lisahelene's review
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
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
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
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!
brianajae's review
4.0
Enjoyed this one quite a lot. It's definitely aimed towards a certain type of person. I am fascinated by humor writing. So I enjoyed these interviews with humor writers. Just little insights into the industry.
thekarpuk's review
1.0
I got through about a third of these interviews over the course of years. As someone who thinks a lot about comedy, I felt like something could be learned here. The thing is, around the time this book came out a lot of comedic podcasts started creeping into my iPod. The main thing I learned?
Comedians are boring people.
Some of my favorite comedians give the most uninspired interviews, and they all seem more than eager to be asked "serious" questions about their craft, even though I didn't really glean much about the actual logic of comedy, because people in comedy don't seem all that eager to give away anything in an industry so thoroughly competitive. The ones who were the most open were also older with plenty of achievements behind them. Harold Ramis' statement about standing next to the smartest person in the room was about the height of wisdom and it just sort of made sense.
Brainstorming jokes all the damn time seems to just kill the humor centers of your brain from every day use. Sometimes in interviews I can almost feel them holding back because they'd rather use a quip later in a setting where they'd get paid.
We all have a funny friend, and the reason they can be funny is because they don't have to do it for a living. A professional cook does not want to cook for you every time you hang out. The trouble is that humor is such an innate part of human life.
So I guess the big underline is to not ask a comedian about their craft unless you really feel like killing the energy in a room.
Comedians are boring people.
Some of my favorite comedians give the most uninspired interviews, and they all seem more than eager to be asked "serious" questions about their craft, even though I didn't really glean much about the actual logic of comedy, because people in comedy don't seem all that eager to give away anything in an industry so thoroughly competitive. The ones who were the most open were also older with plenty of achievements behind them. Harold Ramis' statement about standing next to the smartest person in the room was about the height of wisdom and it just sort of made sense.
Brainstorming jokes all the damn time seems to just kill the humor centers of your brain from every day use. Sometimes in interviews I can almost feel them holding back because they'd rather use a quip later in a setting where they'd get paid.
We all have a funny friend, and the reason they can be funny is because they don't have to do it for a living. A professional cook does not want to cook for you every time you hang out. The trouble is that humor is such an innate part of human life.
So I guess the big underline is to not ask a comedian about their craft unless you really feel like killing the energy in a room.
missnicelady's review
4.0
Major quibble: There are only two women interviewed in this profile of 21 humor writers. Granted, they're pretty stellar humorists (Merrill Markoe and Allison Silverman), and maybe Tina Fey, Elaine May, Sarah Silverman, Amy Sedaris, etc. were too busy being awesome to sit down for an hours-long interview with Mike Sacks. But still.
That said, this is still a fascinating compilation of writers from across the humor spectrum -- standup comics, sitcom writers, screenwriters, columnists, cartoonists -- talking about how they write. All of the profilees have interesting things to say about their work even if their work isn't all that interesting to me (Dave Barry is surprisingly dark!). There's a little bit of industry-specific chat, but I think any writer would find plenty of inspiration and insight in this book. Nearly all the writers say their humor starts with honesty, which is a pretty good place for any writer to start, I'd say. There's also a level of fearlessness to their work (especially with contemporary writers like Paul Feig, Robert Smigel, Larry Wilmore, and Stephen Merchant) that keeps the funny just this side of scary. Good stuff.
That said, this is still a fascinating compilation of writers from across the humor spectrum -- standup comics, sitcom writers, screenwriters, columnists, cartoonists -- talking about how they write. All of the profilees have interesting things to say about their work even if their work isn't all that interesting to me (Dave Barry is surprisingly dark!). There's a little bit of industry-specific chat, but I think any writer would find plenty of inspiration and insight in this book. Nearly all the writers say their humor starts with honesty, which is a pretty good place for any writer to start, I'd say. There's also a level of fearlessness to their work (especially with contemporary writers like Paul Feig, Robert Smigel, Larry Wilmore, and Stephen Merchant) that keeps the funny just this side of scary. Good stuff.
xsnerg's review
4.0
Sacks takes some of the mystery out of what it takes to be funny – as comedy writers, cartoonists, essayists and stand-up comedians, present and past – in this insightful book on what makes us laugh, and why. The writers interviewed are open and generous in sharing what they’ve learned through practice and diligent study, and failure. There’s no false modesty or descriptions of the process as ‘magic.’ The skills are not so much ‘secrets’ as they are a mystery to those of us who want to learn how they can do with such seeming ease what the rest of us struggle to do. The interviewed writers, ranging from Dave Barry to Dick Cavett, Buck Henry to Roz Chast, share how they learned their crafts, who or what influenced them, and how what they do works. And acknowledge that some of it is the luck of working for the right person.
A wholly satisfying read for people who want to understand the craft.
A wholly satisfying read for people who want to understand the craft.
sarahjsnider's review
4.0
Recommended for aspiring comedy writers and/or huge comedy nerds. The rest of you might find it a little too much inside baseball.
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