My Heart Is an Idiot: Essays

I have been a fan of Davy Rothbart's Found Magazine and This American Life for a long time, and Rothbart himself has always come across as a really introspective, funny, and compassionate guy. This impression was continued in his collection of fiction, "The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas," but it is in this collection of personal essays and memoir by Rothbart that shows him to be a keen observer of the human condition. I picked up "My Heart Is an Idiot," when Rothbart was in Minneapolis (along with a few more issues of Found) and, after listening to him narrate one of his intimate, tender-hearted stories, I was looking forward to reading the collection. The autobiographical essays follow the restless Michigander around the United States show more as he struggles with the complexities of relationships, meets a diverse cast of characters from all over the American spectrum, makes friends, and gets into scrapes. Whether tracking down literary scam artists on the Internet, going on roadtrips with people he has just met, or interviewing people trapped on a bus to NYC after 9/11, he writes of his own personal joys and foibles and the strange, tragic, exciting tapestry of American life. In particular, his stories "Human Snowball" and "Shade," offers an insightful self-examination coupled with explorations of what it means to be alive. I could really identify with a lot of Rothbart's experiences and found myself feeling right along with him. Rothbart has a great storytelling voice and, after this, I will certainly stay tuned to his next project. show less

Reading Davy Rothbart's essays is like hearing from a good buddy who lives life with more adventure (and alcohol) and feels with more emotion and who always has a story to tell. His essays range from sweet ("Bigger and Deafer", about his mom) to ridiculous ("Naked in New York") to revelatory ("Tessa") to heavy ("The Strongest Man in the World").

Real-life writings from Ann Arbor-based Rothbart.. He goes on cross-country excursions, gets into others' cars, falls in love with 'bad' girls, and ingests adult substances... with hilarious and heartfelt results. His heart may be an idiot but his writing is wonderful.

One of the things I really liked about this collection of stories was the way the author was able to convey the feeling of restlessness and longing. The feeling you might have as you glide across the desert on a desolate ribbon of highway, the past behind you, the future unknown, clusters of blinking stars in the black sky above- so aware of the fleeting, maddening, sand- through- your- fingers, reckless nature of life and the sad, methodical passage of time. The feeling of getting older but greedily wanting to hold onto your youth, and with it the possibilities of endless possibilities. The feeling like if you stop, you lose. As is so often case.

In themselves these are interesting stories, each one unique and unexpected. An added show more bonus was that the author created 'Found' (books I own and love) which I did not realize at first, having picked the book out randomly. The quotes from Kid Rock (someone I used to like a lot till he went all 'yee-haw' on me) is also a nod to that sweet, intangible nostalgia- but don't worry- it's only a blurb. show less

I picked up Davy Rothbart's collection of essays at a "Found" performance with his brother, Peter, in Indianapolis. They put on a really entertaining show and Davy read from this collection. If the stories in his book are true, Davy has had a very adventurous life so far! Most of the stories occurred while Davy and Peter have toured (seemingly endlessly) around the United States promoting their books and music. Davy has a romantic heart and is constantly in the throes of infatuation with one girl or another and most of these stories involve his romantic adventures as he seeks to find his soulmate. His extraverted personality and willingness to put himself in the company of strangers again and again has lead him into some unusual show more circumstances, and subsequently, some great stories. I really enjoyed reading this autobiographical anthology and look forward to reading his other works in the near future! show less

I think everyone can relate to at least one of the stories included here. They're all funny and read as of you're right there when they happened.

I hated this book. I cannot believe it is so highly praised. It is so bad and juvenile that I can't bear to read another page. I am almost embarrassed to say I read around sixty pages of it before I threw in the towel. It just proves there is something for everyone out there in reader land. But this poor thing is just not for me.

Update 12-12-12: HA! I sold this bastardo. So glad to have it gone from my sight.