Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501117440
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg by : Todd Barry

Download or read book Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg written by Todd Barry and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “With this charming, sardonic debut, stand up comedian and actor Todd Barry makes readers laugh as hard as the audiences at his shows” (Publishers Weekly) in this hilarious book of travel essays from his time on tour in the US, Canada, and Israel. Hello. It’s Todd Barry. Yes, the massively famous comedian. I have billions of fans all over the world, so I do my fair share of touring. While I love doing shows in the big cities (New York, Philadelphia), I also enjoy a good secondary market (Ithaca, Bethlehem). Performing in these smaller places can be great because not all entertainers stop there on tour; they don’t expect to see you. They’re appreciative. They say things like “Thank you for coming to Hattiesburg” as much as they say “Nice show.” And almost every town has their version of a hipster coffee shop, so I can get in my comfort zone. My original plan was to book one secondary market show in all fifty states, in about a year, but that idea was funnier than anything in my act. So, instead of all fifty states in a year, my agent booked multiple shows in a lot of states, plus Israel and Canada. Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg is part tour diary, part travel guide, and part memoir (Yes, memoir. Just like the thing presidents and former child stars get to write). Follow me on my journey of small clubs, and the occasional big amphitheater. Watch me make a promoter clean the dressing room toilet in Connecticut, see me stare at beached turtles in Maui, and see how I react when Lars from Metallica shows up to see me at a rec center in Northern California. I’d love to tell you more, but I need to go book a flight to Evansville, Indiana.

The Comedians

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Author :
Publisher : Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN 13 : 0802190863
Total Pages : 460 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (21 download)

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Book Synopsis The Comedians by : Kliph Nesteroff

Download or read book The Comedians written by Kliph Nesteroff and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2015-11-03 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Funny [and] fascinating . . . If you’re a comedy nerd you’ll love this book.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, National Post, and Splitsider Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, this groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past one hundred years. Starting with the vaudeville circuit at the turn of the last century, the book introduces the first stand-up comedian—an emcee who abandoned physical shtick for straight jokes. After the repeal of Prohibition, Mafia-run supper clubs replaced speakeasies, and mobsters replaced vaudeville impresarios as the comedian’s primary employer. In the 1950s, the late-night talk show brought stand-up to a wide public, while Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Jonathan Winters attacked conformity and staged a comedy rebellion in coffeehouses. From comedy’s part in the civil rights movement and the social upheaval of the late 1960s, to the first comedy clubs of the 1970s and the cocaine-fueled comedy boom of the 1980s, The Comedians culminates with a new era of media-driven celebrity in the twenty-first century. “Entertaining and carefully documented . . . jaw-dropping anecdotes . . . This book is a real treat.” —Merrill Markoe, TheWall Street Journal

Like Brothers

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Author :
Publisher : Ballantine Books
ISBN 13 : 1101967722
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis Like Brothers by : Mark Duplass

Download or read book Like Brothers written by Mark Duplass and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2018-05-08 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The multitalented writers, directors, producers, and actors (as seen on The League, Transparent, and The Mindy Project) share the secrets of their lifelong partnership in this unique memoir. “A book that anyone will love . . . You can enjoy it even if you have no idea who the Duplass brothers are.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times Whether producing, writing, directing, or acting, the Duplass Brothers have made their mark in the world of independent film and television on the strength of their quirky and empathetic approach to storytelling. Now, for the first time, Mark and Jay take readers on a tour of their lifelong partnership in this unique memoir told in essays that share the secrets of their success, the joys and frustrations of intimate collaboration, and the lessons they’ve learned the hard way. From a childhood spent wielding an oversized home video camera in the suburbs of New Orleans to their shared years at the University of Texas in early-nineties Austin, and from the breakthrough short they made on a three-dollar budget to the night their feature film Baghead became the center of a Sundance bidding war, Mark and Jay tell the story of a bond that’s resilient, affectionate, mutually empowering, and only mildly dysfunctional. They are brutally honest about how their closeness sabotaged their youthful romantic relationships, about the jealousy each felt when the other stole the spotlight as an actor (Mark in The League, Jay in Transparent), and about the challenges they faced on the set of their HBO series Togetherness—namely, too much togetherness. But Like Brothers is also a surprisingly practical road map to a rewarding creative partnership. Rather than split all their responsibilities fifty-fifty, the brothers learned to capitalize on each other’s strengths. They’re not afraid to call each other out, because they’re also not afraid to compromise. Most relationships aren’t—and frankly shouldn’t be—as intense as Mark and Jay’s, but their brand of trust, validation, and healthy disagreement has taken them far. Part coming-of-age memoir, part underdog story, and part insider account of succeeding in Hollywood on their own terms, Like Brothers is as openhearted and lovably offbeat as Mark and Jay themselves. “Wright. Ringling. Jonas. I’m sure you could name a bunch of famous brother teams. They’re all garbage compared to Mark and Jay. I can’t wait for you to read this book.”—from the foreword by Mindy Kaling

