Why Not?
Lessons on Comedy, Courage, and Chutzpah
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- ¥1,600
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- ¥1,600
発行者による作品情報
From master comedian Mark Schiff, a long-time touring partner of Jerry Seinfeld, comes a hilarious account of decades of foolery with comedy and acting legends and how he honed his mensch skills in all of life’s arenas.
Pursuing a career in comedy has always taken a lot of chutzpah. Today Mark Schiff looks back at his fifty-year career as a stand-up comic, actor, and writer and knows he’s laughed with the best of them. His comedy and character have been widely praised by everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Bill Maher, Paul Reiser, and Colin Quinn—as Seinfeld writes in his foreword, Mark is “the greatest comedy pal a guy could ever wish for”—but it hasn’t always been easy.
In this brilliantly honest collection of essays inducing both heart tugs and deep belly laughs, Mark recounts growing up Jewish in the outer boroughs of New York City and shares how he survived a harrowing childhood and managed health crises, aging, marriage, parenting, and career highs and lows. With wit and wisdom, Mark reminds us that no matter the troubles at-hand, the show must always go on. The result is an unforgettable and highly relatable account from one of the best humor writers of our time that will leave readers of all faiths energized and feeling like they’ve schmoozed with the best of them.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Schiff debuts with a humorous collection of essays about his life and career as a comedian. He recounts anecdotes from his tumultuous childhood in the Bronx, including shouting matches between his parents and his mother's penchant for smashing dishes. His account of getting into comedy offers an insider look at the 1980s New York and Los Angeles scenes. Working as a short-order cook "to pay the landlord," he spent nights performing at comedy clubs alongside Jerry Seinfeld (who reflects on his friendship with the author in the foreword), Paul Reiser, Carol Leifer, and Larry David (no one wanted to follow David's sets, Schiff notes, because he left audiences "upset or bewildered"), and eventually landed several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Schiff tells of how he embraced his Jewish faith after attending a Torah class in L.A. while in his early 30s, hoping that "maybe there'd be girls there" but finding instead a welcoming community. Though rarely laugh-out-loud funny (some of the one-liners feel forced), this is at its moving best when Schiff discusses the hard times, such as living in fear of his mother or supporting his wife after a hysterectomy. Comedy fans will come for the behind-the-scenes anecdotes and stay for the heart.
