Hilarious on purpose
‘Riding the Elephant’ is fitting follow-up to Craig Ferguson’s previous memoir
Funny thing about Craig Ferguson — he’s pretty serious.
The Scottish-born actor, writer, stand-up comedian and former talk show host (“The Late, Late Show”) has mastered the skill of self-examination. Fortunately for us, the lad’s willing to share it, and his evocative writing makes it worthwhile.
Balancing both wisdom and wit, Ferguson’s new memoir, “Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations & Observations,” is organized in breezy, sometimes poetic, mostly chronological, chapters that feel like he’s talking directly to you.
Fans of his exceedingly silly talk show will be familiar with his self-deprecating humor and honest stories about being a recovering alcoholic. He’s a natural raconteur, of course, but his clever writing pulls together the hard realities of life along with the sweet bits. This is a man who equally admires the philosophies of Fred Rogers and ’70s punk.
The tales of his youth are hilarious for sure — particularly one about the convergence of a first date with a growing, glowing zit on the end of his nose — but many of his observations are unexpectedly deep and touching. He has seen the effects poverty, loneliness, fear and self-destructive behavior have on families and communities.
Some stories are about luck, love and good fortune. He describes a harrowing event from 20 years ago when he witnessed a high-speed car accident in Los Angeles. A work van slammed into the side of a compact car, which then went airborne and landed upside down, 50 feet in front of him. Ferguson jumped from his car to help pull the driver and two small children to safety. It’s a thing that clearly has never left him.
Ferguson admits he’s spent a lot of time in therapy. Heartfelt, yet never preachy, he offers some great epiphanies, including: “Success doesn’t remove the chip-eating monkey from your back; gratitude does.” Or this about anxiety: “Fear would have you believe that it starts with a capital letter,” he exclaims. “Like all bullies, it wants you to believe it’s tougher than it really is.”
“RIDING THE ELEPHANT: A MEMOIR OF ALTERCATIONS, HUMILIATIONS, HALLUCINATIONS & OBSERVATIONS” By Craig Ferguson Blue Rider Press ($27)
He claims his memories are “cinematic,” and one chapter, “Millport,” reads especially like a brilliant screenplay. “The fondest memories of my childhood are from there,” he says. He tells of going back as a grown-up to the family vacation spot (I picture a vintage Kennywood-style park, except by the sea), where one summer he worked a boat ride.
“I met every kid on the island and earned one pound and sixty-five pence for a ten-hour day . ... I loved that job . ... I will never be as rich or as famous as I was in the summer of 1976.”
Ten years ago, Ferguson wrote “American on Purpose.” It was, among other things, an enthusiastic telling of what led to his becoming a U.S. citizen in 2008. “Riding the Elephant” is like Part Two of that memoir, but there’s a more mature perspective and less adolescent humor. (OK, there is a funny story about using a high-tech toilet in Japan.) In the intervening decade, he’s experienced the death of loved ones, a happy (third) marriage and the all-consuming joy of raising his two sons.
He recalls going for a run along the rocky “picture-postcard-perfect” Isle of Cumbrae, off the west coast of Scotland. “The ineffable beauty of the world filled me with a dizzying sense of gratitude.” And although he’s had a lifelong love affair with America, he recently put his Hollywood mansion up for sale and moved back to Glasgow.
The book ends with the enigmatic “Margaret,” a lyrical tale about a performer who lost her father and both her brothers in the Great War. Who is Margaret? A composite character? (He quips that all Scottish woman were named Margaret until 1979.) Not sure, but she is captivating.
I look forward to more from Craig Ferguson.