Stand-Up Comedy

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Author :
Publisher : Dell
ISBN 13 : 0307575209
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (75 download)

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Book Synopsis Stand-Up Comedy by : Judy Carter

Download or read book Stand-Up Comedy written by Judy Carter and published by Dell. This book was released on 2010-03-03 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you think you’re funny, buy this book! Whether you dream of becoming a star . . . A better public speaker . . . A more effective communicator . . . A funnier, happier human being . . . You can learn to leave ‘em laughing! David Letterman learned to do it. Jay Leno learned to do it. Roseanne Barr learned to do it. So can you! Now successful stand-up comic Judy Carter—who went from teaching high school to performing in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe, and on over 45 major TV shows—gives you the same hands-on, step-by-step instruction she’s taught to students in her comedy workshops. She shows you how to do it: create an act, perform it, make money with it, or apply it to everyday life. Discover: • The formulas for creating comedy material • How to find your own style • The three steps to putting your act together • Rehearsal do’s and don’ts • What to do if you bomb • Ways to punch up your everyday life with humor

The Coloring Book

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Author :
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1455507601
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (555 download)

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Book Synopsis The Coloring Book by : Colin Quinn

Download or read book The Coloring Book written by Colin Quinn and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2015-06-09 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From former SNL "Weekend Update" host and legendary stand-up Colin Quinn comes a controversial and laugh-out-loud investigation into cultural and ethnic stereotypes. Colin Quinn has noticed a trend during his decades on the road-that Americans' increasing political correctness and sensitivity have forced us to tiptoe around the subjects of race and ethnicity altogether. Colin wants to know: What are we all so afraid of? Every ethnic group has differences, everyone brings something different to the table, and this diversity should be celebrated, not denied. So why has acknowledging these cultural differences become so taboo? In The Coloring Book, Colin, a native New Yorker, tackles this issue head-on while taking us on a trip through the insane melting pot of 1970s Brooklyn, the many, many dive bars of 1980s Manhattan, the comedy scene of the 1990s, and post-9/11 America. He mixes his incredibly candid and hilarious personal experiences with no-holds-barred observations to definitively decide, at least in his own mind, which stereotypes are funny, which stereotypes are based on truths, which have become totally distorted over time, and which are actually offensive to each group, and why. As it pokes holes in the tapestry of fear that has overtaken discussions about race, The Coloring Book serves as an antidote to our paralysis when it comes to laughing at ourselves . . . and others.

Adam Sandler

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Author :
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN 13 : 1250091306
Total Pages : 174 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (5 download)

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Book Synopsis Adam Sandler by : Bill Crawford

Download or read book Adam Sandler written by Bill Crawford and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2015-07-21 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the comedy clubs of New York to his big break on "Saturday Night Live" to block-buster films like "Big Daddy" and "Little Nicky" Adam Sandler has left America howling in their seats and peeing in their pants. Sandler has emerged as the decade's most unstoppable comedic-and the ladies love him! But how many people know the story behind this lovable comedic prodigy's ascent to fame? Bill Crawford takes you back to Sandler's childhood in a small New Hampshire Town, where his stand-up routines were always hits with his classmates but not necessarily the teachers! When Adam left his small town to take on the big city at New York University, it wasn't always easy, Sandler performed as a street musician crooning Springsteen songs to commuters, but he was destined to succeed. From his long friendship with then college classmate Tim Herlihy, who went on to co-write all Sandler's movies, to being discovered by Dennis Miller and eventually becoming America's funnyman, Bill Crawford looks behind the headlines and tabloid tales to shed new light on this decade's comedic darling.

