuum,” “Homely Bearded Whores of the Old West,” “The Incredibly Delusional Shrinking Man,” and “If Only I Were a Spanker.”
If those titles don’t sufficiently invoke images of Mr. Nutter’s over-the-top frivolity, consider the following rough outline of the first of the afore mentioned stories. (No spoiler alert is necessary because plot hardly matters):
Danny finds hardwood floor beneath the carpet in his apartment. The floor curses him for having covered it with carpet, but Danny pleads it’s not his fault—the rug was already there when he moved in. Infuriated hardwood floor lovers pursue Danny into a dark alley. An art student named Rachel saves him. Rachel tells Danny he looks exactly like Jesu Christo, an eccentric artist whose specialty is carpeting. Danny confronts Jesu Christo in the Statue of Liberty. He tells Danny, “I’m carpeting over every hardwood floor in Manhattan. Be grateful your floor is part of my greatest work.” Thus, Danny proves his innocence, escapes the posse’s wrath, and marries Rachel. The end.
In addition to the talking floor, other characters in Nutter’s giddy phantasmagoria are a man who lives beneath the table in an Italian restaurant, the battlefield masseur who gave General Patton a massage, and the king of all moths.
For all the rapid-fire plot twists they contain, these stories are around 2000 words, short enough to read in a quick sitting—perhaps while on the toilet, which would be appropriate. I mean that as a compliment. That's where I'm keeping my copy. This isn’t the kind of book you cuddle up with. But it is perfect for when you need some quick comic, uh, relief.
These stories contain naught but inspired, irresistible silliness, like photographs taken through funny camera filters. Despite the subtitle, these aren’t “darkly humorous” in the sense that they will appeal to morbid senses of humor. A sampling of their titles illustrates Mr. Nutter’s odd muse—ex., “I Don’t Know Art, but I Know What I Like to Vacuum,” “Homely Bearded Whores of the Old West,” “The Incredibly Delusional Shrinking Man,” and “If Only I Were a Spanker.”
If those titles don’t sufficiently invoke images of Mr. Nutter’s over-the-top frivolity, consider the following rough outline of the first of the afore mentioned stories. (No spoiler alert is necessary because plot hardly matters):
Danny finds hardwood floor beneath the carpet in his apartment. The floor curses him for having covered it with carpet, but Danny pleads it’s not his fault—the rug was already there when he moved in. Infuriated hardwood floor lovers pursue Danny into a dark alley. An art student named Rachel saves him. Rachel tells Danny he looks exactly like Jesu Christo, an eccentric artist whose specialty is carpeting. Danny confronts Jesu Christo in the Statue of Liberty. He tells Danny, “I’m carpeting over every hardwood floor in Manhattan. Be grateful your floor is part of my greatest work.” Thus, Danny proves his innocence, escapes the posse’s wrath, and marries Rachel. The end.
In addition to the talking floor, other characters in Nutter’s giddy phantasmagoria are a man who lives beneath the table in an Italian restaurant, the battlefield masseur who gave General Patton a massage, and the king of all moths.
For all the rapid-fire plot twists they contain, these stories are around 2000 words, short enough to read in a quick sitting—perhaps while on the toilet, which would be appropriate. I mean that as a compliment. That's where I'm keeping my copy. This isn’t the kind of book you cuddle up with. But it is perfect for when you need some quick comic, uh, relief.
November 4, 2023
Dive into a whirlwind of imaginative absurdity with Dancer on the Ceiling, the third collection of short stories by the gifted Mark Nutter. This anthology promises readers a captivating journey through tales sprinkled with the most unexpected characters—from clowns and chimps to mysterious dwellers beneath tables. Each narrative unravels unpredictably, making it a thrilling expedition from start to finish.
Nutter's dynamic writing style, both peculiar and fluid, ensures an engaging experience. Each story, whether focusing on a quirky case of mistaken identity, tales of forgotten war heroes better left unremembered, or crime escapades in the old West, is presented with a dash of the unpredictable. No topic is off-limits in this vibrant collection!
With the exception of a few recurring characters, most tales stand alone, perfect for those fleeting moments when you need an entertaining escape. The seamless narrative flow, coupled with the inherent intrigue of what Nutter might craft next, also makes it tempting to devour the entire collection in one indulgent sitting. Beyond the words, each story paints a vivid mental picture, as delightful to imagine as they are depicted on the pages. Mastering the art of writing the absurd is no mean feat, but Nutter accomplishes it with finesse and flair in this collection.
Dancer on the Ceiling stands out as a uniquely refreshing literary piece in its unabashed embrace of the eccentric. The stories seem to be born from Nutter's audacious challenge to himself to envision the most outlandish scenarios—and he undoubtedly succeeds. Unpredictable, perfectly paced, and wittily penned, this collection establishes Mark Nutter as an author worth exploring further. If you're seeking a literary adventure that dances between whimsical and weird, look no further.
Nutter's dynamic writing style, both peculiar and fluid, ensures an engaging experience. Each story, whether focusing on a quirky case of mistaken identity, tales of forgotten war heroes better left unremembered, or crime escapades in the old West, is presented with a dash of the unpredictable. No topic is off-limits in this vibrant collection!
With the exception of a few recurring characters, most tales stand alone, perfect for those fleeting moments when you need an entertaining escape. The seamless narrative flow, coupled with the inherent intrigue of what Nutter might craft next, also makes it tempting to devour the entire collection in one indulgent sitting. Beyond the words, each story paints a vivid mental picture, as delightful to imagine as they are depicted on the pages. Mastering the art of writing the absurd is no mean feat, but Nutter accomplishes it with finesse and flair in this collection.
Dancer on the Ceiling stands out as a uniquely refreshing literary piece in its unabashed embrace of the eccentric. The stories seem to be born from Nutter's audacious challenge to himself to envision the most outlandish scenarios—and he undoubtedly succeeds. Unpredictable, perfectly paced, and wittily penned, this collection establishes Mark Nutter as an author worth exploring further. If you're seeking a literary adventure that dances between whimsical and weird, look no further.
October 23, 2023
This is a book of creative comedy, mainly based on opposites. Think of an idea that our society holds dear, and Mark will come up with a completely illogical reason to believe the opposite.
The story on Reverse Psychology is perhaps the quintessential tale of opposites, except Mark always has to go one step further than necessary. Thus, he posits the opposite of reverse psychology, which, as you may guess, isn’t psychology. The volume also includes Amish with sword canes, a casino for children, bearded whores and unlikable clowns. And many more.
The attraction of the read is the natural, irrefutable logic of his ideas. Something that is unusual is often just silly. With these ideas, you have to stop and say, “Well, if you look at it from another angle…” And then you turn the page and find that Mr. Nutter has found that angle.
Perhaps the most convoluted idea is a private detective who decides to become a murderer so he can solve the crime, then considers going the whole hog and becoming the victim as well. And it sort of works.
Of course, every reader has a different level of acceptance of creativity, and there were places where Mr. Nutter went into areas my sense of humour could not follow. For example, a rather lengthy tale about a man who farted continually did not particularly appeal to me until it appeared to me as a metaphor for Mr. Nutter’s constant output of creativity. At which point I was mildly amused.
And the last point: don’t try to read large numbers of these tales at one time. As you can tell from the deteriorating quality of this review, it could affect your sanity.
Creative humour recommended in small doses.
The story on Reverse Psychology is perhaps the quintessential tale of opposites, except Mark always has to go one step further than necessary. Thus, he posits the opposite of reverse psychology, which, as you may guess, isn’t psychology. The volume also includes Amish with sword canes, a casino for children, bearded whores and unlikable clowns. And many more.
The attraction of the read is the natural, irrefutable logic of his ideas. Something that is unusual is often just silly. With these ideas, you have to stop and say, “Well, if you look at it from another angle…” And then you turn the page and find that Mr. Nutter has found that angle.
Perhaps the most convoluted idea is a private detective who decides to become a murderer so he can solve the crime, then considers going the whole hog and becoming the victim as well. And it sort of works.
Of course, every reader has a different level of acceptance of creativity, and there were places where Mr. Nutter went into areas my sense of humour could not follow. For example, a rather lengthy tale about a man who farted continually did not particularly appeal to me until it appeared to me as a metaphor for Mr. Nutter’s constant output of creativity. At which point I was mildly amused.
And the last point: don’t try to read large numbers of these tales at one time. As you can tell from the deteriorating quality of this review, it could affect your sanity.
Creative humour recommended in small doses.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews