Comedy and stand-up Books

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about three things: 1. A room called the Comedy Cellar. 2. Who gets to speak in that room. 3. What they get to say. The Comedy Cellar is a tiny basement club in New York’s Greenwich Village. Run according to the principles of its owners, the Dworman family, it became a safe place for stand-ups to take risks and experiment. Superstar comedians such as Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, and Louis CK became regulars, celebrities started to hang out, the club hosted debates, and everyone was encouraged to argue at its back table. Then the Comedy Cellar ended up on the frontline of the global culture war. Andrew Hankinson speaks to the Cellar’s owner, comedians, and audience members, using interviews, emails, podcasts, letters, text messages, and previously private documents to create a conversation about who gets to speak and what they get to say, and why. Moving backwards in time from Louis CK’s downfall to when Manny Dworman used to host folk singers including Bob Dylan, this is about a comedy club, but it’s also about the widening cultural chasm.Trade Review‘For all those interested in comedy, free speech and how they do those things in New York, Andrew Hankinson’s Don’t applaud. Either laugh or don’t is really excellent, and has made me immediately want to read his other book.’ -- Dara Ó Briain‘This book is fucking fantastic … Honestly one that was nearly impossible to stop reading.’ -- Doug Stanhope, comedian‘A fascinating tour through the history of a comedy club in a constant state of flux caused by the political and technological upheavals outside its walls.’ * The Telegraph *‘Cleverly structured ... So smartly done and so unbelievably timely too ... One of the best books I've read this year.’ -- Stuart Heritage, author of Bedtime Stories for Worried Liberals‘Fascinating.’ -- Al Murray‘If you're interested in comedy or free speech or power you MUST read Andrew Hankinson's new book about the Comedy Cellar which is one of those great bits of writing that makes everyone's position feel interesting.’ -- Sarah Ditum‘Credit to Hankinson for tackling these broad, important ideas – what speech is acceptable, what’s forbidden – and trying to understand them through the prism of a specific environment.’ -- NJ McGarrigle * The Irish Times *‘A fascinating read.’ -- Georgina Godwin * Monocle *‘Thought-provoking … the author takes the history of the nearly-forty-year-old club as a microcosm of the comedy industry; Hankinson see its values, its unspoken rules and attitude to acceptable speech, onstage and off, as a useful reflection of American culture as a whole.’ -- Madeleine Brettingham * TLS *‘Compelling … the sacrifice of authorial vanity gives this book warmth, honesty, and a resistance to easy conclusions.’ -- Sarah Ditum * UnHerd *‘This oral history is dominated by discussion of freedom of speech and what should be acceptable within the confines of a comedy club … it captures the intensely combative, competitive, hierarchical and often petty atmosphere of an iconic comedy venue.’ -- Alastair Mabbott * The Herald *‘Andrew Hankinson is a brilliant writer, and this is a fascinating book. And I say that as someone with zero interest in stand-up comedy.’ -- Melissa Harrison, author of The Stubborn Light of Things‘The best book I've yet read about freedom of expression.’ -- Andy Miller, author of The Year of Reading Dangerously‘The smartest (and funniest) book yet on the culture/free speech wars. Andrew Hankinson does it again with another incredible work of nonfiction.’ -- Will Storr, author of Selfie: How the West Became Self-Obsessed‘A deeply thoughtful and perceptive new book … [A] truly brilliant voice.’ -- Jason Hazeley, writer on Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe and Paddington‘It is brilliant.’ -- Padraig Reidy * Little Atoms *‘A valuable historical document but also a timely and important investigation into morality, masculinity, censorship and freedom of speech in the modern age. It has all the makings of a future cult classic. There’s no book like it.’ -- Benjamin Myers, author of Male Tears‘A demonstration in form and fact of what a less polarised, more humane, discussion about comedy, politics, taste and people looks and feels like, and it's so very necessary.’ -- Mark Blacklock, author of Hinton‘Cannot stop thinking about it. It's the story of an NYC comedy club but it's also about the culture war, even as it rages all around us. What a fantastic book.’ -- Andy Miller, co-host of Backlisted‘Fantastic … The structure is superb.’ -- Adelle Stripe, author of Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile‘A proper creative nonfiction writer who tells true stories with art, in the fine tradition of The New Journalism. A terrific, vital, painful subject.’ -- Richard T Kelly, author of The Knives‘It's incredible.’ -- Bonnie McFarlane, comedian, writer, and co-host of My Wife Hates Me ‘Insightful, and brings back amazing memories of the greatest club in comedy history.’ -- Colin Quinn, comedian, actor, and writer‘Done with such skill that you imbibe stuff by osmosis … Unsettling and understated, this report from the frontline of live comedy is more memorable and thought-provoking than any number of polemics on free speech and offence. Andrew Hankinson is a master of showing, not telling.’ -- Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women‘An extraordinary insight into the workings of stand-up — the people, the practicalities, the politics, the lines that are crossed … original and affecting.’ -- Dan Davies, author of In Plain Sight‘Plenty of readers will be offended by certain jokes or comments — that’s the nature of the business — but Hankinson ably captures the importance of the Comedy Cellar. A well-crafted tale of comedy stars and thorny social issues that shows just how hard it is to make people laugh.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘What can comedy tell us about the ways the world is changing? This history of storied New York stand-up club The Comedy Cellar offers an in-depth look at the space that helped many a famous comedian break out. But, as befits a venue frequently associated with Louis CK, it also explores the comedy scene’s part in larger cultural controversies, and the Comedy Cellar’s penchant for stoking them.’ -- Tobias Carroll * Inside Hook *‘When someone comes to write the definitive account of Laughter in the Age of Trump — the cruel guffaws, the neutered snickers, the strange inversions whereby the left went into a collective cringe while the authoritarian right waved the flaming brand of free speech — Andrew Hankinson’s superb oral history of a single New York club, the Comedy Cellar, in Greenwich Village, will be heavily featured … Hankinson probes the owners, the comedians, the staff, and the audience.’ * The Atlantic, ‘Summer Reading Guide 2021’ *Praise for You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat]: ‘Immersing the reader in Moat's self-justifications, You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat] is both an experiment in empathy and an exploration of the limits of empathy — holding the reader hostage in the echo chamber of an angry and confused man's head.’ -- Louis TherouxPraise for You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat]: ‘A claustrophobic true-crime account in the tradition of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood … [Hankinson’s] purpose is to show Moat as a product of our culture and society … Moat is presented as an intriguing case study in disintegration, making bad choices then devoting all his intelligence to justifying them in his own head.’ -- Gavin Knight * The Guardian *Praise for You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat]: ‘The second-person voice is a notoriously tricky one to maintain and Hankinson uses it to great effect … Another strength is the overwhelming sense that Moat is not in control of his own narrative.’ * The Saturday Paper *