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101985887
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell by : W. Kamau Bell

Download or read book The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell written by W. Kamau Bell and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You may know W. Kamau Bell from his new, Emmy-nominated hit show on CNN, United Shades of America. Or maybe you’ve read about him in the New York Times, which called him “the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years.” Or maybe from The New Yorker, fawning over his brand of humor writing: "Bell’s gimmick is intersectional progressivism: he treats racial, gay, and women’s issues as inseparable." After all this love and praise, it’s time for the next step: a book. The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell is a humorous, well-informed take on the world today, tackling a wide range of issues, such as race relations; fatherhood; the state of law enforcement today; comedians and superheroes; right-wing politics; left-wing politics; failure; his interracial marriage; white men; his up-bringing by very strong-willed, race-conscious, yet ideologically opposite parents; his early days struggling to find his comedic voice, then his later days struggling to find his comedic voice; why he never seemed to fit in with the Black comedy scene . . . or the white comedy scene; how he was a Black nerd way before that became a thing; how it took his wife and an East Bay lesbian to teach him that racism and sexism often walk hand in hand; and much, much more.

A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar

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Author :
Publisher : University of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520299779
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (22 download)

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Book Synopsis A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar by : Caty Borum Chattoo

Download or read book A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar written by Caty Borum Chattoo and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comedy is a powerful contemporary source of influence and information. In the still-evolving digital era, the opportunity to consume and share comedy has never been as available. And yet, despite its vast cultural imprint, comedy is a little-understood vehicle for serious public engagement in urgent social justice issues – even though humor offers frames of hope and optimism that can encourage participation in social problems. Moreover, in the midst of a merger of entertainment and news in the contemporary information ecology, and a decline in perceptions of trust in government and traditional media institutions, comedy may be a unique force for change in pressing social justice challenges. Comedians who say something serious about the world while they make us laugh are capable of mobilizing the masses, focusing a critical lens on injustices, and injecting hope and optimism into seemingly hopeless problems. By combining communication and social justice frameworks with contemporary comedy examples, authors Caty Borum Chattoo and Lauren Feldman show us how comedy can help to serve as a vehicle of change. Through rich case studies, audience research, and interviews with comedians and social justice leaders and strategists, A Comedian and an Activist Walk Into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice explains how comedy – both in the entertainment marketplace and as cultural strategy – can engage audiences with issues such as global poverty, climate change, immigration, and sexual assault, and how activists work with comedy to reach and empower publics in the networked, participatory digital media age.

Maeve in America

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0143130161
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (431 download)

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Book Synopsis Maeve in America by : Maeve Higgins

Download or read book Maeve in America written by Maeve Higgins and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-08-07 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “If Tina Fey and David Sedaris had a daughter, she would be Maeve Higgins.” —Glamour A startlingly hilarious essay collection about one woman’s messy path to finding her footing in New York City, from breakout comedy star and podcaster Maeve Higgins Maeve Higgins was a bestselling author and comedian in her native Ireland when, at the grand old age of thirty-one, she left the only home she’d ever known in search of something more and found herself in New York City. Together, the essays in Maeve in America create a smart, funny, and revealing portrait of a woman who aims for the stars but sometimes hits the ceiling and the inimitable city that helped make her who she is. Here are stories of not being able to afford a dress for the ball, of learning to live with yourself while you’re still figuring out how to love yourself, of the true significance of realizing what sort of shelter dog you would be. Self-aware and laugh-out-loud funny, this collection is also a fearless exploration of the awkward questions in life, such as: Is clapping too loudly at a gig a good enough reason to break up with somebody? Is it ever really possible to leave home? “Maeve Higgins is hilarious, poignant, conversational, and my favorite Irish import since U2. You’re in for a treat.” —Phoebe Robinson

