i was probably 4 when i first saw the movie Dumbo, and that pretty much convinced me that circuses are just horrible. really awful, cruel places where animals are treated brutally and hideous, pie-faced, gap-toothed, criminally neglected children are free to torture them. oh, yeah, and where people have really bad grammar.

then some years later i saw Something Wicked This Way Comes, which is such an excellent movie, but caused me to add terrifying and demonic to the list of reasons to hate all things circus. (though i will admit to some stirrings in my prepubescent loins while watching the beautiful jonathan pryce.)

next came Freaks, which continued the scarring, followed by Geek Love which, while making it on to my all time favorite list of books, did not do much to improve my circus perspective.

i have never been to the circus, and have no desire to go. maybe, maybe if david sedaris invited me to go with him one day, then maybe.