Dishwasher: One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States (P.S.)

Dishwasher is Public Radio favorite and underground celebrity Pete Jordan's amusing memoir of his dishwashing extravaganza. Part adventure, part parody, and part miraculous journey of self-discovery, it is the unforgettable account of Jordan's transformation from itinerant seeker into'Dishwasher Pete'—unlikely folk hero, writer, publisher of his own cult zine, and the ultimate professional dish dog—and how he gave it all up for love.“For 12 years, I was the most prolific dishlicker of them all. From 1989 to 2001, I dished my way around the country, unwittingly searching for direction. From a bagel joint in New Mexico to a Mexican joint in Brooklyn; from a dinner train in Rhode Island to the Lawrence Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri; from an upper-crust ladies'club to a crusty hippie commune—I washed the nation's dishes. Whether it was a gig so lousy that I walked out within an hour or one where I toiled 120 hours a week, I remained a man on a mission: to bust suds in every state in the union.”—Pete JordanA smart, funny, and surprising look at life, Dishwasher is sure to appeal to fans of Nick Hornby and Tom Perotta. Cover Image 1 Title Page 3 Dedication Page 4 Epigraph Page 5 Contents 7 Part One: Initiation 11 Chapter One: Wine O’Clock 13 Chapter Two: Maps 20 Chapter Three: A Date with the Dishes 28 Chapter Four: Fragile 38 Chapter Five: A Three-Day Soaker 50 Part Two: “Dishwasher Pete” 67 Chapter Six: The Dish Master 69 Chapter Seven: It’s Journalism 82 Chapter Eight: The Fundamental Rule 91 Chapter Nine: If You’ve Got Time to Lean . . . 97 Chapter Ten: A Dishwasher for All Your Needs 103 Chapter Eleven: Snowed In 116 Chapter Twelve: Biscuits, Hush Puppies and Deep-Fried Everything 123 Chapter Thirteen: Head Dishwasher? 132 Chapter Fourteen: Fumes 142 Chapter Fifteen: Plenty of Crumbs 149 Chapter Sixteen: Letterman Jumped Back 169 Chapter Seventeen: Dishwashers, Unions and New York 182 Chapter Eighteen: Unconquered Territory 194 Chapter Nineteen: Seafaring 209 Chapter Twenty: Pearl Divers Who Passed Before 236 Chapter Twenty-One: Sure You Can Wear Pants 249 Chapter Twenty-Two: Darryl’s Room 265 Chapter Twenty-Three: Kosherized 275 Chapter Twenty-Four: We Never Forget 288 Chapter Twenty-Five: Utopian Dishwashery 294 Chapter Twenty-Six: Dude Wants His Free Meal 308 Part Three: Quitting Time 321 Chapter Twenty-Seven: Just Wandering 323 Chapter Twenty-Eight: Cheap Houses, Cheap Dishman 331 Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Blue-Rimmed Plate 336 Chapter Thirty: Hell Train 344 Chapter Thirty-One: In a Lather 352 Chapter Thirty-Two: Kiss the Dishmachine Good-Bye 358 Epilogue 361 Author’s Note 365 Acknowledgments 367 About the Author 369 Credits 370 Copyright Notice 371 About the Publisher 372 Dishwasher is Public Radio favorite and underground celebrity Pete Jordans amusing memoir of his dishwashing extravaganza. Part adventure, part parody, and part miraculous journey of self-discovery, it is the unforgettable account of Jordan's transformation from itinerant seeker into "Dishwasher Pete"unlikely folk hero, writer, publisher of his own cult zine, and the ultimate professional dish dogand how he gave it all up for love. For 12 years, I was the most prolific dishlicker of them all. From 1989 to 2001, I dished my way around the country, unwittingly searching for direction. From a bagel joint in New Mexico to a Mexican joint in Brooklyn; from a dinner train in Rhode Island to the Lawrence Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri; from an upper-crust ladies club to a crusty hippie communeI washed the nations dishes. Whether it was a gig so lousy that I walked out within an hour or one where I toiled 120 hours a week, I remained a man on a to bust suds in every state in the union.Pete Jordan A smart, funny, and surprising look at life, Dishwasher is sure to appeal to fans of Nick Hornby and Tom Perotta.

Dishwasher is the true story of a man on a mission: to clean dirty dishes professionally in every state in America. Part adventure, part parody, and part miraculous journey of self-discovery, it is the unforgettable account of Pete Jordan's transformation from itinerant seeker into "Dishwasher Pete"—unlikely folk hero, writer, publisher of his own cult zine, and the ultimate professional dish dog—and how he gave it all up for love.

Presents a memoir of the author's cross-country, itinerant dishwashing odyssey describes his twelve-year quest to wash dishes in all fifty states