If you're a fan of Tig Notaro, you probably listened to Live, her show about her mother's death and her own cancer diagnosis. So, I'll lead with the good news: Tig is doing "great"! By her own admission! AND she's coming to Portland on Wednesday, November 12. You can read a longer interview with her on that day, but in the meantime, here are some gems from my conversation with Tig:

Mercury: First of all, how are you doing?
Great, and I am utterly happy and healthy (as far as I know). I truly do not have a complaint in the world. Frankly, it’s embarrassing.

What material are you working on now?
The topics vary—I touch on everything from bombing at a comedy club in Vegas, to stories about me and my friend searching for Santa Claus, to even more personal events. There's also just plain and simple ridiculousness and that will always be there.

Was it kind of a relief to start writing about something other than illness and loss?
It felt so great to finally get to a place where I even wanted to write and be on stage again. It took a beat before I could even identify with being a comedian.

You had a small role on Transparent as Melora Hardin’s ex. What was that like?
The creator, Jill Soloway, is someone who has been a friend of mine for a little while, so I had the luxury of knowing her in the casting process. My part is very small—like if you blink you’ll miss it—small. But it was still so fun to shoot. The series is a work of art. Jill blows my mind. I've heard rumors that my character will be back next season, so tune in, kids.

It's funny because you can't really "tune in" to Jeff Bezosvision a show on Amazon, but you should still watch Transparent, because it has the best TV family ever: Geoffrey Tambor, Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Duplass, and Judith Light. And Tig Notaro, obviously!