A Comedian's Prayer Book

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Author :
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN 13 : 1529368979
Total Pages : 54 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (293 download)

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Book Synopsis A Comedian's Prayer Book by : Frank Skinner

Download or read book A Comedian's Prayer Book written by Frank Skinner and published by Hodder & Stoughton. This book was released on 2021-04-01 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Comedian's Prayer Book. The title is a worry, isn't it?... God is a tough audience as far as audible response is concerned, but at least you don't have to explain the references. In this collection of prayers, much-loved comedian, broadcaster and radio host Frank Skinner has tried to retain the bare candour of the rehearsal-room improvisation - to show what faith feels like, from the inside - but infused it with all the production values required to make it a passable public entertainment. In it are his convictions, his questions, his fears, his doubts, his elations - all presented in an eavesdropper-friendly form. Hell, Judgement, atheism, money, faith and the X-Men all feature: it's a bit like reading the Bible, except you only get one side of the conversation, and all the jokes are left in.

My Life as a Fifth-Grade Comedian

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Author :
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0064407233
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (644 download)

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Book Synopsis My Life as a Fifth-Grade Comedian by : Elizabeth Levy

Download or read book My Life as a Fifth-Grade Comedian written by Elizabeth Levy and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 1998-07-11 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bobby is the class clown. He can always be counted on to crack up his friends and sometimes even the teachers. But he can't always be counted on to stay out of trouble'and that's no joke when you're in danger of being shipped off to a special school for kids with ‘behavioral problems.' Bobby's got one last chance to prove to his teachers, his principal, and his parents'especially his super-sarcastic dad'that he can be taken seriously. His assignment: to put on a school-wide laugh-off. It's teachers vs. students'and may the best comic win. It's also a chance for Bobby to show his dad that mean jokes aren't just kidding around. Packed with kid-tested jokes and riddles, this funny novel is also a thoughtful exploration of the power of laughter to hurt'and to heal. 2000-2001 Georgia's Picture Storybook Award & Georgia's Children's Book Award Masterlist

Mastering Stand-Up

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Author :
Publisher : Chicago Review Press
ISBN 13 : 1613736959
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (137 download)

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Book Synopsis Mastering Stand-Up by : Stephen Rosenfield

Download or read book Mastering Stand-Up written by Stephen Rosenfield and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2017-11-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stephen Rosenfield, founder and director of the American Comedy Institute, the premier comedy school in the United States, has taught literally dozens of major standup comics in North America, and has also pioneered comedy as an academic discipline in many universities, a trend that is rapidly spreading. Mastering Stand-Up draws on Rosenfield's own extensive experience (and those of countless stars like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Rodney Dangerfield, Louis C.K., Steve Martin, Roseanne, and Johnny Carson) to show the reader—and would-be comic—what works, what doesn't, and why. Forty sharply written chapters cover every conceivable angle of the joke and how to tell it. There are a number of books on comedy and how to do it, but none has the breadth and authority Rosenfield brings to his theme. It's not for nothing that the New York Times has described him as "probably the best-known comedy teacher in the country." Rosenfield's book is sure to become the classic text on its subject. And it should help thousands who long to make others laugh to realize their fondest hopes.

Born Standing Up

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1847395848
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (473 download)

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Book Synopsis Born Standing Up by : Steve Martin

Download or read book Born Standing Up written by Steve Martin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Steve Martin has been an international star for over thirty years. Here, for the first time, he looks back to the beginning of his career and charmingly evokes the young man he once was. Born in Texas but raised in California, Steve was seduced early by the comedy shows that played on the radio when the family travelled back and forth to visit relatives. When Disneyland opened just a couple of miles away from home, an enchanted Steve was given his first chance to learn magic and entertain an audience. He describes how he noted the reaction to each joke in a ledger - 'big laugh' or 'quiet' - and assiduously studied the acts of colleagues, stealing jokes when needed. With superb detail, Steve recreates the world of small, dark clubs and the fear and exhilaration of standing in the spotlight. While a philosophy student at UCLA, he worked hard at local clubs honing his comedy and slowly attracting a following until he was picked up to write for TV. From here on, Steve Martin became an acclaimed comedian, packing out venues nationwide. One night, however, he noticed empty seats and realised he had 'reached the top of the rollercoaster'. BORN STANDING UP is a funny and riveting chronicle of how Steve Martin became the comedy genius we now know and is also a fascinating portrait of an era.

