Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life in DC Public Library

May 23, 2016 D rated it really liked it

Remarkably personal account with detail of growing up and living as a Wild and Crazy Guy.

All entertainment is or is about to become old-fashioned. There is room (implied in the 1943 Dariel Fitzkee handbook -- Showmanship for Magicians: Complete Discussions of Audience Appeals and Fundamentals of Showmanship and Presentation) for something new. A show's elements include:

Music
Rhythm
Comedy
Sex Appeal
Personality
Selling Yourself.

Attention to each is vital and necessary. Fitzkee also talks about the im ...more

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Dec 03, 2007 Arlene Caruso rated it it was amazing

I'm a fan of biographies and have read this year alone at least two by comedians (Don Rickles and Bob Newhart). I like books written by comedians and am am a fan of Steve Martin's novels. So it comes as no surprise to me that this book was satisfying to me in the extreme.

I love that Steve Martin had his start at Disneyland. There I said it. Once I found that out early on in the biography, he was ok in my book. You see, my brother, also a Steve, is a professional juggler who got his start at Disn ...more

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Jul 24, 2013 Lauren rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, quick-reads, biography-memoir

A quick, delightful read; Steve Martin is equal parts straight-man and goofball here, his story is accessible and down-to-earth, and his writing really flows. Good for comedy fans, 60s and 70s pop-culture fiends, and people who like true life stories but generally find memoirs self-indulgent, as there's little of that here. ...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Sami Jo rated it really liked it

Hilarious. He candidly tells the story of his life and how he came to be - in a very honest, blundt fashion. I adore Steve and all of his many talents. He is my most favorite.

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