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Book SynopsisAbove a pub in North London, Phil is drinking and fighting off mild panic about his comeback gig. His manager's already dumped him and he's worried about finding a place to stay for the night too. As he laments his dwindling career, his supporters gather to wish him well. Craving success and celebrity too, Josh suspects his father of behaving very badly. With the time of the performance fast approaching, guilty secrets emerge that split the family wide apart. Tonight, Phil's career might not be the only thing in tatters. Comic and moving, Broken Lad is a subtle examination of masculinity in distress.Trade Review"The most powerful element of Hooper's script is looking at how a life of disappointment is compounded by one's peers doing well. A lot of Phil's bitterness comes because his contemporaries broke into television and earned enough to have comfortable lives." - Reviews Hub; "It is important to show a huge demographic of the British public (fifty-something white men, but not those running things) on the stage and we get a glimpse of their ugly self-pity and the loneliness that provokes it..." - Broadway World; 'Set in the upstairs of a traditional English pub, the play is an analytical living room drama: different friends and family members of Phil dip in and out of dialogue with him and each other. It all begins playfully with an affable and cultivated relationship between a comedian and his gay friend, only to demonstrate as the drama continues how very un-jovial this is in actuality. As the play develops, we see the consequences of a man slowly unravelling, and the cracks of a dysfunctional family starting to show.' - Everything Theatre; 'Comic and moving, Broken Lad is a subtle examination of masculinity and virility in distress.' - London Theatre;

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Book Synopsis'Warning: so funny, even the strongest pelvic floors will be tested' - Net Mums'A very funny, honest look at the ups and downs of parenting. I absolutely loved it.' - Emily Dean, host of Walking the Dog'Lucy, a favourite comic of mine, manages to shed new light on something so universal. Her reaction to parenting is ridiculously refreshing and loaded with guilty laugh out loud honesty. After the school run, I implore you to pick a page, any page, then realise you're not alone. A gentle funny stroke of parenting genius' - Johnny Vegas'As a mum of two girls, I was nodding, laughing and emotional. I recognised so much of Lucy's journey in my own... I really loved it.' YolanDa Brown, BBC Loose EndsFrom TV's award-winning comedy mum and the writer of Hullraisers, Lucy Beaumont, comes her hilarious debut on the trials and tribulations of motherhood.Known for her sharp, witty and surreal view on everyday life, Lucy shares the unpredictable craziness of being a mum in this brilliant and laugh-out-loud 'mumoir'. Mums everywhere will recognise the madness of it all. Like when Lucy was hospitalised during her third trimester with chest pains but it turned out to be a burrito. Or when she was so tired at the park she forgot her own child's name. Heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny, Drinking Custard also captures Lucy's marriage to comedian Jon Richardson, as they navigate Lucy's raging pregnancy hormones and balk at pram prices together.Get ready to make room on mum's bookshelf for Drinking Custard to sit alongside other mum classics such as Why Mummy Drinks, Hurrah For Gin! and The Unmumsy Mum.

