Good Shit: Holy Cats! Gary's in the House! An Interview (Part One) and a Good Derf Deed.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 3:44PM Mrs. G. 
Gary and his lovely Missus
Gary: Before I answer these, I should remind Derfs that I was mancake of the day a year or 2 ago, although the shirtless pictures were not used ...then....but could be used now...... ;)
Mrs. G: Those shirtless photos will never be used on this blog. Create a Tumblr account for that monkey business. Mrs. G. only objectifies men she doesn't know. It's her one scruple.
And now to part one of Gary's interview...
What was your favorite game to play when you were a kid?
I remember being deep into Monopoly. When I was 5-6 I discovered cheating: if you sat near the bank, and your mom wasn't looking, you could steal money! I remember the first day of first grade too that same year, we had moved to a new town and new school. All the kids at this school were reading and I did not know how yet (I was reading within a week!). I remember being sat down at a table of other kids and being given a TEST. I had never been given such a thing before and could not read, so I was looking over at other kid's papers. I didn't know you couldn't do that either. The teacher yelled at me for cheating, as if I knew what THAT was, but I was shy and quiet and don't like to be yelled at. I never looked at another kid's paper again, and I was a very good boy once I learned these lessons....although in 9th grade I accidentally saw the answer on somebody else's test, copied it onto the only blank on my page....and got a 100.
Were you a good student?
Speaking of school! I remember school was very easy up though 8th grade, and I never seemed to have any homework. I could look at a study guide and remember it entirely for the test. All that changed in 9th grade, which everybody knows is when things are supposed to get serious. I was not terribly serious, and I was more interested in studying girls and beer in those days of 18 YO drinking age, but I was given the chance to begin taking college classes when I was 16 and would walk up to Colgate University on the hill above the high school to take Classic Greek every day. I loved college so much and wanted OUT so I applied to college early. I could have begun full-time at Colgate but wanted out of town, and went where I wanted to go and where there 2 girls to every boy at Bennington College in Vermont when I was 17, finishing high school a year early. I went to college to study art, and studied architecture with a side of ceramics. By my senior year I hated architecture with a passion...and loved pottery. We all know HOW THAT turned out. I was not a very good college student, having discovered the usual distractions, but I call myself a success because I: a) did not impregnate anybody b) did not get arrested c) did not fail any classes d) as a matter of fact, I did the job in 8 semesters, 4 years which was a relief and e) and did not develop any addictions either!
What are some of the jobs you’ve had along your path?
OK, so I graduate with my wicked useful degree in art, in the middle of the Reagan 80s???? Nobody gave a sh!t about me! I had a minor in early childhood education and taught at my nephew's preschool in New York for $3.50 an hour...exhausting! But fun. I did that for awhile, and heard that because the Chicago Public Schools were, according to the Reagan administration, the worst in the US that the University of Illinois was desperate to train new teachers. I got into the master's program there and completed a masters in special ed and began teaching blind children in Chicago. I later went back to grad school for a year and became a reading specialist, and me and the wife moved to the Boston area and taught and coached at a prep school. It was the whole Dead Poets Society thing--I taught remedial English, coached cross country, taught pottery, plus took care of hundreds of rich teenagers in the dorms. The wife taught art. It looks idyllic in movies and it was fun to try teaching at a prep school, and a lot better money than $3.50 an hour, but you really start to hate teaching when you live with the high schoolers too.....we left at the top of my game so I could be a full-time potter in '97...15 years ago!
What would it take for the Republicans to lure you over to their side?
No fuching way. I remember my parents being mad at me in 1980 for supporting Carter. And they have only gotten WORSE. Democrats could be doing a lot better. A friend was talking to me a couple years ago and asked me "are you a socialist?" and my reply was "of course I am, because I'm poor!"
When did you get into pottery? Why do you love it so much?
My first day at college when I was 17 I went to sign up for painting classes or something and saw my first wheel throwing and kilns...I was like a labrador puppy the first time it sees a tennis ball: I KNEW MY DESTINY. That was 29 years ago. Every kid, especially one like me who could have been a juvenile delinquent, should find something they like so much. Everything good in my life comes from clay. (see next installment: how I met the MISSUS) Why do I love it? Well, there is so much to explore and I like bright, colorful and fun, and these days make a lot of sculpture too---yesterday I made a large Godzilla piece to hang on a wall: Godzilla is pulling somebody out of a car, dismembering and eating them :) Wouldn't you want to make fun things like that too? (note: haha! visitors beware!)
