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kitdunsmore's review against another edition
3.0
You get a real sense of the history of comedy writing (radio/TV/movies) in America as you read through the interviews in this book. But I think it teaches much more about the industry than the craft.
tommyhousworth's review against another edition
5.0
This is a must read for anyone who fancies themselves a comedy writer, or is just intrigued by the notion and process of creating comedy. Mike Sacks interviews such luminaries as Buck Henry, Stephen Merchant, Harold Ramis, Merrill Markoe, Marshall Brickman, George Meyer, David Sedaris, Robert Smigel, Dick Cavett, Dave Barry, Jack Handy, and Larry Gelbart.
If some of those names don't ring a bell, trust me, you likely know their work. These are men and women who have written Carson, Letterman, The Simpsons, SNL, Conan, The Office, the New Yorker, M*A*S*H, Jack Paar, Woody Allen, Second City, and such films as The Graduate, Ghostbusters, and others.
I read this on concurrent plane rides, and longed for a highlighter so I could mark up passages. Harold Ramis shares the story of how "Groundhog Day" was originally conceived, Merrill Markoe reels off a long list of the things she hates most in comedy (it's a must for any writer), David Sedaris explains the difference between exaggeration and 'making shit up', and Dick Cavett reveals what it was like to write for Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. The Simpsons writers and SNL writers give peeks into their approaches and the way their respective writers' bullpens work. Buck Henry tells us where his classic line in "The Graduate" about plastics came from, and Marshall Brickman talks about collaborating on "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan".
You'll find out what Carson, Letterman, Conan, Belushi, Murray, and others are like to work with, and sadly, how miserable so many comedy writers and comedians seem to be in their everyday lives.
Really, if you love comedy, or comedy writing, this book is indispensable. Honestly, you could read a dozen "How to Write Comedy" books and not glean nearly as much as you could just soaking in the experiences of these pioneers and warriors.
If some of those names don't ring a bell, trust me, you likely know their work. These are men and women who have written Carson, Letterman, The Simpsons, SNL, Conan, The Office, the New Yorker, M*A*S*H, Jack Paar, Woody Allen, Second City, and such films as The Graduate, Ghostbusters, and others.
I read this on concurrent plane rides, and longed for a highlighter so I could mark up passages. Harold Ramis shares the story of how "Groundhog Day" was originally conceived, Merrill Markoe reels off a long list of the things she hates most in comedy (it's a must for any writer), David Sedaris explains the difference between exaggeration and 'making shit up', and Dick Cavett reveals what it was like to write for Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. The Simpsons writers and SNL writers give peeks into their approaches and the way their respective writers' bullpens work. Buck Henry tells us where his classic line in "The Graduate" about plastics came from, and Marshall Brickman talks about collaborating on "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan".
You'll find out what Carson, Letterman, Conan, Belushi, Murray, and others are like to work with, and sadly, how miserable so many comedy writers and comedians seem to be in their everyday lives.
Really, if you love comedy, or comedy writing, this book is indispensable. Honestly, you could read a dozen "How to Write Comedy" books and not glean nearly as much as you could just soaking in the experiences of these pioneers and warriors.
misterjay's review against another edition
4.0
This series of interviews should be a must read for anyone who wants to write, comedy or otherwise. The interviewees run the gamut from television legends, to comic book artists, to essayists, with insights and anecdotes from all.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
mattycakesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The most surprising thing about this book is how many amazing writers this guy got to talk to him... it's like a who's who of humor writers. The interviews themselves were fairly interesting, but they weren't particularly useful as a humor writer in the internet age... as someone who doesn't spend any time in the show business world, I'm not likely to ever get into humor writing via stand-up or television. These are later steps: there wasn't much in here for the internet-inclined.
Which is fine. It's a relatively new medium and there aren't any online legends yet. Give it ten years. But like a lot of writing, media, and communications career, what was most clear - and what was the main takeaway from this book - was that there's no "right" way to get into humor writing. It'll probably happen if you're extremely talented, but it might now. So while I enjoyed reading this (particularly the between-chapter tips, which were incredibly useful), Neil Gaiman's "dandelions" speech about modern writing still remains more useful as a humor writer in the modern age than most of the stuff I read in this book.
Which is fine. It's a relatively new medium and there aren't any online legends yet. Give it ten years. But like a lot of writing, media, and communications career, what was most clear - and what was the main takeaway from this book - was that there's no "right" way to get into humor writing. It'll probably happen if you're extremely talented, but it might now. So while I enjoyed reading this (particularly the between-chapter tips, which were incredibly useful), Neil Gaiman's "dandelions" speech about modern writing still remains more useful as a humor writer in the modern age than most of the stuff I read in this book.
traciemasek's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this a lot. Some interviews were better than others, but that's to be expected. Some of my favorites were with people I'd never heard of, and with some of the old timers.
lisahelene's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of interesting trivia for people with a sense of humor and others. Now I know to watch my M*A*S*H dvds with the laugh track turned off! Who knew you could even do that?
I like this bit of advice & have used it with reading, sewing, & working:
Truman Capote once said that if you have to leave a manuscript or a chapter, don't finish up the last little bit, because then, when you come back, you'll have to re-start from nothing.
I like this bit of advice & have used it with reading, sewing, & working:
Truman Capote once said that if you have to leave a manuscript or a chapter, don't finish up the last little bit, because then, when you come back, you'll have to re-start from nothing.
jelisela's review against another edition
2.0
I'm hesitant to rate this at all because the reason I didn't like it had nothing at all to do with the way it was written or the questions asked; it was because I didn't care for most of the people being interviewed. Many of them were pretentious and the interviews were dull. For me, this book was a slog-fest, for someone who thinks of these "top humor writers" as being genuinely funny, it might be fantastic.
marlan's review against another edition
4.0
I'm always on the lookout for interviews with writers. These are the people largely responsible for our favorite shows and movies, and yet their voices are lost in the cacophony of interviews with actors and directors. This collection of interviews with comedy writers might be somewhat dated in its business advice, but there are lots of other nuggets here that make the book still worth reading. A solid read for any comedy fan.
Some highlights:
Paul Feig talks about his work on Freaks and Geeks, and how his dedication to telling the stories of losers who don't triumph led to both the success and downfall of the show.
Irving Becher, who wrote for the Marx Brothers, talks about the culture's transition from vaudeville to movies, how comedy is different today, and verifies Milton Berle's prodigious reputation.
Jack Handey, writer of SNL's Deep Thoughts, confirms that he exists.
Some highlights:
Paul Feig talks about his work on Freaks and Geeks, and how his dedication to telling the stories of losers who don't triumph led to both the success and downfall of the show.
Irving Becher, who wrote for the Marx Brothers, talks about the culture's transition from vaudeville to movies, how comedy is different today, and verifies Milton Berle's prodigious reputation.
Jack Handey, writer of SNL's Deep Thoughts, confirms that he exists.
bennse2's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't really sure what to expect from these interviews, but they are amusing and insightful anecdotes from people who work in comedy - and not just the Seinfeld types. The author knows his stuff and the interviewees keep it interesting, witty, or both. Especially great for reading on the way to work!