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Book Synopsis'Warning: so funny, even the strongest pelvic floors will be tested' - Net Mums'A very funny, honest look at the ups and downs of parenting. I absolutely loved it.' - Emily Dean, host of Walking the Dog'Lucy, a favourite comic of mine, manages to shed new light on something so universal. Her reaction to parenting is ridiculously refreshing and loaded with guilty laugh out loud honesty. After the school run, I implore you to pick a page, any page, then realise you're not alone. A gentle funny stroke of parenting genius' - Johnny Vegas'As a mum of two girls, I was nodding, laughing and emotional. I recognised so much of Lucy's journey in my own... I really loved it.' YolanDa Brown, BBC Loose EndsFrom TV's award-winning comedy mum and the writer of Hullraisers, Lucy Beaumont, comes her hilarious debut on the trials and tribulations of motherhood.Known for her sharp, witty and surreal view on everyday life, Lucy shares the unpredictable craziness of being a mum in this brilliant and laugh-out-loud 'mumoir'. Mums everywhere will recognise the madness of it all. Like when Lucy was hospitalised during her third trimester with chest pains but it turned out to be a burrito. Or when she was so tired at the park she forgot her own child's name. Heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny, Drinking Custard also captures Lucy's marriage to comedian Jon Richardson, as they navigate Lucy's raging pregnancy hormones and balk at pram prices together.Get ready to make room on mum's bookshelf for Drinking Custard to sit alongside other mum classics such as Why Mummy Drinks, Hurrah For Gin! and The Unmumsy Mum.

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Book SynopsisWhen 'Hymns and Arias' rang out at Cardiff Arms Park some fifty years ago, those great Welsh anthems 'Calon Lan' and 'Cwm Rhondda' had found a companion and the valleys of south Wales had produced a new folk hero. Max Boyce's work, with over five decades of creativity, captures the spirit and the story of the people of Wales. It also has a warmth and charm that has made his words and music resonate with a worldwide audience. From his early days touring the folk clubs and small concert halls of his native south Wales to sell-out shows at some of the world's most iconic venues, including the Albert Hall, the London Palladium and the opera houses of Sydney and Durban, Max has become an original and treasured performer whose songs and stories have become part of folk culture. His albums, including the No. 1 album We All Had Doctors' Papers and the iconic Live at Treorchy, have sold in their millions and earned him several gold discs. His greatest influence has always been the valleys of Wales, with their inherent warmth and humour, their sadness and passion, and he has the remarkable ability to heighten, to an art form, the 'hwyl' that attends his nation's national game: rugby union. Compiling - in some instances for the first time in print - the very best songs, poems and stories from across his celebrated career, Max: Hymns & Arias is the definitive selected work of a major cultural figure who, through his inimitable humour, uniquely Welsh pathos and masterful wordcraft, has defined a nation and its people for more than half a century.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the legendary comedian Tony Hancock in words, pictures, and not without a few interruptions from The Lad Himself, who proves a little infuriated at how his story is told... as those who know and love his work would fully expect!When he appeared on radio and television in the 1950s, Hancock immediately became an archetype and so he has remained. The writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson basically invented the sitcom form for him, teasing out the threads of his personality and creating from them a universally recognisable figure: the ever-aspiring, grumpy, petty, frustrated everyman pitted against society, bureaucracy, jobsworth vindictiveness and whatever you're having yourself; the best and worst of all of us, down to his last shilling for the meter.WC Fields, Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton and Sid Field all came before him. Young Hancock was hugely influenced by them all, just as successive generations of comic actors (Cleese, Fry and Merton, to name a few) have been massively influenced by Hancock. The Office, Black Books, Peep Show and all the other great British sitcoms of the present day are variations on the Hancock template.The Lad Himself is the creation of writer Stephen Walsh and artist Keith Page, exploring the strange life of a much-admired comedian.Trade Review"It's really good in a way that creeps up onyou. Hancock's brilliance and comedy are timeless but the inner demons andinsecurities that caused him to destroy himself are timeless too. This graphicnovel shows us both sides of the man." -- Neil Gaiman (Good Omens,Sandman)"This work of love by talented fans is atriumph." -- Nick West, The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society"Stone me, it's a work of genius." --Robert Ross, Comedy Historian"Simply put, instantly one of the greatestBritish graphic novels ever. An immediate classic. Moving, funny, tragic andsurreal. A tale that could only be told in comics form. Buy it and becomeentranced in the funny yet melancholy life of a British icon, beautifully told."-- Mike Collins (2000AD, Doctor Who, Good Omens)"The Lad Himself is a complex,darkness-touched story told with kindness and elegance about a man convinced hedeserved neither. It's a salute to a generation who changed comedy. Most of allit's a complex series of nested punchlines about a man whose life was far morethan all of them, and who could never quite let himself believe that. Tragedy,comedy, horror and joy, all wrapped up in a big hat and a bigger coat,repeating the eternal half hour." -- Alasdair Stewart, The Full LidAn authentic voice transmits throughout viaexcellently devised speech patterns, with a recurring motif of aself-destructive propensity for mistaking ambition for capability. In all, thegood, the bad, and ugly of Hancock are duly and stylishly offered to present aman who delighted millions, but tragically never himself." -- FrankPlowright, Slings & Arrows

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Book SynopsisLarry Grayson was extremely funny, highly likeable and much-loved. Those were sentiments felt not just by his millions of fans, but also by those who knew him personally. He was a complicated man who didn't become a star until well into his middle age, having worked for years as drag act Billy Breen. The peak of his popularity came in the early 1980s with Larry Grayson's Generation Game on BBC1, with regular viewing figures of over eighteen million. Larry Grayson's story is fascinating from beginning to end, and has never properly been told before. This extensively and painstakingly researched account of his life is aspirational, funny and heartbreaking in equal measure. "Written with affection and sensitivity, this long overdue biography tells the wonderful Larry's remarkable story." Julian Clary "He was an honest comic and he was funny. I think that's why everybody loved Larry Grayson." Lionel Blair "Larry had a wicked sense of fun and from many years in clubs and variety halls his timing was just impeccable. This fascinating account of his life story is like a rollercoaster ride." Chris Tarrant

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Book SynopsisIn wartime Ireland, an Englishman and a German each need the other to betray his country. And if the nationalist firebrands get their way, they may have to fight to the death. But hang on!—Just a few months ago, Flight Lieutenant Oliver Carmichael and Baron Julius von Stulpnagel were living together in Berlin, trying to sell forged paintings. So what are they doing in rundown Ballingore, and how will ex-convent-girl Mary Collins and her devoted red-headed sidekick Niamh Slattery play into their hands? In this hilarious Irish farce, Casey McCartney brilliantly recreates the slapstick flavour of an Ealing Studios comedy.

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Book SynopsisA riotously funny memoir with lots of heart (and just the right amount of bitterness!), Helen Lederer pulls no punches, but every blow is wrapped in a laugh of recognition. Brilliantly written, revealing, and moving, Not That I'm Bitter is sweet, sour, laugh-out-loud, and addictive.

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Book SynopsisLowly office clerk Jim, has been press-ganged into a clandestine organisation of assassins, who control the population by secretly culling them in a variety of bizarrely ridiculous ways. If you thought your day job was bad, just wait until you see Jim's To Do list!

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Book SynopsisA genuinely funny memoir with lots of heart (and just the right amount of bitterness!), Helen Lederer pulls no punches, but every blow is wrapped in a laugh of recognition. Brilliantly written, revealing, and moving, Not That I'm Bitter is sweet, sour, laugh-out-loud, and addictive.