In addition to sharing intimate, charming details of his life, Gary has offered to do a fundraiser to help fill up Mrs. G's gas tank for the I Am a Derfwad 2012 Summer Tour. Check out his sweet wares (every bunny needs someone to love her) here and here.
Reader Comments (23)
a little low on funds (and time) until this weekend when I vow to place an order and hit Mrs. G's paypal account!
Thanks for a peek into Gary's world!
I love Gary's world. His blog is funny too. Oh and the pictures of his animals! Very cute.
we are cousins in clay me and Gary! I so enjoy his wit and love to see what he is up to.
Lovely interview and teapot!
Loved reading about your different jobs, Gary! Where did you live in Chicago? (neighborhood)
I am the happy owner and user of many Gary-made items... in fact, I am typing with one hand because I am eating lunch from a plate and bowl made by Gary! :)
My blue-and-green bunny bowl sits out on the counter year-round. It's too cute to hide away in a cupboard! Right now it holds hot cocoa packets for the kids, which they drink from specially made mugs that Gary made for them, too.
Whoooohooo! This is great. I think we're all fans of Gary's humor, haikus, and fun comments. One of the things I noticed and appreciated right away when I started reading this blog (and then Gary's blob too) is the wonderful way he treats and comments about his lovely wife. Even more proof that he's a good egg, is that he's been extremely supportive of my little cooking website even when I have food on there that must totally gross out his bad vegan self. Nice one, Mrs. G!
I love Gary's sense of humor which also means I love his pottery. I've purchaced a few well-loved pieces and Karen just gave me the idea that my kids need their own mugs!
Woo-hoo, Gary! I don't always remember to read your blog, but I always get a good laugh out of your comments and haikus here! And I'm eye-balling those cute bunny mugs in your Etsy shop!
Holy cats, HERE I AM! Kcinnova here knew me online for quite while and suggested I would find Mrs G and Derfwad manor funny, and its true! So I need to thank her for bringing me in. I should also mention a) the Ithaca mrs G get together is HERE and I plan to make my killer triple chocolate cookies, so come along! b) too bad nice people like Juggling Life Jen and Meredith and Claudia and and and and....cannot hitch a ride and come along too and c) can you guess what the TAT on my right arm is?
OH! And Ashley, we lived near Wrigley Field half my 6 years in Chicago, then in Little Italy, next to the Univ of Illinois Chic---our apartment had the tallest building in the world right outside our windows :)
Good to know you Gary! Love the pottery on your etsy page.
Gary, You're a very talented man. I'd say potter or artist but think that overall "man" is appropriate (from what I've seen here and one your blog). A fun interview! meak
We may have a first buyer for Mrs G--the yellow bunny mugs reserved until Weds and maybe sold, thank you!
Aww, this is so nice! I look forward to the second installment so we can learn more about Gary's beauteous missus. (Please pass along my compliments about her lovely hair.)
Yay Gary! I didn't explain it very well but Gary has offered up a few of his charming pieces...he is donating 100% of the profits from these items to my gas/travel fund. Thanks again, g.
So nice to read more about you, gary and did not realize that you are a fellow special ed geek.
The Ithaca gathering is looking like lots of fun.
:-)
I loved reading about Gary! I think Gary is awesome - I love how much he adores his wife (the most admirable trait in a man, in my opinion), his pottery is beautiful, and he's funny and kind and... such a great guy!
I feel a little creepy that I know the answer to the tatto question and I've never met Gary in person. Ha!
Oh no. Please, Gary. Please tell me your time in Wrigleyville didn't turn you into a . . . I have to whisper this . . . a Cubs fan. Say it ain't so! GO SOX!!! ;) Really, I don't care. I just like to tease Cubs fans.
Little Italy is still going strong. The area there is pretty gentrified now but you can still see old men sitting outside restaurants during the day.
They call the Sears Tower the Willis Tower now. "They" do. The rest of us refuse. :)
Ashley, WTF is a WILLIS? I have a SOX jersey and Cubbies jersey too, and went to games at each :) I should update here: 3 out of 4 items for the fundraiser have sold, just that cute blue bunny teapot remains! Thanks all! (maybe I should find some more items to use for the fundraiser, now that I am finally getting rid of, I mean usefully selling, these Easter, I mean bunny pots.... more on that later)
~~sigh~~
i love gary....and his wife...and his work...and would love to go and do a homestay with them for a bit....i probably suck at clay but what fun it would be finding out. (plus, i think i would probably love his pizzas, too!)
Gary - sent you an email...I want/need the bunny teapot...looking forward to hearing from you...MrsG's mom