Other performing arts Books

Book SynopsisThe world of the circus has a long and colourful history but it was with a man named Philip Astley that the 'modern' circus was founded. It was 250 years ago, in April 1768, that Astley pegged out a circular ride on the banks of the river Thames and gave performances of trick riding to a paying audience. Trick riding was nothing new, so what made Astley so popular? He was an accomplished horseman, a military hero and an instinctive showman. Above all, he was an entrepreneur who realised that people would pay good money to be entertained-and to be entertained well. He created the comic character of Billy Buttons, and other acts were added to his performances: clowns, rope dancers, tumblers and strongmen. The circus, as we might recognise it today, was born. _Father of the Modern Circus-'Billy Buttons'_ investigates the life and times of this veritable giant of the circus world. Standing well over 6 feet tall, with a stentorian voice and character to match, it was difficult to ignore him wherever he went. From his early days as an apprentice cabinetmaker and his military exploits in the 15th Dragoons to the trials and tribulations of establishing himself as a respected performer and his international successes in France and Ireland, this book gives a detailed account of the larger than life figure that was Philip Astley.

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Book Synopsis'There are no lost women, only women who've forgotten their scripts.' RM Vaughan's play about Hollywood director Dorothy Arzner comes off the stage and onto the page in this handsome edition from Coach House Books. An insightful look at the gender politics behind the cameras and studios of the golden age of cinema.

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Book SynopsisRichard Ouzounian turns his probing questions and observational skills to the world of pop culture celebrity, Heknows just what buttons to push to get larger-than-life figures to reveal things about themselves they've never told anyone before.

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Book SynopsisÊFunny: The BookÊ is an entertaining look at the art of comedy from its historical roots to the latest scientific findings with diversions into the worlds of movies (Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers) television (ÊThe OfficeÊ) prose (Woody Allen Robert Benchley) theater (ÊThe Front PageÊ) jokes and stand-up comedy (Richard Pryor Steve Martin) as well as personal reminiscences from the author's experiences on such TV programs as ÊMork and MindyÊ.ÞWith allusions to the not-always-funny Carl Jung George Orwell and Arthur Koestler ÊFunny: The BookÊ explores the evolution theories principles and practice of comedy as well as the psychological philosophical and even theological underpinnings of humor coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.

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Book SynopsisA nameless narrator and his friend Alberto move through a constantly morphing continuum of dream-like situations while discussing philosophy, literature, and war. The impossible question of an enormous student in a lecture hall at an English university sets off a series of alternate paths that open before them like a fan. In taverns, boats, and plazas, the two protagonists discuss John Donne, Lawrence of Arabia, and Lenin with English students, a group of young and old women, and eight hundred drinkers, all the while being dropped from one strange place into the next. A remarkable work of refined surreal comedy.Trade ReviewThe overall effect falls somewhere between the delicate constructions of Cesar Aira and Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five * Kirkus Reviews *If the book overflows with talent, if for moments it borders on genius . . . it’s because What To Do . . . is the great contemporary novel on the expansion of meaning, its amplification, its mutation -- Damian Tabarovsky

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Book Synopsis"Presented in this collection are stunning examples of original costume designs as rendered in watercolor and lithographs-- most of them reproduced here for the first time, including some whose artists were, until now, unknown."--Provided by publisher.

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Book SynopsisA decorated hero returns home after multiple tours of duty only to find the lives of loved ones threatened. To make his home safe, he does battle one last time - one time too many. This volume presents a translation of Euripides's "Herakles" along with commentary on the play.

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Book SynopsisThe most important criticism of the great comedian's work, including pieces by Andrew Sarris, David Thomson, Gilbert Seldes, Alistair Cooke, Robert E. Sherwood, Stark Young, Edmund Wilson, Stanley Kauffmann, Alexander Woollcott, George Jean Nathan, Max Eastman, Robert Warshow, Water Kerr, and James Agee. Richard Schickel, one of our outstanding film critics, has written a long introduction. Praise for Schickel's Chaplin documentary: An invaluable critic and historian.... Schickel's film...is like a course in cultural history taught by a witty, slightly dyspeptic professor.-A. O. Scott, New York TimesTrade ReviewThe Essential Chaplin stresses the significance of Charlie’s oeuvre and directs the audience to its most hilarious films. * The Wall Street Journal *A wonderfully put-together overview of Chaplin's life and art. -- Ina Hughes * News-Sentinel *[An] intrinsically valuable new anthology. -- Scott Eyman * The New York Observer *A fascinating compilation...For fans, this book is a must; it is also valuable as a study of expository and critical writing. -- Dana Cobern-Kullman * Library Journal *Collectively...insightful and thorough....this volume is a must * CHOICE *The best pieces in this collection...are the ones that leaven admiration with healthy cynicism. -- Marc Weingarten * Los Angeles Times *One of the finest English-language pieces on Chaplin ever written....The seminal text on the comedian. -- Jim Hempill * American Society of Cinematographers *The book's best feature is its organized cacophony, its trace of this astonishingly long and rich body of work and personal travail....There is much to savor in these essays. -- Robert Jackson, Professor of Political Science, Florida State University * Virginia Quarterly Review *"[These] essays...deserve ongoing recommendation and mention for any Chaplin fan, whether newcomer or seasoned." * Midwest Book Review *"Nearly thirty essays from film critic Richard Schickel deserve ongoing recommendation and mention for any Chaplin fan, whether newcomer or seasoned...an analysis of genius and methods rather than films alone, and one which holds up well against movie reviewer surveys or biographies alone." * California Bookwatch *

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Book SynopsisPrepare a feast fit for a warchief with World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook, a delicious compendium of recipes inspired by the hit online game from Blizzard Entertainment. Prepare a feast fit for a warchief with World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook, a compendium of sweet and savory recipes inspired by the hit game from Blizzard Entertainment. Presenting delicacies favored by the Horde and the Alliance alike, this authorized cookbook teaches apprentice chefs how to conjure up a menu of food and drink from across the realm of Azeroth. Featuring food pairings for each dish, ideas for creating your own Azerothian feasts, and tips on adapting meals to specific diets, this otherworldly culinary guide offers something for everyone. The aromatic Spiced Blossom Soup is perfect for plant-loving druids, and orcs will go berserk for the fall-off-the-bone Beer-Basted Boar Ribs. With alternatives to the more obscure ingredients—just in case you don’t have Chimaerok Chops lying around—this comprehensive cookbook will ensure that you have no trouble staying Well Fed. Each chapter features dishes at a variety of skill levels for a total of more than one hundred easy-to-follow recipes for food and brews, including: • Ancient Pandaren Spices • Fel Eggs and Ham • Mulgore Spice Bread • Dragonbreath Chili • Graccu’s Homemade Meat Pie • Bloodberry Tart • Greatfather’s Winter Ale Whether you’re cooking for two or revitalizing your raid group for a late-night dungeon run, World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook brings the flavors of Azeroth to life like never before.

