The George Carlin letters : the permanent courtship of Sally Wade
Sally Wade.
New York : Gallery Books, 2011.
A unique illustrated memoir by Sally Wade, the love of George Carlin’s life for ten years, THE GEORGE CARLIN LETTERS: THE PERMANENT COURTSHIP OF SALLY WADE is a collection of never-before-seen writings and artwork by the late great comedian (representing at least 1/3 of the text in the book), woven into Wade’s beautifully told chronicle of the last ten years of their life together. The book provides a rare glimpse into the man behind the legend. George Carlin wrote to Sally daily--notes, postcard, letters&he even started fights on paper; the title is taken from his very last note, which Sally found propped up on her computer upon returning from the hospital the day he died. One of the greatest love stories ever told&hilariously, until the release of this book, no one but Sally has ever seen this side of George Carlin. And everyone is guaranteed to fall in love with both of them.
Bossypants
Tina Fey.
New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2011.
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty onSaturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy. Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!
Bossypants
Tina Fey.
New York, NY : Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown and Co., 2011.
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty onSaturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy. Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!
Zombie spaceship wasteland : a book
by Patton Oswalt.
New York : Scribner, 2011.
Prepare yourself for a journey through the world of Patton Oswalt, one of the most creative, insightful, and hysterical voices on the entertainment scene today. Widely known for his roles in the films Big Fan and Ratatouille, as well as the television hit The King of Queens, Patton Oswalt a staple of Comedy Central has been amusing audiences for decades. Now, with Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, he offers a fascinating look into his most unusual, and lovable, mindscape. Oswalt combines memoir with uproarious humor, from snow forts to Dungeons & Dragons to gifts from Grandma that had to be explained. He remembers his teen summers spent working in a movie Cineplex and his early years doing stand-up. Readers are also treated to several graphic elements, including a vampire tale for the rest of us and some greeting cards with a special touch. Then there's the book's centerpiece, which posits that before all young creative minds have anything to write about, they will home in on one of three story lines: zombies, spaceships, or wastelands.Oswalt chose wastelands, and ever since he has been mining our society's wasteland for perversion and excess, pop culture and fatty foods, indie rock and single-malt scotch. Zombie Spaceship Wasteland is an inventive account of the evolution of Patton Oswalt's wildly insightful worldview, sure to indulge his legion of fans and lure many new admirers to his very entertaining wasteland.
Mr. Funny Pants
Michael Showalter.
New York : Grand Central Pub., 2011.
Michael Showalter, the brain (and face) behind (and in front) ofMichael & Michael Have Issues,The State, Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter,andStella,brings readers his uniquely absurd, hilarious first book. Michael's brainy, hysterical literary debut combines funny anecdotes, stories, jokes, humor pieces, observations, lists, and personal memoir into a remarkably cohesive narrative. MR. FUNNY PANTS is an adventurous journey into the deep, and not-so-deep, recesses of Showalter's creative mind. The end result is a new kind of comic memoir, with the ultimate goal to entertain, and on a deeper level, to tell Showalter's story. His obsessions, creative and otherwise, successes, and many failings make for an uproarious read. MR. FUNNY PANTS will bring insight to those cult followers who have been devoted fans sinceThe State,as well as readers discovering Showalter's odd charm for the first time.
Pat Cooper : how dare you say how dare me! an autobiography of a life in comedy
Pat Cooper ; as told to Rich Herschlag and Steve Garrin.
Garden City Park, NY : SquareOne Publishers, c2011.
The amazing, often bizarre story of the life of one of the most popular and well known comedians in show business. Pat Cooper has worked with the best, Frank Sinatra, George Burns, Tony Bennett, Jackie Gleason. A brash, irreverent and hilarious autobiography.
Sleepwalk with me : and other painfully true stories
Mike Birbiglia.
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2010.
Hello, I am Mike Birbiglia and I want you to read my book. Too on the nose? Sorry. Let me dial it back. I’m Mike Birbiglia and I’m a comedian. You may know me from Comedy Central or This American Life or The Bob & Tom Show , but you’ve never seen me like this before. Naked. Wait, that’s the name of another book. Also I’m not naked as there are no pictures in my book. Also, if there were naked pictures of me, you definitely wouldn’t buy it, though you might sneak a copy into the back corner of the bookstore and show it to your friend and laugh. Okay, let’s get off the naked stuff. This is my first book. It’s difficult to describe. It’s a comedic memoir, but I’m only 32 years old so I’d hate for you to think I’m “wrapping it up,” so to speak. But I tell some personal stories. Some REALLY personal stories. Stories that I considered not publishing time and time again, especially when my father said, “Michael, you might want to stay away from the per sonal stuff.” I said, “Dad, just read the dedication.” (Which I’m telling you to do too.) Some of the stories are about my childhood, some are about girls I made out with when I was thirteen, some are about my parents, and some are, of course, about my bouts with sleepwalking. Bring this book to bed. And sleepwalk with me.
I'm not high : but I've got a lot of crazy stories about life as a goat boy, a dad, and a spiritual warrior
Jim Breuer.
New York : Gotham Books, c2010.
A deeply personal, deeply hilarious memoir from one of America's most Beloved Saturday Night Live comedians. With his goofy smile, sleepy eyes, and stoner's laugh, Jim Breuer might not appear to be the most introspective comedian out there. The fact that he made his mark playing Goat Boy on Saturday Night Live and a recalcitrant toker in the stoner classic Half Baked doesn't help his reputation at all. But in I'm Not High, we meet a whole new Jim Breuer: the Jim who tours the country with his whole family in tow; the Jim who cares for his ailing eighty-five-year-old father; the Jim who considers himself a deeply spiritual person. I'm Not High reveals the complex man behind the simpleminded, weed-smoking persona, bringing to life true stories from a career that has spanned two riotous (yet somehow semi-righteous) decades. Jim dishes on everything from the SNL years to his early adventures in film. The cast of characters in I'm Not High includes Chris Farley, Dave Chapelle, and Tracy Morgan - who all taught Jim lasting lessons about the high-stakes game of fame. He also chronicles the constant role his family has played in keeping him honest. Whether he's arguing with his wife about religion (Is it okay to believe in God but not believe in church?), trying to take care of his kids, or helping his father get through the day with his dignity in tact, it's clear that some of his best material comes from his best moments as a son and a dad and a husband.