Let’s be real. While people are talking trash about the horribleness of 2021, I honestly think that, while, yes, it was plenty atrocious, it was also better in many ways than the five years that preceded it. And while most of 2022 is almost certain to be odious in many downright unacceptable ways, it is also true that there is a very real chance that it will be better in some respects than the six years that came before. And that’s the point of celebrating New Year’s, is it not? Not to hope for the perfect, for we’ll never get that. But better will do.
Every year at this time, I turn around and take a look at what I did over the previous twelve-month, always expecting the tally to be far smaller than it winds up being, and this year, as cramped and confined as it was, is no exception. Even housebound, I managed to accomplish a bunch, always, like Ringo, “With a Little Help From My Friends.” On top of the daily blogging here on Travalanche and other writing, there were these events:
January 2: Appeared on Geoff Peterson’s G Spot livestream to talk about Rose’s Royal Midgets
February 2: Appeared on the Play it Daily Ukelele livestream with Danno Sullivan for National Ukulele Day
February 25: Spoke to the Lambs Club via Zoom with Jim Moore about Rose’s Royal Midgets
March 17: Members only Zoom talk on the Irish in Vaudeville for St Patrick’s Day
March 25: Appeared on the Host with the Most podcast with Todd Newton
April 1: Member’s Only Zoom talk on April benchmarks in Silent and Slapstick Comedy — for April Fool’s Day
April 24: Zoom Talk on Queens and Show Business for Greater Astoria Historical Society
May 1 (May Day): Audio version of The Iron Heel premiered
May 13: Members only podcast on the history of The Medicine Show
June 9: Online Talk More Than Munchkins: History of Performing Little People for Coney Island USA
June 25: Members Only Zoom Talk on Drag in Vaudeville for Pride Week
July 21: Outdoor concert with Charming Disaster cancelled on account of rain
August: 25th anniversary of the American Vaudeville Theatre
September 26: Appeared Live at the 2021 Congress of Curious People, Coney Island USA
September 29: Silent Movie Day Talk on Zoom
October 1: Marxonia Fredonia Livestreamed
October: Three pieces in Chelsea Community News, on a haunted venue, magicians and Tin Pan Alley.
November 4: Addressed the Daughters of the American Revolution (NYC chapter) on colonial American entertainment via Zoom
November 5: Appeared on Will Friedwald’s Clip Joint live stream
November 11 and 13: My biggest event of the year and many years in the making, my monologue The Pilgrims Progress, presented live and livestreamed in the Gotham Storytelling Festival, in observation of the 400th anniversary of The First Thanksgiving . You’ve not heard the last of this one!
December 23: Appeared on the Jobsolete podcast
Coming up in 2022:
- I’m the guest on Wayne Federman’s History of Stand-Up podcast, date TBD
- Two new books are being released in which I’m featured, both announced for May publication: Don’t Miss This: A Decade of Eccentric Performing Arts by Jim R. Moore and Creative, Not Famous: The Small Potato Manifesto by Ayun Halliday
- and naturally much, much more, TBA. Until then, I wish you all…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(Travalanche) 
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