Drunks, thieves, scoundrels and the history of american comedy has been hired as chief curator for the centers forthcoming museum. Each episode ends with forster diligently reading out the titles of the books he has dealt with, along with their exact price in pounds and shillings. Drunks, thieves, scoundrels, and the history of american comedy by kliph nesteroff. Named a best book of 2019 by the washington post, nprs book concierge, nprs fresh air, the guardian, bookpage, the new york public library, and shelf. The new york times has deemed some of his theories provocative while vanity fair calls his work essential. Ken is brilliant and incisive and the kind of guy with so many smarts that it makes you go, man, that guys really smart. Nov 03, 2015 kliph nesteroff is a former standup comic turned writer. Kliph nesteroff is known as the human encyclopedia of comedy. George carlin had the eternal respect of every person in standup and still does. Kliph nesteroff wfmu blog mar 2010 30 min permalink the comedian who became a joke the tragicomic career of a nobody comedian from the 1940s who ditched his wife, child, and eventually his own name. Drunks, thieves, scoundrels and the history of american comedy series for cnn, and executiveproduced by comedianpodcaster marc maron, classic.
Hes a onestop shop for obscure stories about show business. George carlin had the eternal respect of every person in standup and still does, says nesteroff, who wrote the book the comedians. For millennia of human history, the future belonged to the strong. Planet funny is an illuminating take on that old cliche. George carlin, more so than probably any other major comedian. For a good forty years the mob controlled american show business.
Bestselling author and pop culture historian kliph nesteroff joins gilbert and frank along with former guest drew friedman for an informative and frequently hilarious analysis of topics covering ten decades of popular entertainment, including. He tells npr s renee montagne that much of modern standup grew out. May 12, 2016 gunderson also said kliph nesteroff, author of the comedians. Jun 18, 2019 small fry is lisa brennanjobss poignant story of a childhood spent between two imperfect but extraordinary homes. In the comedians, comedy historian kliph nesteroff brings to life a century of american comedy with reallife characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes, and counterculture iconoclasts. Drunks, thieves, scoundrels who most recently worked on the history of comedy documentary series for cnn this podcast mini. The truth is that almost the entire record is just as bizarre. Prior to abrams, he was senior editor at grove atlantic where his notable books included the comedians by kliph nesteroff, jack kerouac and william s. December 22, 2015 kliph nesteroffs book digs into the origins of.
Drunks, thieves, scoundrels and the history of american comedy. For technical questions or comments about wprs website, streaming or other digital media products, please use our website feedback form find out how to support wpr view our privacy policy. Jul 07, 2018 one of the most anticipated books of 2017. Most notable of those was the track my bathroom, which became something of a cult song, somehow sneaking onto npr a few times. Npr san francisco did a minidocumentary on nesteroff featuring the praise of comedians dana gould, marc maron, and film critic leonard maltin.
Kliph nesteroff is a former standup comic turned writer. In the comedians, comedy historian kliph nesteroff brings to life a century of american comedy with reallife characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. Brimming with insider stories and set against the roiling political and cultural landscape of the 1970s, thats not funny, thats sick goes behind the jokes to witness the fights, the parties, the collaborationsand the competitionamong this fraternity of the selfconsciously disenchanted. Gunderson also said kliph nesteroff, author of the comedians. Kliph nesteroff is a bestselling author regarded for his vast knowledge of show business. Kliph nesteroff presents a portal into a previously unseen world the guardian invaluable the onion av club important john hodgman, the daily show thursday, february 18, 2016 press for the comedians. The man who mocked everyone else in an increasingly sour, misanthropic way was revered as a figure of eternal respect. See more ideas about irwin corey, comedians and memories. Astral weeks is filled with fascinating new information and page after page of mindblowing, psychedelic revelations. Kliph nesteroff, author of the comedians ken jennings has done the impossible. Alex priest alexpriest carina bhavnani carinabhavnani1 lists. Kliph talks about his new tv series, all about comedy now and some of its controversies. Jul 28, 2017 funny how is hosted by kliph nesteroff, the celebrated author, producer and comedy historian. The most shocking, bizarre, and historic deaths of performers onstage abraham, jeff, kearns, burt on.
