I got this for Christmas. . . from my husband; it’s cheaper than therapy.

Truthfully, I really needed this DVD, it keeps me sane. OK you can stop laughing now, really, I mean it, seriously. . . stop laughing.

Here’s the thing: I find this documentary about Harlan Ellison massively, well, comforting.

Yes, I said comforting and if you don’t bloody stop laughing I’m going to have to bash you quite painfully hard. . . repeatedly.

So you’re wondering how on Earth I could find an hour and a half documentary about a rage-filled, hair-triggered, somewhat subversive man comforting, even therapeutic, read on.

It makes me remember a simple fact:

I Am Not Alone.

I know exactly how a burning cold boulder of anger and annoyance feels lodged inside your chest.

I know how frustrating it is to keep pounding away at something until I get it right only to find that no one else gets it. That some people will look at me like I’ve got three heads and one of them is drooling. That certain people will be edging in a surreptitious manner toward the exits. (Not that any of this will ever stop me from pursuing making art; I’m ultimately doing it all for me any way.)

I know exactly how maddening it is to be surrounded by stupid people, or worse; people who insist on treating me like I’m stupid.

And. . .

And it doesn’t half hurt that Harlan Ellison is one of the most brilliant and eloquent writers I’ve ever read. Whose work can make me laugh out loud or weep. Whose books I reread over and over. And I read a lot, really a lot; as many as three to five books a week so I have a broad platform for comparison.

Yes, I’m a highly intelligent, well-read, very creative individual with intensely diverse interests who insists on being true to the best of who I am.  The Devil take the consequences. This film is valuable and deeply important and I am grateful to have the opportunity to watch it whenever I need reminding that I Matter. My work Matters.

So go buy this film (or at least rent it). Go Buy everything Harlan wrote (or edited) that you can lay hands on. Why are you still here? Go find his stuff, I swear that you will not regret it. Well, maybe a few of you will but you’ll still be better for having experienced him.

Sidebar: For those of you who have never met me and think from the previous content of this blog that I’m a fairly sweet, light-hearted bundle of goodness and light: Sorry; as it happens that’s not entirely the case.

There is for good or bad a more than middling slice of darkness within me; which is kind of a good thing actually as it makes me far more interesting. And has resulted in my getting interesting nicknames like “Darth Velner”. Still in the end, I, like the planet Earth am classified “mostly harmless”, so no worries.