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Book SynopsisWork is a joke. Laughing at it is political.Humor, Groucho Marx asserted, is “reason gone mad.” For Walter Benjamin, laughter was “the most revolutionary emotion.” In a moment when great numbers of people are reevaluating their commitment to the hellscape we call “work,” what does it mean to take comedy seriously—and to turn it against work?Both philosophically brilliant and deeply personal, Comedy Against Work demonstrates how laughing about work can puncture the pretensions of tyrannical bosses while uniting us around a commitment to radically new ways of making the world together. At the same time, Lane-McKinley exposes a war at the heart of contemporary comedy between those who see comedy as a weapon for punching down and those whose laughter points to social transformation. From stand-up to sitcoms, podcasts to late night, comedy reveals our longing to subvert power, escape the prison of work, and envision the joys of a liberated world.Trade Review“Comedy can be a weapon, Madeline Lane-McKinley reminds us, in any hands, for good or for fascist purposes. In her hands, it is a scalpel for taking apart the world of work, for teaching us how it got so damn bad. But it is also, she brilliantly reminds us, a tool for dismantling capitalist common sense. Join her as she encourages us to embrace laughter as a refusal of work and to claim the rich pleasures of being a killjoy.”—Sarah Jaffe, author of Work Won't Love You Back“Comedy Against Work is the most pleasurable, wide-ranging, and deeply knowledgeable guide to the contradictions of contemporary capitalist culture that I have read in a very long time. Lane-McKinley achieves that rare accomplishment: a book that will appeal equally to casual lovers of humor and its history, from the origins of stand-up to the lockdown comedy podcast, and to readers looking for a critical account of how this history of humor intersects with the changing landscape of work in the U.S. context from the 1970s to the present. Comedy Against Work sits squarely within the great tradition of Marxist books that offer a framework for thought to an audience longing to understand why things are the way they are, how they got to be that way, what it means, and what we can do with this knowledge to change our conditions for the better. A great addition to the growing corpus of popular manifestos coming from leading thinkers of the Left.“—Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of the Fox“From working-class sitcoms to podcasts about making podcasts, this whirlwind tour of American comedy brings labor to the front, where Madeline Lane-McKinley reveals it has been all along. You’ll never laugh the same!”—Malcolm Harris, author of Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials“What a deeply creative exploration of humor and its discontents Madeline Lane-McKinley has given us, one which takes readers on a tour of sitcoms, standup, late night and comedy strikes. What is so funny about late capitalism, anyway? This is a book about the wages of laughter and it’s for anyone who has wondered whether the joke is on capitalism or them.” —Leigh Claire La Berge, Fellow at Free University of Berlin and author of Wages Against Artwork“When work sucks and society appears on the verge of collapse, the laugh-makers are there to numb us back into passivity. But sometimes, Madeline Lane-McKinley reminds us, there are class clowns who help us envision a more egalitarian alternative and future. In this radically insightful and critical analysis of the relationship between labor, comedy, and political economy, Lane-McKinley looks closely and clearly at the anti-utopian and utopian potential of comedy alongside the social and political divides that pervade our everyday lives.”—Raúl Pérez, author of The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy “Moving deftly between mordant critique and radical hope, Comedy Against Work illuminates both the comedy of work and the work of comedy. Attuned to comedy’s history and politics as well as to its form, Lane-McKinley offers a compelling and original narrative that gets us from Lucille Ball frantically trying to keep pace with an assembly line to contemporary feminist stand-up and its anti-work “dream of rest.” Comedy Against Work also provocatively breaks the form of the traditional scholarly “work” by interweaving personal narratives—from Lane-McKinley’s memories of watching her grandmother watch TV while doing housework to her own experiences as an academic “gigworker.” Smart, moving, and politically fierce, this book will change the way we think about comedy and illuminate the way to a world beyond work.”—Annie McClanahan, author of Dead Pledges: Debt, Crisis, and Twenty-First-Century Culture“A lively, amusing, galvanizing charting of comedy's unique capacity to register our pervasive ambivalence about work: our dependence on it, our complicated ways of being shaped and plagued by it, and our desires to escape it. Rooted in our antiwork moment, but historicizing comedic forms from the sitcom to the stand-up routine to the Covid comedy special, Lane-McKinley sees comedy as revolutionary laughter, bulwark against despair, collective complaint, and utopian longing because the world of work we've known—abuse, compulsion, mortal danger to self and planet—isn't the only possibility.”—Sarah Brouillette, Professor of English, Carleton University“Madeline Lane-McKinley is among the brightest fruits in the anglophone critical ecology of utopian thinkers, and this hotly anticipated book does not disappoint. Here, the labors of laughter—in and against capitalism's work society—become a way of understanding structural violence, a gauge for shifting economic logics, and also a possible weapon for liberation. In these pages, Lane-McKinley showcases the full potential of the unique tendency of antiwork cultural criticism for which Blind Field, the journal she co-founded, is known. Comedy Against Work not only educates our desire for a world utterly transformed, it provides us with tools that can help us actualize it.”—Sophie Lewis, author of Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and LiberationTable of Contents​​Introduction: Work is a JokePart One: Comedy and the World of Work1 Watching Work on TV2 The Stand-Up Artist in the Age of GigificationPart Two: Gender at Work3 Comediennes4 The Trouble With 'Authenticity'5 On Jokesterism6 Ode to KilljoysPart Three: Comedy and Care Crisis7 Comedy Under Lockdown: Housework and Utopian Longing8 Quieting the World of Work9 Care, Laughter, and the Constraints of Capitalist LifeConclusion: Comedy as Utopian Method

