BookwormCleo

“You are Nicholas Ivanek-Williams. But I’m guessing you don't use the whole name when on stage, yeah?”
“That's right.”
“Because you wouldn’t sound like a comedian, yeah?”
“I suppose.”
“Because you'd sound like an eastern European lawyer?”
“What’s wrong with being eastern European?”
He looked around theatrically as if playing to some invisible audience.
“Nothing,” he said innocently, “I was just saying that’s what you’d sound like in the milliseconds between your name being called out by the compere and the audience making their mind up about you. Interesting that you didn’t ask what’s wrong with being a lawyer though, isn’t it? You just focused on the other part.”
“I don’t like lawyers.”
“Nobody likes lawyers, Nick. Even lawyers don’t like lawyers, that’s why they’re always trying to put each other off by wearing those silly wigs.”
― Angelo Marcos, Victim Mentality

“So what came first, do you reckon, the horrible thoughts forcing you to carry out rituals like a junkie, or the need to make people laugh? Or maybe they’re two sides of the same coin. The vivid imagination causing thoughts which make you want to cry is the same imagination that can find humour in situations other people would call ‘mundane’…”
“It’s occurred to me, yes.”
“Oh, it’s more than occurred to you, Nicky boy. You’re an intelligent man who has an affliction which affects your mind, so you’ve definitely thought about it. A lot, I bet. I’d like to tell you something Nicky, but I want to make sure I’ve got your full attention. Do I?”
“Yes,” I replied in spite of myself.
He leaned even closer, as if we were either co-conspirators in some scheme or lovers about to kiss.
“We’re all victims. All of us. Victims of our own minds...”
― Angelo Marcos, Victim Mentality

“Nick, the best thing with this – with everything – is to accept it. Don’t fight against it, don’t deny it. Sometimes, you've got to just take the hit. Let me tell you something everybody seems to forget. Sometimes the good guys win. Bad things happen to good people, yeah, but bad things also happen to bad people. And good things happen to good people too. Don't let life beat that truth out of you.”
― Angelo Marcos, Defence Mechanism

“You’re very eloquent, Nick,” Harold suddenly said to me, leaning across from the other side of the circle. “You certainly have a way with words. What is it that you do for a living?”

“I’m a stand-up comedian,” I said, wiping the tears from my face. “I make people laugh.”
― Angelo Marcos, Victim Mentality