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Book Synopsis"Frederik L. Schodt has at long last unveiled the fascinating story of 'Professor Risley.' Circus scholars, history buffs, and anyone with an ounce of curiosity should be grateful to him."-Dominique Jando, Circopedia.org "Professor" Risley (Richard Risley Carlisle) introduced the Western circus to Japan in 1864. Three years later, this former acrobat gave many in the West their first glimpse of Japan when he took his "Imperial Japanese Troupe" of acrobats and jugglers on a triumphant tour of North America and Europe. Over the next few years, the Troupe performed before presidents, monarchs, and ordinary citizens. Frederik L. Schodt argues compellingly that such early popular entertainments helped stir a curiosity about all things Japanese that eventually led to japonisme, The Mikado, and, in our time, the boom in manga and anime. Schodt's depiction of Risley and his troupe is enlivened by portraits of the circus demimonde and supported by nineteenth-century photographs, posters, and drawings, many in color. His accounts of these first meetings between Westerners and Japanese shed new light on how different cultures meet, mingle, and influence each other. Descriptions of crowds, dazzling routines, and superstar troupe performers like the famous Little All Right are a delightful revelation to anyone interested in Asia, the circus, and popular entertainment. Frederik L. Schodt has authored numerous books about Japan, including Manga! Manga! and Native American in the Land of the Shogun. In 2009 for his work he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.Trade Review"There have been some intriguing biographies of seminal Japanese cultural figures in recent years...Schodt's work on the audacious and brilliant Professor Risley takes its place among these fine works." -- Kyoto Journal, Dec. 2014 "[A] fascinating narrative ... In chronicling Risley's checkered and colorful career, Schodt illuminates the rivalries and precariousness of the circus business and portrays vividly this early encounter between Japan and the West." (Recommended for all readers). --Choice, April 2013 "An intriguing look at international relations, culture, the circus, and its effects on the modern day, 'Professor Risley' is a must for anyone seeking an original and offbeat take on history, highly recommended."--Midwest Book Review "Pick up Schodt's latest book and move well beyond a study of Japanese culture. Schodt takes us all around the world of 19th-century entertainment: the competition, the disdain, the copycats and the triumphs. It's a captivating story about a pioneer in international entertainment."--The Japan Times "If you have any interest in Japanese history -- whatsoever -- pick up this book. Schodt knocked this title out of the park. It's a real page-turner, and that's saying a lot when dealing with a history book."-- Japanator blogTable of ContentsTable of contents Credits Foreword/Introduction A brief reflection on the now-forgotten 19th century Western craze for Japanese acrobats, its relationship to the Japonisme movement, and its parallels to the 21st century J-pop invasion. Act 1. Setting the Stage. The Imperial Japanese Troupe, led by Professor Risley, arrives in San Francisco from Yokohama, and astounds the local citizens. But they have to compete with another Japanese acrobatic troupe, which had beaten them to the city by nearly a month. Act 2. Who Was Professor Risley? The early years of Risley, showing his remarkable trajectory in life, and how he became an acrobat and impresario in the United States and Europe, with an international name recognition and celebrity rivaling the most famous modern pop stars. Act 3. Going for Gold In the late 1850s, Risley heads west, to California, Oregon, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia, following the trail of gold-generated wealth. He makes a successful living as an entertainer on the American and Australian frontier, performing for audiences who crave amusement. Act 4. Into Asia During the American Civil War, in the first half of the 1860s, Risley became an participant in the just-developing Asian entertainment circuit, taking his own full circus to Calcutta, Singapore, Manila, Bankok, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, to name a few cities. Act 5. Yokohama, Japan In 1864, Risley arrives in Yokohama from Shanghai with his circus, thus becoming the first person to introduce Western-style circus into Japan. Because he is not allowed to tour outside of Yokohama, his performers desert him. He remains in Yokohama, and introduces ice cream into Japan. In 1866, he hits upon the idea of taking Japanese acrobats and jugglers to Paris Exposition Universelle. His troupe members receive the first official travel permits granted to ordinary citizens in Japan. Act 6. Taking America In 1867, Risley’s Imperial Japanese Troupe takes America by storm, conquering the hearts and minds of citizens in San Francisco (see chapter 1), Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. They meet with President Andrew Johnson and General Ulysses S. Grant, among other notables. Act 7. At the Exposition At the Paris Exposition, in the nearby Cirque Napoleon, the Imperial Japanese Troupe wins the hearts of the citizens of Paris, even though they are competing with another Japanese acrobatic group. In Paris they meet with Prince Akitake, the younger brother of the Tokugawa Shogun. Act 8. The Long Way to London When the theater they had reserved burns down in London, the Imperials tour the British provinces first, cross over to Holland and Belgium, and then open in London. Despite competition from numerous other Japanese acrobatic troupes, they win the hearts of Londoners, and perform before the Royal family. Act 9. The Matter of the Contract After conquering England, the Imperials tour Spain and Portugal, and then return to France. They face increasing difficulty, and are caught in a revolution in Spain. Their contract with Risley is nearly up, and because of their agreement with the Japanese government, it is time to go home. Act 10. Final Acts At the end of 1869, half of the Imperial Troupe returns to Japan, and the rest stay with Risley another year. The Imperial Troupe continues to be successful, but never the way they were in the beginning. Meanwhile, in Japan a revolution has taken place, and their entire world has been overturned. Afterword A summary of what it all means. * End Notes * Bibliography * Index

