Cookie Monster’s crumbs of wisdom
Like another classic figure in history whose name begins with C: He came, he saw, he conquered. Cookie Monster, at The Washington Post.
Then again, there were no signs of resistance.
The beloved blue Sesame Street character has a new book, you see, called "The Joy of Cookies: Cookie Monster's Guide to Life" (Sesame Street Imprint, $16). It is postcard-size, thick as a flatiron steak and chock full of aphorisms put through the spin cycle of monster-speak. Me Eat Cookie, Therefore, Me Am. Before any serious publicity tour got underway, he paid us a visit.
By non-monster standards he is 49, having evolved, initially unnamed, from an early cast of characters created by the late Muppets founder Jim Henson. To most of us, though, he is ageless, with a sensibility rooted in gentle humor and innocence. His message of joy through cookies has been amended in recent years to a state of gustatory correctness. Of course, he recommends a balanced diet. Sure, he eats veg-e-ta-bles. This makes us a little sad, but only until we review the selfies we took with him that day at the office.
In the book itself, he is thoughtful in a way that will circle back to cookies — or any food that can be gobbled with furry hands, just as he is in his "life coach" sessions on YouTube. "Joy" has a first printing of 100,000, which is a monster number by any standards and especially for a first-time author who rarely uses articles such as "the."
You'll find three recipes tucked in among the monster's Cookie Truths and Cookie Crumbs of Wisdom. Composed with varying degrees of finesse — as in, the yield is missing from two out of the three, and is that coconut oil solid or liquefied? — the guidance is just about as breezy as you'd expect. The most promising and inclusive of the lot were his Every-Monster Cookies, which are vegan, nut-free and gluten-free. We are pretty sure you might not get the recipe to work exactly as written in the book, given the batches of cookie puddles and ersatz florentines we produced in testing. But we are also thinking Cookie Monster was not intimately involved in the making — only the eating. The interview:
Q: "Cookie Monster's Guide to Life" — why now?
A: Well, reporter-type person, over the years Me has had many profound thoughts about cookies. Big, important, delicious thoughts. Me could not just keep them to meself forever!
Q: When did you first notice cookies = happiness?
A: Back when Me was cute little baby monster. One bite, and Me knew.
Q: You dedicated the book to Grandma Monster. Tell us about her.
A: Grandma Monster made me the monster Me is today. She taught Me every-
thing Me know. She gave Me me very first cookie! Me use her patented cookie-eating technique to this very day.
Q: Judging from your crumby writing, you are widely read and well versed in popular culture - referencing Shakespeare, Erich Segal, John F. Kennedy, "The Godfather." When do you find the time?
A: Sometimes Me is very busy monster. Me spend time with me friends, read latest books, get some exercise in, catch up on Me prestige television. But Me always make time to follow me passion: Cookies!
Q: Yes, you have been a tireless promoter of cookies ... A: Thank you for noticing. Q: ... but, in fact, you eat everything. Correct?
A: Me enjoy a well-balanced diet. Cookies, meat, fish, fruit, veg-e-ta-bles, cookies ... canoe, truck, bicycle ... corners of very tasty book ... did Me say cookies?
Q: Which is better: Making cookies, smelling cookies, baking cookies or eating cookies?
A: Me can't pick just one! All work together in perfect cookie harmony.
Q: Tell us the story behind Every-Monster Cookies.
A: The only thing better than eating cookies is sharing cookies. Me want to share cookies with all Me friends — even vegan and gluten-free monsters — so Me found perfect recipe that everyone can share.
The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford announced on Tuesday its summer season of plays, musicals and other works in development.
The National Playwrights Conference, which will run July 5-28, will feature "Lightning" by Beth Henley, who also wrote the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning drama "Crimes of the Heart"; "#nowall" by Benjamin Benne, "Lockdown" by Cori Thomas, "Ruth" by Enid Graham, "Endlings" by Celine Song, "The Forest" by Lia Romeo; "Slave Play" by Jeremy O. Harris, and "Marvel-ous Monica; In Which Monica Lewinsky Is a Superhero Hell-Bent on Revenge" by Sarah Tuft.
The writers-in-residence at that conference will be Sarah DeLappe, who wrote "The Wolves," which was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and J.T. Rogers, who wrote "Oslo," which won the 2017 Tony for best play.
The National Music Theater Conference, which will run from June 23 to July 13, will showcase "The Family Resemblance" with book, lyric and music by Masi Asare; "Teeth" with book and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson and book and music by Anna K. Jacobs; and "Eddie the Marvelous, Who Will Save the World" with book, music and lyrics by Kate Kilbane and Dan Moses.
The Cabaret & Performance Conference, Aug. 1-11, will include performances by Tonya Pinkins and Brad Simmons; "Georgie," Ed Dixon; Rebecca Parris; "Float Like A Butterfly: the Songs of Sting," Barb Jungr and John McDaniel; "Sin Twisters, Too!," Anita Gillette and Penny Fuller; and "Gone, But Not Forgotten," Sharon McNight.
The National Puppetry Conference, whose public performances are June 15 and 16, will boast guest artists Yael Rasooly and Iliya Magalnyk, Ronnie Burkett, and Michael Paul Ziegfeld.
The National Theater Institute - Theatermakers, which trains students in a credit-earning curriculum of acting, directing and playwriting, will offer free performances on Mondays June 18 through July 23.
The National Critics Institute, which is a boot camp for arts writers, will run July 1-15.