Michael Palin

Thu., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., free, Free Library, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-567-4341.

by Dominic Mercier

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Published: Sep 4, 2007

reading/signing

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One can only imagine how it must read: Dear Diary, had an idea today ... two men, both dressed in pith helmets and safari outfits, face each other. The smaller begins slapping the larger with two tiny fish until, eventually, the larger grows bored of the exchange, reveals his halibut, and shellacs the bothersome explorer. While it might not be the best-known Monty Python bit, its writer, Michael Palin, has called "The Fish-Slapping Dance" his favorite sketch and the essence of Python's comedy. Palin is known for many things — writer, travel show host, a lumberjack with a penchant for ladies' underthings — but many fans may not expect Palin to be an insightful and longtime diarist (or the Spanish Inquisition). His new book, Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years (Thomas Dunne, $29.95) compiles segments of Palin's diary as he began his career as a TV scriptwriter and chronicles the personalities that combined to make Python a hit on both BBC and in America, his growing family and the evolution of oft-quoted Holy Grail and Life of Brian flicks. But with his excellent writing and riotous, often touching stories, Palin should have no worries about unseating a certain dunderheaded British diary keeper as the writer of rubbish entries (we're looking at you, Karl Pilkington).

Thu., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., free, Free Library, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-567-4341.

 

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