Joyful Recollections of Trauma
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
"It's a hilarious essay collection about trauma. Yes, really."—People Magazine
From award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer, a candid and hilarious memoir-in-essays on coming to terms with childhood trauma and finding the joy in embracing your authentic self.
Paul Scheer has entertained countless fans and podcast listeners with stories about the odd, wild, and absurd details of his life. Yet these tales have pointed to deeper, more difficult truths that the actor and comedian has kept to himself. Now, he is finally ready to share those truths for the first time—but, of course, with a healthy dose of humor.
Blending the confident, affable voice that has won him a dedicated following with a refreshing level of candor, Joyful Recollections of Trauma chronicles Paul’s often shocking, admittedly tumultuous childhood and how the experiences of his youth have reverberated throughout his life. In his comedy, Paul has always been unafraid to “go there,” to play naïve, cringeworthy characters, imbuing them with disarming charm and humanity. That daring openness is on display in the pages of this memoir, but in true Paul fashion, it is also surprising, eye-opening, and side-splitting.
In this madcap journey through the inner working of his mind and creative process, Paul Scheer demonstrates once again that the truth is often stranger—and funnier—than fiction. Joyful Recollections of Trauma offers a unique perspective on universal themes: growing up, working through a challenging childhood, staying true to yourself, and finding success, fulfillment, and happiness in often strange and difficult circumstances. Throughout, Paul shares both the hard-fought lessons and the laughter that can be found in the darkest parts of life, and reminds us that what matters is not what you’ve been through but who you are becoming. If you loved recent memoirs by Molly Shannon, Maria Bamford, RuPaul, and Jennette McCurdy—or any book that moves you to both laughter and tears—Joyful Recollections of Trauma is the perfect read for you.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Comedian and The League actor Scheer's debut memoir-in-essays has all the thrills and pitfalls of an improv comedy set. After his parents divorced when he was seven, Scheer grew up on 1980s Long Island with his mother and abusive stepfather, who once choked him during a tense game of Monopoly. Seeking an escape from his volatile home life, Scheer made short films and cultivated a hunger to perform in front of an audience. In high school, he landed a spot with the New York City–based comedy troupe Chicago City Limits, and became fascinated by long-form improv after watching Amy Poehler perform with the Upright Citizens Brigade, a group he eventually also joined. He dots the narrative's main arcs— about his career in comedy and courtship of fellow comedian June Diane Raphael, whom he eventually married—with amusing celebrity anecdotes, including the gruff dismissal he received from Alan Alda when he sought an autograph as a child ("No, kid. I bet you don't even know who I am"). At another point, Scheer recounts the platonic lunch date he went on with a "beautiful young woman" while working accounts payable at a branding firm, whom he later learned was Britney Spears. While the results are a bit scattershot—Scheer's funny, but there's a lot of froth—they go down easy. This should satisfy comedy fans. Agents: David Kuhn and Nate Muscato, Aevitas Creative Management.
