Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 31, 1993                   TAG: 9303310179
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CROWD CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF DAVE

There's a huge difference.

Nearly everything the Pulitzer Prize winning humor columnist writes, says or does is purposely funny.

Nearly everything I say, do or write is also usually funny - but not on purpose.

Barry, a nationally syndicated columnist from the Miami Herald whose work appears every Sunday in this newspaper, delighted nearly 2,500 at Tech's Burruss Hall on Monday night. The show was sponsored by the Virginia Tech Union.

After the show ended, a college journalism student rushed up to me.

"How in the world can you write about this show?" she said. "It was so funny. I don't think I could ever do it justice in the newspaper."

Neither can I, but I'll try anyway.

For as long as I can remember reading the newspaper, Dave Barry has been sort of an unofficial mentor to me.

The opportunity to meet Dave and hear him speak was exciting, yet worrisome.

Could he possibly be as funny a speaker as he is a writer? Or even worse, would he be a jerk when I bolted backstage after the show for an interview?

I didn't go home disappointed, and judging from the audience's reaction, neither did anyone else.

Dave spoke for nearly an hour on subjects ranging from dogs and television to foreign policy and reform of the judicial system. After the show, Dave stuck around to chat with me and to sign autographs for anyone wanting one.

And I do mean anyone.

In fact, Dave spent more time signing autographs - about 75 minutes - than he did speaking.

He signed books, ticket stubs, newspaper columns, posters of himself, denim jackets and even one leg cast.

"I've waited so long to meet you," gushed one fan. "I laughed the whole hour. It was very therapeutic."

Fans who can't get enough of Barry's uncanny wit will be pleased that CBS is planning a television series based on the writer's books.

Former "Night Court" star Harry Anderson will play Barry.

Though he's flattered, Barry said he's not really involved with the series.

"It seems like my neighbors are more excited about it than I am," he said. "I'm more interested in what my next book will be about."