Episode 3:

Naval Gazing: True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (but also my mom's which I know sounds weird)

by Michael Ian Black

A long time fan of Mr. Michael Ian Black, preferably on The State and Wet Hot American Summer, I caught wind of his podcast "How to Be Amazing" and have been hooked by his poignant interviewing skills as a host, but also of the breadth and depth of guests he has on including Max Brooks, Harlen Coben, Elizabeth Gilbert, Amy Shumer, Kevin Smith, etc. 

In developing a rapport with Mr. Black as a listener, I was all-in on reading his material.  Rarely do I buy books, but I am happy to see it's little hardback cover sitting upon my shelf.  

Naval Gazing is not just about Michael Ian Black’s obsession about his own body and physical signs of aging. It also ties in the story of his mother; Black growing up on edge in a lesbian household, the relatives he’d come to research on his mom’s side including a grandma that was a hard ass and a distant uncle in which Black and his family received an auspicious inheritance from; in addition, to interviewing his mom in an ethnographic approach about the dynamics of her past and years having uterine cancer.

In addition to what's mentioned in Episode 3, other memorable moments from Navel Gazing include Black's recounting of being in a punk band, his bouts with picking up and quitting running, and the banter between him and his wife, Martha.

Consensus: READ