Fran Lebowitz

Back — way back – with a brand new MBA in Marketing and Advertising, I longed to work in New York City. Madison Avenue was the mecca for advertising agencies (no, not like Mad Men, in the 1960’s I’m not that old). But after taking a look at the salaries (pitiful) and the NYC rents (astronomical), Husband and I decided I should look at other advertising positions in more reasonable locations. Ended up here in San Francisco, which back then was still affordable. Now I’m happiest just visiting, but have never lost my love of New York City. Sssh – I used to watch Sex and The City just to see the New York scenes and locations.

Recently, a friend told me about a new Netflix documentary staring Fran Lebowitz and Martin Scorsese.

Before I go on, in case you don’t know, Fran Lebowitz is a NYC icon. She moved from New Jersey to New York in her 20’s with jobs taxi driving, belt peddling, and apartment cleaning (“with a small specialty in Venetian blinds”). At twenty-one, she began a column called “I Cover the Waterfront,” for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. Then she published two books of essays — Metropolitan Life and Social Studies – both wonderful. She never really wrote anything else and has since made her living on the social commentary speaking circuit.

I adore Fran (who has been compared to Dorthy Parker – another favorite of mine) she is snarky, complaining, smart and very funny. I always remember right after 9/11 Fran was interviewed and said she was on the phone with a friend after the first tower was hit and when the second tower was similarly struck, Fran said to her friend; “it’s a terrorist attract” and her friend replied, “oh Fran you are always so negative”.

But as usual, I digress – back to the show. First watch the trailer HERE and then come back. I wait right here…

Trust me, this is well worth your time. I watched all seven episodes over the last week or so and loved each and every moment. Martin and Fran are friends and their chemistry is delightful. He asks great questions and then stands back and lets her go. She does complain about her fellow New Yorkers, about the lack of good bookstores, New York real estate ~~ but she also loves music and good art. On music she says ” It’s like a drug that doesn’t kill you”.

But this documentary series stole my heart with her musings on reading (she’s a devoted reader), buying books (her library boasts 10,000 books) and the love of all things bookish. One of her famous quotes I had as a postcard on my bulletin board for years. “Think before you speak. Read before you think.” The last episode is all about libraries and her love of books. I may re-watch that one…or perhaps the whole series again.

Her books are hard to find and a quick look on-line shows ridiculous prices. I stupidly got rid of my original hard backs …

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…in favor of a paperback collection which includes both books and one of her other writings.

I highly recommend watching Pretend it’s a City and then on your next venture into a used bookstore (whenever that may be) try and locate her books. Or of course, you can always find them at your local library. You’re in for some chuckle out loud reading.

I’ll leave you with some of my favorite Fran Lebowitz quotes:

“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.”

“To lose yourself in a book is the desire of the bookworm. I mean to be taken. That is my desire.”

“Now, nature, as I am only too aware, has her enthusiasts, but on the whole, I am not to be counted among them. To put it bluntly, I am not the type who wants to go back to the land; I am the type who wants to go back to the hotel.”

“As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you.”

And a personal favorite:

“In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra. ”