The Game Ain’t Over ‘til the Fatso Man Sings

The Game Ain’t Over ‘til the Fatso Man Sings

Howie Chackowicz

Howie Chackowicz (b. 1969) is a Canadian musician, comic artist, and radio personality. His most recent publication is a collection of cartoons, Howie Action Comics (2008). The following clip is from WBEZ Chicago’s This American Life, the long-running National Public Radio program hosted by Ira Glass, which presents a weekly collection of personal and reported stories centered on a particular theme. The theme for the program from which this clip is taken was “Kid Logic,” or stories about childhood arguments and decision making (This American Life, episode 188). As in Bernard Cooper’s “A Clack of Tiny Sparks: Remembrances of a Gay Boyhood” (p. 98), here Chackowicz considers his early expressions of childhood romance and courtship.

“The Game Ain’t Over ’til the Fatso Man Sings,” by Howard Chackowicz from WBEZ Chicago’s This American Life, episode #188: Kid Logic.

The Reader’s Presence

After listening to The Game Ain’t Over ‘til the Fatso Man Sings, consider the questions below. Then “submit” your responses.

Question 2.1

1. How would you characterize the tone of this piece? Is it funny? dramatic? As a listener, how are you supposed to respond? What in the piece leads you to this conclusion?

Question 2.2

2. What does Chackowicz’s romantic awakening have in common with Bernard Cooper’s?

Question 2.3

3. What elements does this audio personal essay have in common with a written one? (For reference, reread the introduction to Personal Writing on page 000.) What elements are present here that aren’t possible in print?