While you're improvising, you may come up with something which will break him up. As soon as that smile comes out, you know that, hey, we're having fun.
Shelley Berman
I believe it is important for comedians to know who came before them.
Unquestionably, standup comedy is and has always been an art form.
Though it sold very well, I hated 'The Edge.'
I quit smoking well over twenty years ago.
As a culture I see us as presently deprived of subtleties. The music is loud, the anger is elevated, sex seems lacking in sweetness and privacy.
I've got these two wonderful people who run my web site and put me on Facebook. They didn't even ask me. I'm very appreciative of it.
'Inside' was the second LP album of a comedian's performance before an audience.
'Outside' came in '60. 'The Edge' in '61. All three made Gold, but the biggest seller was 'Inside.'
The Steve Allen Sunday night show had the right to two options after my first performance.
I was an actor before becoming a comedian.
Incidentally, I'm still looking for acting work, my first love.
My first job was at a Chicago night club called Mr. Kelly's.
I am careful with my material and presentation.
The most memorable performance was my appearance in concert in Carnegie Hall. The first standup to do so.
I am presently in my thirteenth year of teaching a graduate course at the University of Southern California.
I am in the Master of Professional Writing program teaching Humor Writing, Literary and Dramatic.
The old problems - love, money, security, status, health, etc. - are still here to plague us or please us.
As much experience, education and awareness as one can attain is important for a comedian.
I will always love to perform standup comedy.
My whole act is confession.
So that this thing that aired in 1963 would result a few years later in personal bankruptcy, would result in having people be on edge with me, wondering when I'm going to blow up.
I don't know the accident of still being married. I was the worst human being. But we were, I guess, in love. So much has happened to us to bring us together and keep us together.
I just sit down and write. I never know when. The most recent one is 'Sarah Still,' which is about our life, Sarah and me. It's my favorite of all my poems.
Have a great, great marriage. Have a great time together. You know something? You'll disagree sometimes, and you'll find out how stupid it is, and then you'll be OK. You will.