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Book SynopsisBy the director of the hit documentary Behind the Burly Q comes the first ever oral history of American Burlesque--as told by the performers who lived it, often speaking out here for the first time. By telling the intimate and surprising stories from its golden age through the women (and men!) who lived it, Behind the Burly Q reveals the true story of burlesque, even as it experiences a new renaissance.Burlesque was one of America's most popular forms of live entertainment in the first half of the 20th century. Gaudy, bawdy, and spectacular, the shows entertained thousands of paying customers every night of the week. And yet the legacy of burlesque is often vilified and misunderstood, left out of the history books.By telling the intimate and surprising stories from its golden age through the women (and men!) who lived it, Behind the Burly Q reveals the true story of burlesque, even as it experiences a new renaissance. Lovingly interviewed by burlesque enthusiast Leslie Zemeckis who produced the hit documentary of the same name, are former musicians, strippers, novelty acts, club owners, authors, and historians--assembled here for the first time ever to tell you just what really happened in a burlesque show. From Jack Ruby and Robert Kennedy to Abbott and Costello--burlesque touched every corner of American life. The sexy shows often poked fun at the upper classes, at sex, and at what people were willing to do in the pursuit of sex. Sadly, many of the performers have since passed away, making this their last, and often only interview. Behind the Burly Q is the definitive history of burlesque during its heyday and an invaluable oral history of an American art form. Funny, shocking, unbelievable, and heartbreaking, their stories will touch your hearts. We invite you to peek behind the curtain at the burly show.Includes dozens of never-before seen photographs: rare backstage photos and candid shots from the performers' personal collections.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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Book SynopsisOnce in a lifetime a venue comes along that changes show business dramatically, that fosters growth and camaraderie, experimentation and freedom. The Comic Strip is one of those places, and Laughing Legends is an inside look at how it all happened, straight from the mouths of the stars who built their careers on its stage. Owner Richie Tienken and a wealth of comics open their hearts and souls to share their most intimate memories, the laughs and tears, the good times and the bad, in order to paint an all-encompassing, behind-the-scenes history of this iconic club. Interviews include famous comedians, such as:Jerry SeinfeldGilbert GottfriedPaul ReiserLisa LampanelliGeorge WallaceBilly CrystalJim BreuerSusie EssmanLewis BlackRay RomanoAnd many more!Relive the excitement as these comics explain how they came to belong to the Comic Strip family, and how they went on to enjoy huge careers, bringing laughter to millions of people all over the world. This book is a must for any comedian or comedy lover's library!

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Book SynopsisIn this funny, irreverent, unique, eccentric memoir, magician Steve Spill reveals how he managed to survive decades inside a rarely profitable, sometimes maddening, but often deliciously rewarding offbeat showbiz profession—magic!Spill tells of how his tailor grandfather sewed secret pockets in a magician’s tuxedo back in 1910, which started his childhood dream to become a magician. This dream took Spill on a journey that started with him performing, as a young boy, at a “Beauty on a Budget” neighborhood house party to engagements in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, to today in Santa Monica, California, where he’s been starring in his own shows since 1998 at Magicopolis, the theater he designed and built himself.Being a magician has given Spill the opportunity to interact with the world’s most famous and fascinating people. In his memoir, Spill reveals the many unique encounters that his profession has led him to enjoy and endure: hosting Sting as his opening act one night, spending two days on camera with Joan Rivers, and selling tricks to Bob Dylan, as well as encounters with Adam Sandler, Stephen King, and other celebrities.I Lie for Money . . . is a literary magic show that captures the highs and lows of an extraordinary life that will delight and amaze you with wit and wickedness. This book should be an obligatory read for anyone considering a creative career, and it serves as an inspiration to those who desire to craft an independent life.Trade Review• "This offbeat behind-the-scenes look at a magician’s life is as unpredictable, fresh, and distinctive, as witnessing one of Steve Spill’s shows in person."—Nolan Bushnell, Serial entrepreneur and founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese• "Steve Spill has been a pal of Penn's and mine since the 1970's. While we were still working for tips and eating dirt at fairs, Steve was running one of the classiest comedy magic clubs in the country, and still does (his current one is in Santa Monica). Nobody knows more about magic from the inside than Steve. And most important, Steve and I share the deepest bond of all: we both swallow needles."—Teller of Penn & Teller• "With his combination of writing and performing skills and his endless inventiveness, Steve Spill is a major asset to the world of magic."—Dick Cavett• "Steve Spill is one of my favorite storytellers. The man has pioneered more venues for magic than anyone I know, and along the way, broken lots of new ground as a comic, magician, bartender, busker, club owner, and now raconteur—and that's no lie!" —Joel Hodgson, creator/star of Mystery Science Theater 3000• "Steve Spill is one of the greatest magicians that’s ever lived. Fact. I Lie for Money is the most entertaining book about magic ever. Double fact. If you don’t buy this book, there will be a big hole in your life that you will never fill, a void that will haunt the rest of your days until you cry out in the night, ‘WHY DIDN’T I GET THE MEMOIR THAT CONTAINED ALL THOSE AMAZING STORIES ABOUT MAGIC?!’ Triple fact. The choice is clear." —Adam de la Pena, creator of the hit animated series Code Monkeys• "A unique eye-opening account of the backstage life of a fiendishly funny magician." —Kirsten Sheridan, Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director• "A fantastic read packed with hilarious anecdotes and juicy tales of outlandish antics. Who would have thought the life of a family entertainer could be so wild?"—Michael Larkin, NBC Digital News Producer• "Instantly hypnotic! Before finishing page one I was drawn in and happily trapped in Steve's wild, surreal world."—Brian Brushwood, Host of Discovery's Scam School and National Geographic's Hacking the System• "I Lie for Money opens a secret door and lets the reader enter the almost unknown—and often misunderstood—world of the professional magician."—Brooks Wachtel, Emmy-winning writer and director• "An honest look at the hard work that accompanies doing what you love."—Steph Rodriguez, Manhattan Book Review• "Every person on the face of the earth who wants to laugh out loud and be amazed should read I Lie for Money."—Dustin Stinett, GENII Magazine• "As you turn the pages of the book you will travel along the amazing timeline that Steve has walked like a tightrope, stretched between his prodigious skills as a magician and his flamboyantly eccentric gifts as a showman."-Nick Lewin, Vanish Magazine• "A ridiculously entertaining book about [Spill’s] life and adventures as ajourneyman magician trying to make a living from his art."—Jack Shalom, segment producer, Arts Express, WBAI• "This offbeat behind-the-scenes look at a magician’s life is as unpredictable, fresh, and distinctive, as witnessing one of Steve Spill’s shows in person."—Nolan Bushnell, Serial entrepreneur and founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese• "Steve Spill has been a pal of Penn's and mine since the 1970's. While we were still working for tips and eating dirt at fairs, Steve was running one of the classiest comedy magic clubs in the country, and still does (his current one is in Santa Monica). Nobody knows more about magic from the inside than Steve. And most important, Steve and I share the deepest bond of all: we both swallow needles."—Teller of Penn & Teller• "With his combination of writing and performing skills and his endless inventiveness, Steve Spill is a major asset to the world of magic."—Dick Cavett• "Steve Spill is one of my favorite storytellers. The man has pioneered more venues for magic than anyone I know, and along the way, broken lots of new ground as a comic, magician, bartender, busker, club owner, and now raconteur—and that's no lie!" —Joel Hodgson, creator/star of Mystery Science Theater 3000• "Steve Spill is one of the greatest magicians that’s ever lived. Fact. I Lie for Money is the most entertaining book about magic ever. Double fact. If you don’t buy this book, there will be a big hole in your life that you will never fill, a void that will haunt the rest of your days until you cry out in the night, ‘WHY DIDN’T I GET THE MEMOIR THAT CONTAINED ALL THOSE AMAZING STORIES ABOUT MAGIC?!’ Triple fact. The choice is clear." —Adam de la Pena, creator of the hit animated series Code Monkeys• "A unique eye-opening account of the backstage life of a fiendishly funny magician." —Kirsten Sheridan, Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director• "A fantastic read packed with hilarious anecdotes and juicy tales of outlandish antics. Who would have thought the life of a family entertainer could be so wild?"—Michael Larkin, NBC Digital News Producer• "Instantly hypnotic! Before finishing page one I was drawn in and happily trapped in Steve's wild, surreal world."—Brian Brushwood, Host of Discovery's Scam School and National Geographic's Hacking the System• "I Lie for Money opens a secret door and lets the reader enter the almost unknown—and often misunderstood—world of the professional magician."—Brooks Wachtel, Emmy-winning writer and director• "An honest look at the hard work that accompanies doing what you love."—Steph Rodriguez, Manhattan Book Review• "Every person on the face of the earth who wants to laugh out loud and be amazed should read I Lie for Money."—Dustin Stinett, GENII Magazine• "As you turn the pages of the book you will travel along the amazing timeline that Steve has walked like a tightrope, stretched between his prodigious skills as a magician and his flamboyantly eccentric gifts as a showman."-Nick Lewin, Vanish Magazine• "A ridiculously entertaining book about [Spill’s] life and adventures as ajourneyman magician trying to make a living from his art."—Jack Shalom, segment producer, Arts Express, WBAI

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Book SynopsisWhether you’re trying to impress your friends or the girl across the bar, Scam School Academy is the ultimate guide to not impressing everyone around, but getting yourself some free drinks. With over eighty insane tricks, Scam School Graduate is the most advanced magic instruction book created to date.You become the life of the party (or the bar) with amazing tricks, including:The Jack-O-Lantern Stump them for Free BeersCoffee Creamer Flamethrower The Human BlockheadEat Ball of Fire Be A (Fake) Lie DetectorWin Cash at Darts And many more!Not only does Scam School Academy allow you to learn tricks with unprecedented depth, but there are hundreds of photographs to show you step-by-step on how to pull these clever scams off. Imagine the eye-popping surprise on your friend’s face when you summon smoke from nowhere or the shock on a girl’s face when you read her mind!Imagine knowing that in any bar, in any situation, you can be entertaining enough to spend the whole night drinking for free. That’s where Scam School Academy comes in!

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Book SynopsisLaid out in front of Blackpool Tower in England's famous seaside resort, the Comedy Carpet is the largest work of public art in Europe. Thousands of jokes and quotations by more than 850 comedians and writers from the early days of variety to the present day are set in 2200 square meters of granite and concrete in a design inspired by theater posters and bill stickers.

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Book SynopsisIn 'The Pattern' artists Helen Billinghurst and Phil Smith, in their multi-layered personae of Crab & Bee and Smoke & Mirrors, offer a handbook for exploration, embodiment and art making in strange times. Uncovering a tattoo in the landscape, they describe the secrets of ‘web-walking’ and a journey of remarkable encounters. Setting out to walk the margins of Plymouth (UK), using a labyrinth as a mental map, they found themselves exposed to a weird and ailing world of buried rivers, needle-strewn woodlands and heritage sites repurposed as smack dens. In response, as both survival-strategy and poiesis, the authors reinvented themselves and their journey as a ‘fictioning’, generating multiple identities and joining in with numerous long-running stories. Rather than just walking the path, in their new personae they could become entangled with it and found themselves spun out in an ever widening series of quests that took in the Scilly Isles, South Wales, Yorkshire and East Anglia. ​In the face of looming division and climate catastrophe, the terrain itself seemed to be knitting together its own responses and Crab, Bee, Smoke & Mirrors followed the threads. On dragon hills and in white springs, along red paths and at the ‘edge of the known world’, they intuited signposts in the landscape to a way of making art and being in the world; this is the route map they left behind.

