With his tender, funny memoir of four decades in the business, Alan
Zweibel traces the history of American comedy
Alan Zweibel started his comedy career selling jokes for seven dollars
apiece to the last of the Borscht Belt stand-ups. Then one night,
despite bombing on stage, he caught the attention of Lorne Michaels and
became one of the first writers at Saturday Night Live, where he
penned classic material for Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and all of the
original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. From SNL, Zweibel went on
to have a hand in a series of landmark shows--from It's Garry
Shandling's Show to Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In Laugh Lines, Zweibel weaves together the stories of his influential
career, from writing for a generation of Jackies and Mortys and Dickies
to meeting Gilda while hiding behind a potted plant. He goes deep into
the origins of famous SNL sketches, as well as how the show evolved in
the wake of meteoric success, and the projects--not all of them so
enduring--that followed. And Zweibel writes tenderly about his
friendships--with Shandling, Billy Crystal, Larry David, and others.
Woven throughout are also words from other comedians and writers,
including Richard Lewis, Eric Idle, Judd Apatow, Dave Barry, Carl
Reiner, Mike Birbiglia, Sarah Silverman, and more. This is a warmhearted
cultural memoir from a talented, award-winning writer.
