Author: You say you kind of have PTSD. It affected you badly did it?
Noam: Terrible. I mean, we were getting threats of violence. People who worked for me, who were wearing Comedy Cellar t-shirts, were accosted on the subway.
Author: Really? Did that happen?
Noam: Yeah.
Author: Wow. What do you mean accosted?
Noam: People would say, ‘How could you work there? Blah, blah, blah.’ People yelling and screaming. There’d also be … The honesty of the reporters who would take your words and chop them up like a guy snipping out words from a magazine to write a ransom note, and put them together to write whatever story they wanted …
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Author: Thanks firstly to everyone at the Comedy Cellar, past and present, especially anyone who spoke to me, including Ava Har’el, Elizabeth Furiati, Estee Adoram, Hassan Ragheb, Hatem Gabr, Juanita Dworman, Mohamed El-Taweel and Steve Fabricant. I owe particular thanks to Noam Dworman for all the time he gave me and for letting me hang around his business and visit his home. It took a lot of trust and he didn’t stop trusting even when I wrote things he didn’t like, nor when he was under pressure for allowing Louis CK back on stage. At that point the book became different to the book I originally intended. I knew he was stressed but he kept making himself available for interviews, which I appreciate. Thanks to some other non-comedians who talked to me, including Anthony Cumia, Christian Charles, David Pettinato, John Cook, Jordan Sargent and Patrick Milligan. Thanks to Erika, Leah and @9amburritos, whose full names I promised to leave out of the book. I know people might be tempted to identity them online, but please don’t. Thanks to a few others who helped in some way, including Andy Miller, Christine Evans, Damian Shiels, Dan Shaki, George Rush, Jimmy Thomson, Katie Way, Lee Hurst, MaryAnn Giraldo, Melena Ryzik, Nathan Bransford, Nina Mohanty, Victoria Coren Mitchell and some of the staff at The Daily Californian newspaper. Thanks to Elizabeth Widdicombe for commissioning my article about the table for the New Yorker. Thanks to Larry Doyle for digging out his notes from over two decades ago. Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for letting me print his words from the debate. Thanks to Kunt and the Gang for letting me use their lyrics. Thanks to others who said or published words which appear in this book, including the BBC, Cherrell Brown, Hollywood Reporter, Interrobang, Lena Dunham, Marc Maron, New York Magazine, The New York Times, New Yorker and Sarah Silverman. For the two chapters written by Manny I used copy he wrote for his record sleeves. If you want to read Rachel’s dad’s book, it’s called Fire on the Bayou by Howard L. Feinstein. A big thanks to all the comedians I talked to including Aaron Berg, Allan Havey, Andy De La Tour, whose book about New York comedy is called Stand-Up or Die, Bill Grundfest, Bonnie McFarlane, Carol Siskind, Charles Zucker, Colin Quinn, Dan Naturman, Dan Soder, Dat Phan, DC Benny, Dom Irera, Dov Davidoff, Dustin Chafin, Gary Gulman, Gilbert Gottfried, