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Marker
BERT KELLY is turning 30 and he's not dead yet. Not dead from the booze, the drugs, or the variety of personal disasters he constructs for himself-and most surprisingly, he's not dead from the genetic disease that was supposed to have killed him by now. In Marker Saturday Night Live alum Mel Green reveals the dark side of funny. Based on events gathered from his life, it is his odyssey in search of the family that abandoned him, the family he lost and the family that he rejected. A poignant story of one man's search for his humanity; a significant and defining tale of a displaced American.
322 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2010
About the author
Mel Green
12 books1 followerMel Green has written on such seminal television series as "Saturday Night Live" and SCTV. After leaving SNL, he developed his popular autobiographical one man show, "Back to the Big O", produced at both Theater East and Theater/Theatre in Los Angeles. He has appeared at the Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City with fellow humorist Sandra Tsing Loh and jazz musician Mike Miller and has been featured at Spoken Interludes, Rant & Rave, Groove & Tongue and the Jazz Poet's Social Club. Mel Green is a frequently published humorist with such books as "Smart Women/Stupid Books" and "Dudes-The Cult of Cool" published by Stern and Sloan. He has also been a contributor to Playboy Magazine. He recently completed his first novel, "Marker" -- "A memoir of misery and misinformation with an Appendix of Lies." The author's account of growing up as an adopted teenager at risk for Huntington's Disease. As an actor he appeared in the television series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "The Wonder Years" and in the feature film "Music From Another Room". Mel Green has survived disco, military school and a childhood in Odessa, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 11, 2011
This is a funny, entertaining novel. Or it is a touching, engaging memoir. Which is it? This “true story of misery and misinformation with an Appendix of Lies” is both, based on the author's life but jumping into the (gene) pool of fiction whenever it suits him. Thus, the appendix of lies.
At any rate, Bert Kelly manages, somehow, to make it to age 30 despite what he learned at 15 in the first sentences of this book.
I'm not saying it was all roses up until the day my father told me, at fifteen years old, that I would likely be dead from a disease in just as many years. But after that day, things sure as hell took a turn for the worse.
Learning from a childhood friend from instead of his parents that he was adopted was a big enough blow. Then, his emotionally distant father told Bert that he was carrying the genes for Huntington's Disease and not only was he likely to have an early death from the disease, but his body and mind would pull some really nasty tricks on the way to death. And his mother was no comfort. These were parents who seemed to like the idea of having a child more than they liked having a child.
So, given this death sentence, Bert starts acting up, although really not that badly. His parents ship him off to a military academy where things get much, much worse. And for the next 15 years, Bert meanders through his life, making poor decision after poor decision. He tries to find his biological family so he can be tested for the gene, the marker, that determines his fate, and what he finds isn't exactly Father Knows Best.
The story is funny but it is also reflective of real thoughts and feelings. The 15-year old Bert is sophomoric and there is some bad language, but fitting for someone his age who is angry and scared. He really, really has trouble trying to grow up. The book occasionally meanders a little too much for my taste but it all comes together fabulously in the end. Thank you to the author for giving me a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway program.
At any rate, Bert Kelly manages, somehow, to make it to age 30 despite what he learned at 15 in the first sentences of this book.
I'm not saying it was all roses up until the day my father told me, at fifteen years old, that I would likely be dead from a disease in just as many years. But after that day, things sure as hell took a turn for the worse.
Learning from a childhood friend from instead of his parents that he was adopted was a big enough blow. Then, his emotionally distant father told Bert that he was carrying the genes for Huntington's Disease and not only was he likely to have an early death from the disease, but his body and mind would pull some really nasty tricks on the way to death. And his mother was no comfort. These were parents who seemed to like the idea of having a child more than they liked having a child.
So, given this death sentence, Bert starts acting up, although really not that badly. His parents ship him off to a military academy where things get much, much worse. And for the next 15 years, Bert meanders through his life, making poor decision after poor decision. He tries to find his biological family so he can be tested for the gene, the marker, that determines his fate, and what he finds isn't exactly Father Knows Best.
The story is funny but it is also reflective of real thoughts and feelings. The 15-year old Bert is sophomoric and there is some bad language, but fitting for someone his age who is angry and scared. He really, really has trouble trying to grow up. The book occasionally meanders a little too much for my taste but it all comes together fabulously in the end. Thank you to the author for giving me a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway program.
September 28, 2010
A delicious, provocative and fast-paced journey. This is an author not afraid to expose the painful dark underbelly that all great comedy springs from. Raw as Thompson, angry as Salinger, heartfelt as Irving; relatable and riotously funny.
April 19, 2013
This is a very well-written semi-autobiographical book that seems like a work of catharsis. It is an absolute page turner.
I read this to gain some insight into my family dynamics. Mel is my mom's first cousin. Interestingly it is all about family, his mom, who is probably remarkably like my grandmother (her sister). Pre-feminist artists who lived in an era where being a housewife was the norm for women. Most likely an abusive father (my great-grandfather) and suppressed ambition/desire to use their brains and talent but denied because of the times led to alcoholism or verbal/emotional abuse towards their children. But somehow their children seemed to rise above it and recognize it and not pass it on (as far as I know)!! Or, they just didn't have children and so there was no one to pass it on to.
I read this to gain some insight into my family dynamics. Mel is my mom's first cousin. Interestingly it is all about family, his mom, who is probably remarkably like my grandmother (her sister). Pre-feminist artists who lived in an era where being a housewife was the norm for women. Most likely an abusive father (my great-grandfather) and suppressed ambition/desire to use their brains and talent but denied because of the times led to alcoholism or verbal/emotional abuse towards their children. But somehow their children seemed to rise above it and recognize it and not pass it on (as far as I know)!! Or, they just didn't have children and so there was no one to pass it on to.
November 14, 2010
What if you were 15, on the verge of adulthood, and found out sudddenly that you wouldn't live past 30? Thus begins this engrossing and darkly humorous autobiographical tale. Viginettes from military school, a meth fueled trip to Hawaii, the final confrontation with the mother, great stuff! The only thing that prevented me from giving a 5 star rating was the ambiguity at the end. Does he or doesn't he?
October 18, 2010
I was sent this book through one of the drawings and am so grateful to have been selected. I loved it! Nice, easy read and quite fun.
This was a bold and darkly humorous venture through self-discovery. At times i was laughing out loud and at others feeling a deep sense of empathy. Throughout it all, I enjoyed the travel... and the lies :)
This was a bold and darkly humorous venture through self-discovery. At times i was laughing out loud and at others feeling a deep sense of empathy. Throughout it all, I enjoyed the travel... and the lies :)
October 18, 2010
This was a very interesting and entertaining read. It covered a full spectrum of emotions and I found myself feeling each and every one of them as I read through the pages. My only real complaint is that the book was too short. I wanted to read more about "Bert".
October 15, 2010
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads and I loved it!
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September 9, 2012It's mostly autobiographical. All you could ever want to know about Melgreen ...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews