Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Facial Responsibility

I recall reading that, during his career as a lawyer, Abraham Lincoln rejected an apparently well-qualified prospective employee. His colleagues protested and demanded to know his reason.

"I didn't like his face," Lincoln declared.

The other men scoffed and protested that his reason was absurd. Lincoln noted that the rejected applicant was forty years old. "After the age of forty," he said, "every man is responsible for his face."

I'm forty-two. I guess this is it. Well, Face, let's get on with the show.

Welcome, you and me, to my blog; it's my first time here too. Stick around; let's see what happens with my face if I do

this ...writes a series of ribald sonnets... or
this ...posts tirade against reality tv... or even
this ...transcribes the front page from Le Figaro, June 13, 1968

Anything yet? Einstein hair, Marty Feldman eyes, peace-sign nose ring?

By the way, the Lincoln anecdote is from The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes (Clifton Fadiman, ed.; published, of course, by Little, Brown). It's a brilliant book -- loads of fun. It's as close to Instant Erudite as there is.

Steve, can I have the book back? You've had it for two years now.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am the first one; I am the first one!

Nice intro, sir. I hope you have much fun with this, because when you do, we do.

It's bookmarked as of now.

Anonymous said...

Ditto!

But then of course Perks is really me. (or I am really her--it's confusing even to us)

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the blogosphere! I eagerly anticipate news of your book's return. And sonnets. I love sonnets.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Lincoln would be Googling applicants and reading their blogs if he was alive today...

Anyway, nice start. :)

Tab said...

Marty Feldman eyes....


Froderick!