Book Twentyseven: Tepper Isn't Going Out

Tepper Isn't Going Out, Calvin Trillin



Calvin Trillin is one of my heroes. I love his food writing, and I love this little novel. It's funny and sweet and the picture it paints of New York is exactly the kind I want to see. Tepper is a man who simply wants to park his car ("I was in a legal spot... I was always in a legal spot.") and sit in it while reading his paper while he has time on the meter. The story is about the controversy that stirs up around his parking and the people who think he's some kind of prophet or messiah. I especially love the character of the power-mad mayor (Ducavelli, née Giuliani), who passes ordinances of the kind that prohibit New Yorkers from stepping off the curb to hail a cab or require a certain decency of dress in Central Park, and who, for obvious reasons, can't stand Tepper and his parking. Very funny, very much recommended.