And here are partial lyrics to the song “Walk On” by the masterful John Hiatt:
Someone called out to you
And it sounded just like crying
On a street where nobody
Even knows your name
Your mind was getting high on the sweet air
As your spirit was flying
Steam rising from the sidewalks
Of New Orleans after an evening rain
Steam rising from the sidewalks
After an evening rain
If you haven’t heard the song, buy the album. If you’ve never been to Sylvain, book your rez. But on the same trip in 2018, we also had dinner at a nice little French place called Lilette. We went for a nightcap next door and sat outside, when up walked Jennifer Coolidge. She was joining friends who gave her such a fawning reception that it seemed to me a little over-the-top. I mean, c’mon. While I had enjoyed her turn in “Best in Show” (her “we both love soup” line kills me every time!), I couldn’t recall her other films (my wife also knew her from “American Pie” and “Legally Blonde”). And I distinctly remember thinking that it was a little sad to be an aging actor who hadn’t really crossed the threshold of stardom — although I now think it best to be a steadily working character actor who barely gets recognized in public. But then here comes “White Lotus” in 2021-22, for which she won a Golden Globe plus an Emmy, and suddenly she is everywhere. She’s in every third ad and must be drowning in scripts. No longer just an ensemble cast bridesmaid. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame can’t be long in coming. How wrong I was, and I couldn’t be happier about it. She seems cool as fuck. Girl, you got this…
Great Exudations 