Machine generated contents note: Lesson 1 Never Keep a Diary -- Lesson 2 Learn to Play the Tuba -- Lesson 3 Never Share Your Scientific Research -- Lesson 4 Make Friends with Jewish Kids -- Lesson 5 Accept That You're Ugly and Move On -- Lesson 6 Never Tell Anyone What Your Parents Do for a Living -- Lesson 7 Know About Art History -- Lesson 8 Crime Does Pay -- Lesson 9 Enjoy a Fondue Dinner -- Lesson 10 Respect Old Timers -- Lesson 11 It's the Thought That Counts -- Lesson 12 Never Watch a Paul Newman Movie -- Lesson 13 Beware of Clowns
Summary
"Acclaimed novelist Heather O'Neill structures her book around several key lessons she learned in childhood from her father. Wryly humorous and generous, she shares memories and stories that illustrate why it is good to steal things, why one should learn to play the tuba, and why one should never keep a journal, among other things. Her unusual mentors went well beyond her janitor father to include ex-bank robbers and homeless men. These eccentric teachers taught her about the circuitous alleyways of semantics and the depth of moral philosophy. O'Neill's intimate recollections make Wisdom in Nonsense the perfect companion to her widely praised debut novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals (HarperCollins)."-- Provided by publisher