Dishwasher: One Man's Quest ...

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, August 2007; written by Lisa Pearson.

Many summers ago, when I was still going to college, I worked as a dishwasher at Charley’s Restaurant (there’s a curio store there now, of course). I spent weeks in a steamy kitchen, trundling scalding-hot plates from the dishwasher to the shelves, the monotony broken only by the opportunity to butter hamburger rolls. But those days are thankfully behind me, so it was with a sense of nostalgia that I cracked open “Dishwasher: one man’s quest to wash dishes in all fifty states” by Pete Jordan. I came to realize that even with my summer’s experience, I was a mere dilettante when it came to dishwashing – or “pearl diving”, as it’s known by true dishwashers. Jordan spent twelve years wandering from kitchen to kitchen, and even began his own underground zine about the culture of dishwashing before chronicling his experiences in “Dishwasher”.

This book is not a literary masterpiece, or an insightful travelogue of America. There are no spiritual epiphanies that will bring tears to your eyes, and there are not even any recipes. But it is the type of book you will pick up to glance through and find yourself, two hours later, still reading. It’s fun, moves along well, and is full of interesting dishwashing trivia and quotes by such literary lights as George Orwell and Charles Bukowski.

Jordan’s experiences are very interesting, and he writes about them with a lot of humor. But he never makes the mistake of belittling the job itself. In fact, there’s a certain attraction to a job you can do anywhere, where there’s always positions open, and where there’s no serious responsibilities. His analysis of his fellow dishwashers and their varying techniques is only partly tongue-in-cheek, and he has a real admiration for anyone who is truly Master of their position. While eating in a restaurant in New Hampshire, he witnessed the dishwasher storm out in a huff, leaving amidst the morning rush and a giant pile of dirty dishes. Jordan mentally applauds the panache with which she quits, calling the waitress a wench on her way out, and then just as quickly presents himself as a replacement dishwasher. When he decides he’s finished with a particular restaurant - bad management, bad pay, bad coworkers - he just folds up his apron and leaves. When’s the last time you had a job that you could enter and leave as fluidly as that?

As his self-imposed task of washing dishes professionally in all fifty states becomes more widely known, reporters begin talking to him and he finally gets a call to appear on the David Letterman show. I won’t spoil the story by telling you how that ends. He does eventually figure out that he can’t drift through life indefinitely, especially with the toll it takes on his love life, but don’t expect an earth-shattering change in his lifestyle or his finances. You can, however, expect an enjoyable read.