Swimming to Cambodia   a review by Jason Gordon     I

This has been my small experience with Mr. Gray. Amazing  . . . I had never heard of Spalding Gray before last week. I’m just a  Midwestern boy from Missouri who is more into action movies than monologues. Well, a few nights ago I couldn't sleep well and was up at midnight looking for something to watch.. Swimming to Cambodia was on cable so I switched it on just to see what it was. Well, I have been captivated, perhaps haunted, by the performance since then. His voice, his enthusiasm, his candor all  mesmerized me. I have never been as intensely interested in listening to any subject as I had with him. It was a very strange experience for me to be honest, and I don’t think there is an accurate word for it. Captivating, enthralling, haunting, all don’t seem strong or accurate enough to describe the experience. After the show ended I searched the net and found that he had died. To be honest I was quite surprised as the man in the monologue seemed so alive. I had never wanted to meet any 'star' and could care less about what goes on with them. I would have been very interested in sharing a meal and some conversation with him. Even though I just discovered his work it affected  me, and I felt a great loss when I found out about his death. Its like the sun came up on a great new world and then just as suddenly it was in  darkness.  Thanks, Mr. Gray, and I’m sorry I didn’t discover your work sooner.     --- Jason Gordon