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Book Synopsis"An Icelandic-punk version of Catcher in the Rye." -- Dallas Morning News "If there were more people like Jon Gnarr the world wouldn't be in such a mess."-- Oliver Sacks The second book in a trilogy chronicling the troubled childhood of international sensation Jon Gnarr, The Pirate revisits his teenage years with sincere compassion and great humor: bullied relentlessly, Jon receives rebellious inner strength through the Sex Pistols and Prince Kropotkin--punk rock and anarchy offer the promise of a better and more exciting life. Jon Gnarr, the most famous comedic actor in Iceland, founded the Best Party, ran for mayor of Reykjavik as a joke and won, and served as mayor of Reykjavik 2010-2014, in the process becoming an international sensation and symbol of true alternatives to the political process worldwide.Trade Review"Anyone who felt like the outcast in school, in indefinable limbo between jock, bookworm, stoner, or class clown, yet still shunned and excluded and on your own planet, will identify with The Pirate. In fact, it will make you relive those days in a way that brings all of those insecurities and triumphs vividly back to life." -- Doug Stanhope "Jon Gnarr may be best known as the comedian who became mayor of Reykjavik, but he also impresses with his writing. The Pirate recounts his teen years and punk rock's influence on his life." -- David Gutkowski, Largehearted Boy "In my opinion this is one of the most remarkable books to have come out in the last year...Teenagers should read this book, without question...I thought it was simply wonderful." -- Kolbrun Bergthorsdottir, Kiljan (Icelandic National TV) "Here we are a delivered a furious mind racing to process and understand in order to solve the riddle of his perpetual position as outsider... Those who found punk as a refuge in their troubled teens and twenties will delight in thinking through our experiences while reading... Give it a read and remember your first all-age hardcore matinee show." -- Brandon Gray Miller, Professor, SMU "The language is reminiscent even of Thorbergur Thordarson, with his clarity and simplicity. I also find the history of punk in this book very interesting." -- Sigurdur Valgeirsson, Icelandic National TV "He's a bit of a genius, that Jon." -- Egill Helgason, Kiljan (Icelandic National TV) "A heartfelt and searing tale of bullying, rebellion and the search for a place to belong in the world. A story that genuinely touches the reader." -- Fridrika Benonysdottir, Frettabladid "...[The Pirate] plainly shows the destructive effects of prejudice and how a lack of realistic options and willingness to understand the boy is soul-destroying and dangerous...The strength of The Pirate, the second volume of Jon's memoirs, is its sincerity: the boy's point of view and the narration shaped by his inner voice." -- Frida Bjork Ingvarsdottir, Vidsja (National Broadcasting Station) "A dark memoir full of black humor that details the author's painful experiences as a child unable to fit in due to struggling with learning and emotional disorders, [The Indian] illuminates the struggles that come from being considered broken. Written with cleverly shifting points of view, this haunting narrative invites readers to consider the trauma of an outcast child." -- World Literature Today, on The Indian "[The Pirate] is a highly readable book, enormously powerful and particularly heartfelt. ...A book not soon forgotten." -- Kolbrun Bergthorsdottir, Morgunbladid "By turns funny and despairing (Gnarr had ADHD and severe dyslexia as a child), as well as providing a glimpse into Icelandic culture beyond Bjork, The Indian is entertaining and enlightening." -- Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Critic's Pick, on The Indian) "Hypnotic and heartbreaking...Let 'normal' people have their 'normal' heroes. The rest of us have Jon Gnarr, and the world's a better place for it." -- Michael Schaub, NPR, on The Indian "Gnarr's finest accomplishment in [The Indian], surpassing others in the genre, is the absolute immediacy of the childhood experience...Gnarr returns those emotions--all the emotions of childhood--to their context, adding the suffering of learning them, finding new restrictions, fearing ones you don't know, and we relate to them once again." -- P.T. Smith, Three Percent

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Book SynopsisThe behind-the-scenes story of the iconic funnymen who ruled '80s Hollywood—Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Eddie Murphy—and the beloved films that made them stars, including Animal House, Caddyshack, and GhostbustersNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK“An enjoyable romp that vividly captures the manic ups and downs of the remarkable group of funny folk who gave us a golden age of small and big screen comedy, from SNL to Groundhog Day.”—Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging BullsWild and Crazy Guys opens in 1978 with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray taking bad-tempered swings at each other backstage at Saturday Night Live, and closes 21 years later with the two doing a skit in the same venue, poking fun at each other, their illustrious careers, triumphs and prat falls. In between, Nick de Semlyen takes us on a trip through the tumultuous '80s, delving behind the scenes of movies such as National Lampoon's Vacation, Beverly Hills Cop, The Blues Brothers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and dozens more. Chronicling the off-screen, larger-than-life antics of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, it's got drugs, sex, punch-ups, webbed toes, and Bill Murray being pushed into a swimming pool by Hunter S. Thompson while tied to a lawn chair. What's not to like?Based on candid interviews from many of the stars themselves, as well as those in their immediate orbit, including directors John Landis, Carl Reiner, and Amy Heckerling, Wild and Crazy Guys is a fantastic insider account of the friendships, feuds, triumphs, and disasters experienced by these beloved comedians. Hilarious and revealing, it is both a hidden history of the most fertile period ever for screen comedy and a celebration of some of the most popular films of all time.Praise for Wild and Crazy Guys“Eminently readable . . . Children of the 1980s, take note: this is a fond, engrossing look back at the making of movies that became cultural touchstones.”—Booklist (starred review) “Nick de Semlyen smartly charts the pinballing career paths of the stars of this new comic wave. . . . His punchy, nonstop narrative . . . tells a [story] where art and commerce smash hard against each other, sometimes causing destruction, but sometimes making sparks fly.”—The Sunday Times (UK)

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