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Book SynopsisFrom master comedian Mark Schiff, a long-time touring partner of Jerry Seinfeld, comes a hilarious account of decades of foolery with comedy and acting legends and how he honed his mensch skills in all of life’s arenas. Pursuing a career in comedy has always taken a lot of chutzpah. Today Mark Schiff looks back at his fifty-year career as a stand-up comic, actor, and writer and knows he’s laughed with the best of them. His comedy and character have been widely praised by everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Bill Maher, Paul Reiser, and Colin Quinn—as Seinfeld writes in his foreword, Mark is “the greatest comedy pal a guy could ever wish for”—but it hasn’t always been easy. In this brilliantly honest collection of essays inducing both heart tugs and deep belly laughs, Mark recounts growing up Jewish in the outer boroughs of New York City and shares how he survived a harrowing childhood and managed health crises, aging, marriage, parenting, and career highs and lows. With wit and wisdom, Mark reminds us that no matter the troubles at-hand, the show must always go on. The result is an unforgettable and highly relatable account from one of the best humor writers of our time that will leave readers of all faiths energized and feeling like they’ve schmoozed with the best of them. Trade Review“Comedy fans will come for the behind-the-scenes anecdotes and stay for the heart.” —Publishers Weekly“Mark Schiff is one of the funniest, the brightest, the best stage comics I have ever seen.” —Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, actor, and creator of Seinfeld, author of Is This Anything? and SeinLanguage “Starting out in stand-up comedy with Mark Schiff was a blast, and the humor he brought to the stage back then is now between the pages of this book, plus the wisdom you get when you add time.” —Bill Maher, comedian, actor, and host of Real Time with Bill Maher “Mark’s book is funny, philosophical, and gentle.* And it makes sense because so is Mark. *Not gentile, gentle.” —Colin Quinn, comedian and actor, Saturday Night Live and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn “Mark Schiff knows how to tell a story and Mark Schiff knows how to write a book. I hope this is also an audiobook because nothing lulls me off to sleep more than Mark Schiff reading hilarious stories.” —Kevin Nealon, comedian and actor, Saturday Night Live and Weeds “We’ve known for a long time that Mark Schiff is funny. Now we know that he’s also thoughtful, empathic, and a great Jew. Why Not? is an insightful look at the human condition. Poignant, bravely self-examining, and psychologically acute. Also funny.” —Jonathan Kellerman, New York Times best-selling author of the Alex Delaware series “Mark Schiff is one of the funniest comedians I know. We came up together in the New York comedy club scene and he is endlessly entertaining and creative. This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you glad you bought it.” —Carol Leifer, comedian, writer, and producer “Mark and I started in comedy together at the exact same time, and year after year he’s just gotten better and funnier, which irritates me to no end. And as you’ll see in this funny and uplifting book, he’s a great writer too. I’m just so annoyed. But you will love this book.” —Paul Reiser, comedian, actor, and creator of Mad About You “I’ve always loved Schiff’s comedy and really love who he is as a person, especially his kindness. . . . His wonderful book of essays . . . makes you laugh, think, and cry a little, that’s actually something we should all do every day. Reading it made me miss him and appreciate him. I’m calling him right now. Get this book.” —Louie Anderson, comedian and actor, Baskets “The word ‘genius’ is overused, so I won’t use it here. But Mark Schiff’s unique and honest insights on parenthood, childhood, husbandhood, and pet ownerhood are hilarious without being mean-spirited and sentimental without being mawkish.” —Jeff Astrof, writer, showrunner, and producer, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Veronica’s Closet, and Trial & Error “Heart, comedy, soul, insight—a treasure chest of wonderful moments await all who open these pages.” —David Sacks, writer and producer, The Simpsons, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Murphy Brown “Is there nothing better than a book that is funny and sensitive? That’s what Mark Schiff has created: a book that’ll make you laugh and warm your heart.” —Steve Bluestein, comedian and cofounder of the Groundlings comedy troupe and school “Mark Schiff is a great comic, a one-of-a-kind singular voice in comedy. Everyone in our generation of the stand-up world can rattle off Mark’s best bits. This book perfectly captures and showcases his ghoulish, childish, Jewish, foolish, and hilarious style. The book reads fast and funny. It’s just like Mark. Once you’ve read it and loved it, it’ll be very hard to get it out of your house.” —Mike Binder, director and writer, The Mind of the Married Man, Reign Over Me, and The Comedy Store “If laughter is the best medicine, then Mark Schiff is a doctor. As a stand-up comedian, Mark has been dispensing laughter for decades. In his new book, Why Not?, instead of going to a comedy club, you get to take his wit, wisdom, and lots of laughs home with you. The best part is there is no two-drink minimum.” —Michael Platt, producer and writer, Grace and Frankie and Weeds “Add ‘outstanding author’ to Mark Schiff’s previous credits of hilarious stand-up and quality notary public!” —Jon Hayman, writer and producer, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Chris Rock Show “Mark Schiff writes irresistibly about friendship, family, faith, and the business of being funny, sprinkling his stories with wisdom and killer laugh lines. Oh, and he’s also a genius and handsome to boot. There, Mark, I said it.” —Judy Gruen, author of The Skeptic and the Rabbi “Schiff may be known as a stand-up comic, but he’s also a stand-up guy who really knows how to tell stories.” —David Suissa, editor-in-chief of the Jewish Journal “Mark Schiff’s comedy always seemed effortless to me. We met at The Improv in the ’80s and his act is always funny, but nobody gets hurt, just like a pro bank robber. That he’s from the Bronx makes that fact all the more amazing. The stories in his book Why Not? are also very funny, yet show his deep humanity, and they’re a joy to read.” —Mark Brazill, writer and producer, In Living Color, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and That ’70s Show “Mark Schiff’s stories of childhood and beyond make us feel as if they are happening to us in real time. The interweaving of wonder, confusion, rebelliousness, angst, strangeness, and humor speak to something deep within all of us. Unpretentious, insightful, and bristling with humanity, Schiff takes us on an unpredictable rollercoaster, tempered with resilience and compassion.” —Bob Nickman, writer and producer, Freaks and Geeks, Mad About You, and The Drew Carey Show “Mark and I spent a lot of time together in our formative years in New York. He was always funny. Always kind. Always Jewish.” —Rita Rudner, comedian, writer, and TV personality “I loved reading this book. Schiff gives us a funny and inspiring look at his life. Part memoir, part Judaism guide, and part self-help book. Plus, most importantly, Seinfeld wrote the foreword.” —Wayne Federman, comedian and author of The History of Stand-Up “Mark Schiff is one of those legendary comedians we all looked up to, and now that he’s grown old and decrepit we can finally look down to him. But he’s still hilarious as always. He is a stellar comedian who’s consistently at the top of his game, as you can see when he’s on stage and in his writing. The best part of reading this book is that you get all of Mark’s comedic genius, and you don’t have to stare at his stupid face.”—Elon Gold, comedian and actor, Stacked and Chosen and Taken “Mark’s humor combines a keen sense of observation with the wisdom he’s gained while making his way from one end of life to the other. He’s a really good guy. Read this wonderful collection and you’ll agree.” —Alan Zweibel, comedian, original Saturday Night Live writer, and author of The Other SchulmanTable of ContentsForeword by Jerry SeinfeldIntroduction 1. AgeMay You Live TillOy Vey Iz MirThe Incredible Shrinking ManThe Show Must Go On 2. CommunityCraving CommunityI Don’t Have to Go, Now I Get to GoIt’s In You, So Share YouAmazing, AmazingGooood ShabbasI Love My Neighborhood 3. DietingExcuse-AholismJews, Non-Jews, and Weight LossMy Downfall is BreadEat, Pray, EatYou’re Too Thin 4. FamilyHere Comes the JudgeI Used to Have a LifeWhat is a Typical Jewish Mother?The Miserable Side of Dining OutAll You Need Is Love? MaybeI Saw MaTraveling with My FatherThe Orphan 5. FriendsThe Importance of FriendsGet A CoupleAbu Mustafa Calls Me His BrotherThe Big SnubDon’t Ever Quit on Yourself 6. FunnyConsult Your DoctorThe War on CultureWhat’s All the Complaining About?The Most Jewish Comedian EverThe Punchless PunchlineHeeere’s Mark Schiff 7. Helping OthersCoronavirus and Sumo WrestlingWillingnessA Great Phone CallA Valued CustomerAs the World TurnsA Tight Twenty MinutesBrother From a Different MotherI Want to Be Around for All of YouMy Uncle MiltieSimon Says Do This 8. Hope“B” Positive is Not Just a Blood TypeThe Perfect CircleLet There Be LightThe BlessingSealed with a Kiss 9. KindnessAlways Keep Your Promises to Your DogHow a Christmas Gift Changed a Young Jewish Boy’s Life ForeverThe Candy ManThe HaircutPause When AgitatedA Period of TransitionRuby: A Lesson in KindnessThe Rumor Mill 10. LoveDon’t Fence Me InThe Good Old DaysI’m Proud of You 11. MarriageProof There is a GodSeinfeld, Bradley Cooper, and My WifeTwo MillionYou Look Marvelous 12. ParentingGreat Catch, ChampNever Talk While Eating FishThey Are BackThe Nineteen BoxesSmell My New CarThe Nearness of YouPay AttentionWelcome to the Club 13. Self-HelpHow to Accomplish GettingNothing DoneI Love Your SmileLost and FoundNap TimeI Don’t Want to ExerciseKeep Your Two Cents to Yourself 14. Famous FriendsThe Day Bob Dylan Came to My HouseKatharine Hepburn and MeHey, Carl, Don’t Forget Your ToupeeWhat’s a Kid from the Bronx Doing Hanging Out with Sir Anthony Hopkins?Free Cars 15. Stand-UpThe Night“There Goes the Neighborhood”The RoadCaesars to CedarsPortrait of a Young Comedian AcknowledgmentsPhotos

