Monday, May 09, 2016

New Book: Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories by Chuck Palahniuk

Probably about a month ago, I finished reading Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy by Judd Apatow.  The book is a collection of interviews Apatow has done over the years with comedians.  He started interviewing comedians (including Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno) in the early '80s for his high school radio station, and he has continued to do so throughout his prolific and highly successful writing/producing/directing career.  He has interviewed stand-up comedians, TV stars, movie stars, directors, writers, and producers, including Chris Rock, Louis C.K., Mel Brooks, Amy Schumer, Seth Rogen, Steve Martin, Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey, Roseanne Arnold, Sarah Silverman, Adam Sandler, James L. Brooks, Mike Nichols, and many others.  The book is a really good read, as Apatow often explores what made these people go into comedy, and what inspires their comedy.  As someone whose main goals in life are to laugh and make other people laugh, I really enjoyed the book.

I then took a few weeks off of reading, since cell service has gotten markedly better on the L's underground lines, allowing me to play Words With Friends while riding to and from work.  Last week, I decided that I should probably start reading again.  I went with Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories by Chuck Palahniuk, which I've been wanting to read for about ten years, but just have never gotten around to doing it.  Palahniuk -- whose name I have no idea how to pronounce -- is, of course, the famously demented author of Fight Club, Choke, and many other novels.  (I read Haunted a few years back, and really liked it.)  Anyway, Stranger Than Fiction is a collection of nonfiction essays and stories on a diverse array of topics.  Should be interesting.

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