for the fat lady

" 'I remember about the fifth time I ever went on 'Wise Child.' I subbed for Walt a few times when he was in a cast - remember when he was in that cast? Anyways, I started bitching one night before the broadcast, Seymour'd told me to shine my shoes just as I was going out the door with Waker. I was furious. The studio audience were all morons, the announcer was a moron, the sponsors were morons, and I just damn well wasn't going to shine my shoes for them, I told Seymour. I said they couldn't see them anyway, where we sat. He said to shine them anyway. He said to shine them for the Fat Lady. I didn't know what the hell he was talking about, but he had a very Seymour look on his face, and so I did it. He never did tell me who the Fat Lady was, but I shined my shoes for the Fat Lady every time I ever went on the air again - all the years you and I were on the program together, if you remember...

.. I don't care where an actor acts. It can be in summer stock, it can be over a radio, it can be over television, it can be in a goddamn Broadway theatre, complete with the most fashionable, the most well-fed, most sunburned-looking audience you can imagine. But I'll tell you a terrible secret - Are you listening to me? There isn't anyone out there who isn't Seymour's Fat Lady. That includes your Professor Tupper, buddy. And all his goddamn cousins by the dozens. There isn't anyone anywhere who isn't Seymour's Fat Lady. Don't you know that? Don't you know that goddamn secret yet? And don't you know - listen to me, now - don't you know who that Fat Lady really is?... Ah, buddy. Ah, buddy. It's Christ Himself. Christ Himself, buddy.'"


Franny and Zoey, Jd Salinger
(if there ever was a book that i needed to read at exactly the right moment)