Richard Grayson’s new book arrived in the mailbox yesterday. What fun. A selection of entries from his summer diaries from age 18-24. They are arranged chronologically by day but not by year. For instance May 26, 1975 is followed by May 27, 1970. So it is one summer in Brooklyn that spans 1969-1975. Interesting.

He is a experimental writer, you know. With a decidedly Woody Allen orientation.

Grayson was born in Brooklyn and grew up here. He bagan keeping a daily diary in August 1969 when he was about to enter Brooklyn College.

His first book of short stories, With Hitler in New York, was called really funny” by Liz Smith in the Daily News. A Rolling Stone reveiwer wrote: “Where avant-garde fiction goes when it becomes stand up comedy.

I can tell that this book, like much of Grayson’s writing, is going to be addictive reading. I find myself randomly going through it and reading entries from 1971, 1975, 1972. Here are some excerpts from this seemingly artless record of the day to day life of one literary Brooklynite. This one is from July 21, 1971:

A hot, clear day. I woke up early & watched AM News New York with guest host Robert Klein, whom Sheli idolizes. I kept trying to call him & ask him to stay away from her as a joke. I got a letter from Alice today. Altho she’s probably back by now, I enjoyed the note – she wrote that she was having a ball, climbing the alps, playing in the snows of the Matterhorn & seeing quaint out-of-the-way towns. I also got a letter from Avis who enjyed Copenhagen very much altho she’s lost 10 lbs & it’s the porno capital of the world..

.