Harold Lloyd

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Author :
Publisher : ABRAMS
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Harold Lloyd by : Jeffrey Vance

Download or read book Harold Lloyd written by Jeffrey Vance and published by ABRAMS. This book was released on 2002 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Now, the extraordinary story of this comic master is brought to life in Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian, a unique illustrated survey of Lloyd's life and career, recalled by his granddaughter Suzanne Lloyd, who was raised by him, and film historian Jeffrey Vance."--BOOK JACKET.

How to Be a Stand-Up Comic

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Author :
Publisher : Citadel Press
ISBN 13 : 9780806513195
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (131 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Be a Stand-Up Comic by : Richard Belzer

Download or read book How to Be a Stand-Up Comic written by Richard Belzer and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 2000-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comedian Richard Belzer promises that he can turn anyone into a stand-up comedian. Here he makes good on that promise and provides a generous helping of laughs in the process. This irreverents and informative book prepares wannabe comedians with tips and inside information from a seasoned veteran. Photographs.

How to Weep in Public

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Author :
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0804139709
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (41 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Weep in Public by : Jacqueline Novak

Download or read book How to Weep in Public written by Jacqueline Novak and published by Crown. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her darkly funny memoir and guide to the depressed life, comedian Jacqueline Novak doesn’t offer help overcoming depression—just much-needed comfort, company, and tips for life inside the fog. “Jacqueline Novak’s unapologetic and original comedy is the kind that gives me hope in this business.”—Amy Schumer With advice that ranges from practical (Chapter 17: Do Your Crying on a Cat) to philosophical (Chapter 21: Make Peace With Sunshine), this laugh-out-loud memoir traces the depression thread from Novak's average suburban childhood to her current adult New York City existence, an imperfect but healthy-ish life in which Novak is mostly upright but still rarely does laundry. At heart, How to Weep in Public provides a no-pressure, safe-zone for the reader to curl up inside. Keep this book on the shelf to be returned to it as needed–after all, depression is recurring. Jacqueline will be waiting to you tell you “You can fight another day.” No, not as in “fight on another day” but “fight this some other day.” Whether you’re coping with the occasional down day, or thriving fully in Picasso’s blue period, How to Weep in Public is the perfect place to regroup during a dark stint. So sit back, relax, and let Jacqueline Novak show you how to navigate the shadowy corridors of your troubled mind or the cheese display at the supermarket when food is the only thing that can save you.

How I Escaped My Certain Fate

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Author :
Publisher : Faber & Faber
ISBN 13 : 0571254829
Total Pages : 402 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (712 download)

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Book Synopsis How I Escaped My Certain Fate by : Stewart Lee

Download or read book How I Escaped My Certain Fate written by Stewart Lee and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2010-08-19 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experience how it feels to be the subject of a blasphemy prosecution! Find out why 'wool' is a funny word! See how jokes work, their inner mechanisms revealed, before your astonished face! In 2001, after over a decade in the business, Stewart Lee quit stand-up, disillusioned and drained, and went off to direct a loss-making musical, Jerry Springer: The Opera. Nine years later, How I Escaped My Certain Fate details his return to live performance, and the journey that took him from an early retirement to his position as the most critically acclaimed stand-up in Britain, the winner of BAFTAs and British Comedy Awards, and the affirmation of being rated the 41st best stand up ever. Here is Stewart Lee's own account of his remarkable comeback, told through transcripts of the three legendary full-length shows that sealed his reputation. Astonishingly frank and detailed in-depth notes reveal the inspiration and inner workings of his act. With unprecedented access to a leading comedian's creative process, this book tells us just what it was like to write these shows, develop the performance and take them on tour. How I Escaped My Certain Fate is everything we have come to expect from Stewart Lee: fiercely intelligent, unsparingly honest and very, very funny.