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Book SynopsisA celebration of and behind-the-scenes look at Jerry Seinfeld’s groundbreaking streaming series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.In his streaming show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld has engaged with some of the funniest people in history in classic cars, coffee shops, and diners. He has reminisced with Larry David; bantered with legends Steve Martin, Tina Fey, and Eddie Murphy; reunited with the cast of Seinfeld; and even paid a visit to President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. These and dozens of other guests talked about the intricacies of stand-up, the evolution of their careers and personal lives, and whatever else popped into their brilliant minds. Seinfeld’s carefully crafted episodes have reimagined the talk show format, each one a unique, hilarious, and yet intimate conversation—a rare opportunity for viewers to witness their favorite performers unscripted and unvarnished. But in producing eighty-four episodes over eleven seasons, he has also created arguably the most important historical archive about the art of comedy ever amassed, with episodes featuring Garry Shandling, Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Carl Reiner, and Norm McDonald already serving as permanent shrines for legendary comedians. Timed to the 10th anniversary of the show’s debut and with an introduction from Jerry Seinfeld, this book isn’t just a record of the show but instead an inventive tribute full of behind-the-scenes photos and anecdotes. The book dives into the inspiration and creation of segments, the most unforgettable lines from guests, an index of the cars, and some of the most memorable moments from crew members. Originally conceived as an “anti-talk show,” Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee earned multiple Emmy nominations and helped lead the streaming revolution. Perfect for gift giving season, The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book is a beautifully designed book with iconic, never-before-seen production photos which will appeal to comedy lovers, car aficionados, coffee connoisseurs, and Jerry Seinfeld fans.