George carlins stuff gets a new home at national comedy. Nov 11, 2015 kliph nesteroff presents a portal into a previously unseen world the guardian invaluable the onion av club important john hodgman, the daily show thursday, february 18, 2016 press for the comedians. See more ideas about books, books to read and my books. Back in the mid1990s, a few tracks from this corporate artifact appeared on the product music cd from honest abe records. According to to kliph nesteroff, this was a profascist rally at which hitler, mussolini, and franco were praised. George carlin finds place for his stuff at jamestown. Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, nesteroffs groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way. The most shocking, bizarre, and historic deaths of performers onstage. Rather than censuring the five actors, the aea censured fay. Documenting the life and history of comedy for the past 100 years seems like a daunting task but its pretty clear books like this one are what its all about, people. Drunks, thieves, scoundrels and the history of american comedy reprint by kliph nesteroff isbn.
Funny how is hosted by kliph nesteroff, the celebrated author, producer and comedy historian. The author of three books including the sympathizer, winner of the pulitzer prize and a recently published story collection, the refugees, nguyen is the aerol arnold chair of english and professor of english and american studies and ethnicity at university of southern california. George carlin finds place for his stuff at jamestown comedy. George carlin finds place for his stuff at jamestown comedy center.
George carlins stuff gets a new home at national comedy center. I reached kliph in montreal by telephone from ciut 89. Kliph nesteroff in the comedians, comedy historian kliph nesteroff brings to life a century of american comedy with reallife characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. An interview with kliph nesteroff, author of the comedians. Susan stamberg, lynn neary and bob mondello read make way for ducklings, the classic childrens book that turned 75 this year. Npr reporter elizabeth blair never found a note of controversy in his history, just an echo of reverence. If there is one overriding takeaway from kliph nesteroffs sweeping the comedians. Articles by kliph nesteroff npr, salon, the walrus magazine. This resulted in the 1946 rally at madison square garden, which was called friends of frank fay. Kliph nesteroff is a comedy nerd in the deepest sense of the word. The comedians, the mob and the american supperclub it didnt matter if these clubs were in cleveland, portland, corpus christi or baton rougeif it was a nightclub, the owners were the mob. It is hard in so many ways, nesteroffs meticulously and.
Based on over 200 original interviews and extensive archival research, nesteroffs groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and. May 11, 2016 george carlin had the eternal respect of every person in standup and still does, says nesteroff, who wrote the book the comedians. Kliph nesteroff is author of the new book the comedians, which traces the history of that solitary comic in the spotlight. He is the consulting producer of the cnn series the. The occasion was carlins egotistically organized archives of his career being donated to a new national comedy center. On wednesday morning, nprs morning edition bowed deeply to the late hippie dippie comedian george carlin. Dec 22, 2015 kliph nesteroff is the author of the new book the comedians, which traces the history of that solitary comic in the spotlight. Burroughs and the hippos were boiled in their tanks, and the voyeur. Scoundrels, and the history of american comedy by kliph nesteroff. May 14, 2016 the occasion was carlins voluminously, egotistically organized archives of his career being donated to a new national comedy center. Kliph nesteroff is the author of the new book the comedians, which traces the history of that solitary comic in the spotlight. Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, nesteroffs groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and. Kliph nesteroff and this book are devoted to what i truly lovethe art of comedy.
Small fry is a memoir of uncommon grace, maturity, and spare elegance the reader of this exquisite memoir is left with a loving, forgiving remembrance and the lasting impression of a resilient, kindhearted and wise woman who is at peace with her past. Hosted by kliph nesteroff the author of 2015s the comedians. Kliph nesteroff wfmu blog feb 2010 45 min permalink. Classic showbiz with kliph nesteroff is a podcast miniseries chronicling the seedy underbelly, forgotten heroes, and subversive oddballs of comedy history. Kliph nesteroff is the author of the book the comedians and chief curator at the national comedy center. For comedy completists and comedians alike, this book is a real treat.