FOR STAND-UP COMICS AND RACONTEURS

About the Book

As you read this book for an hour or so, you will be writing or re-writing it with me. Of course, you could do that like I did, or better. I bring this up because many of the passages in it may be part of the experiences you had or will have in the beautiful life I wish you to enjoy in many years to come.

So, read only a few passages, put a copy of this book under your arm, go pay the store clerk , and read it with your family in the peace of your home.

This is not a novel, a soap opera, or an autobiography, but a compendium of items heard, seen, made-up by the author, read or experienced from, to wit:

a. Thirty years of service in the U. S. Armed Forces in all ranks, from private to field grade officer in anti-aircraft artillery, coast artillery, infantry and the Quartermaster Service. Also served stints as observer with the First Marine Division in the Atlantic, with the Second Marine Division in the Pacific, and was assigned for one year with the United Nations Command at Panmunjom, Korea.;

b. Twenty-two years employment in Farmers Home Administration, USDA; appraising dwellings and farms for loan-making purposes. Also served as Deputy Director for the administration of the Home ownership Program whereby the author also developed and published program operation instructions for the Federal Register.

c. Travels throughout America, Asia, the Pacific rim, and Europe;

NOTE; I want to add here, that contrary to what some journalists do, when they prefer to go to jail rather than disclose the sources of their news items, the author wanted to be candid to the reader by including all the available sources of information that contributed to the writing of this book.

In your reading you may find a few things you don’t normally find in other books, for example:

(a) Some words, phrases, or passages within the context, in capital letters, which were used to highlight punch lines, important conclusions, and also in passages for the items entitled, “The True Story About Adam and the Garden of Eden” and “The Deluge” ( both in Chapter XIII), whereby God speaks and we figured that when He speaks, everybody should listen to His commanding and reassuring voice.

(b) You will find here and there, one liners after serious and/or lengthy items, to change pace when you may be bored.

(c) A few controversial social and political items that we couldn’t overlook . You may skip those if you so desire;

(d.) We may add that some of the situations presented actually happened. Others are the product of the author’s imagination. But the main purpose of the book is to entertain you, to let others beware of the things that are happening in this day and age in this country, and personally, to let some steam off.

After saying all that, we shall now talk about the process for story-telling and some items concerning stand-up comics.

If the stand-up comic or raconteur had the power to choose his/her audience, then it would be an easy task to entertain. This is because in this set-up they could limit the topic to their liking, which in that case would be like a common denominator for the group. Take for example a government employee from the Department of Energy entertaining a group of fellow employees or an insurance agent at a convention, entertaining a group of company agents. In these cases, the terms used, locations, situations, subjects, and themes presented are readily recognized by the audience as the topics pertain to their common interests–Easy, isn’t it?

However, this type of audience is not always available. So, entertainment for assorted or alien groups gets more complicated as the speaker now has to reach, not only for situations very well known to him but that he must master as well in order to establish a good amount of rapport with the new

About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Frank Colon was born in Puerto Rico in December 13/1915 and studied in the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, University of Puerto Rico, graduating with a BSA (agronomist) degree in 1939. He worked for the Soil Conservation Service, USDA for a year and joined the U.S. Armed Forces in August 1940. As a 1st sergeant, he traveled to Camp Davis, N.C. and attended the Antiaircraft Artillery, Officers Candidate School (OCS) and obtained the rank of second lieutenant in April 1944. Then, served in Aruba, NWI; Japan; Korea. Retired from the service with the rank of major in July, 1965. After his army retirement, he worked as County Supervisor with Farmers Home Administration, USDA, Bridgeton, NJ, and retired as Deputy Director for the Homeownership Program, USDA, Washington, DC in July 1987.