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Book SynopsisAlternative Comedy Now and Then: Critical Perspectives is the first academic collection focusing on the history and legacy of the alternative comedy movement in Britain that began in 1979 and continues to influence contemporary stand-up comedy. The collection examines the contexts, performances and reception of alternative comedy in order to provide a holistic approach to examining the socio-political impact and significance of alternative comedy from its historical roots through to present day performances. As alternative comedy celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019, critically reflecting on its impact and significance is a timely endeavour. The book adopts a distinctive interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing theory, concepts and methodologies from comedy studies, theatre and performance, communication and media studies, sociology, political sciences and anthropology. This approach is taken in order to fully understand and examine the dynamics and nuances of the alternative comedy movement which would not be possible with a single-discipline approach. Table of ContentsChapter 1: Alternative Comedy Now and Then: An Introduction - Oliver Double and Sharon Lockyer Chapter 2: Alternative Comedy Timeline Part One: Alternative Comedy Venues Chapter 3: The Meccano Club: The Business of Alternative Comedy - Oliver Double Chapter 4: ‘A Local Show for Local People: Alternative Cabaret at the Tower Art Centre, Winchester, UK, 1981-1984 – Richard Cumin Chapter 5: The Story of Cabaret A Go Go – Ray Campbell Part Two: Performers’ Perspectives Chapter 6: Trends with Benefits: Brian Mulligan Chapter 7: Alternative Cabaret in Conversation – Oliver Double, Andy de la Tour, Jim Barclay, Pauline Melville and Tony Allen Part Three: Interpreting Alternative Comedy Chapter 8: Pressing for no change? Political Correctness, the defence of the ‘mainstream’ and class in UK newspaper responses to the emergence of ‘Alternative Comedy’ - Neil Washbourne Chapter 9: The Dramatic Script of Alternative Comedy – Jonjo Brady Part Four: Alternative Comedy Today Chapter 10: Alternative Comedy in Finland: Juhani Nevalainen, Musician Not Comedian – Marianna Keisalo Chapter 11: “Less Dick Jokes”: Women-only comedy line-ups, audience expectations and negotiating stereotypes – Ellie Tomsett Chapter 12: New Alternative Comedy: Productive Crises c.2005-Present – Sophie Quirk and Ed Wilson

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Book SynopsisOffers the first English translation of a modern adaption of King Stag, an 18th-century Italian fairy-tale play by Swiss dramatist René Morax (18731963) and director Werner Wolff (18861972).

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Book SynopsisDespite its unabated popularity with audiences, slapstick has received rather little scholarly attention, mostly by scholars concentrating on the US theater and cinema traditions. Nonetheless, as a form of physical humor slapstick has a long history across various areas of cultural production. This volume approaches slapstick both as a genre of situational physical comedy and as a mode of communicating an affective situation captured in various cultural products. Contributors to the volume examine cinematic, literary, dramatic, musical, and photographic texts and performances. From medieval chivalric romance and nineteenth-century theater to contemporary photography, the contributors study treatments of slapstick across media, periods and geographic locations. The aim of a study of such wide scope is to demonstrate how slapstick emerged from a variety of complex interactions among different traditions and by extension, to illustrate that slapstick can be highly productive for interdisciplinary research.

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Book SynopsisMenander was born in Athens in 342 BC and drowned in Piraeus in c. 290 BC. He wrote more than 100 comedies, but with regards to his character studies, he can be regarded as an heir to the tragedian Euripides. Only one of his comedies has been handed down as a complete play, namely Dyskolos (The Grouch), while others are almost complete. Menander was furthermore a model for the Roman comedians Plautus and Terence and thus for a later European comedy tradition. He associated with the intellectuals of his time, such as Aristotle's pupil Theophrastus, the philosopher Epicurus, and the politician and philosopher Demetrius of Phaleron.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe Imaginary Invalid by Molière is a comedic play that offers a satirical critique of the medical profession and societal hypochondria. This play takes readers on a humorous journey filled with exaggerated characters, witty dialogues, and absurd situations. The story revolves around the character of Argan, a wealthy hypochondriac who is obsessed with his health. Argan's obsession leads him to consult numerous doctors and engage in various medical treatments, much to the amusement of the audience. The play also explores themes of greed, deception, and the power dynamics within familial relationships. Through the clever portrayal of characters and their interactions, he exposes the flaws and pretenses of both the medical profession and individuals who exploit hypochondria for personal gain. Molière's mastery of comedic writing and social commentary make this play a delightful exploration of the follies and foibles of human nature.

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Book SynopsisGeorge Bernard Shaw, a famend Irish playwright, wrote the comedian play You Never Can Tell. The novel is about in a seashore metropolis in England and follows the Clandon circle of relatives as they go back to England after many years abroad. Mrs. Clandon, who is independent and modern-day, lives along with her 3 youngsters, Dolly, Philip, and Gloria. When they emerge as involved in a chain of miscommunications, misunderstandings, and love entanglements, the plot takes a flip for the comedic. The drama delves into issues of society requirements, love, and the unpredictability of human relationships. Shaw's trademark wit and caustic criticism on elegance and etiquette are present during the tale. The protagonists struggle with the results of their deeds and the subtleties of love, thinking the traditions of the day. The play is identified for its smart communicate and Shavian wit, which spotlight Shaw's potential to merge humor with social critique. You Never Can Tell is a famous instance of George Bernard Shaw's humorous skills and potential to look at and critique cultural standards in a crisp and pleasing manner.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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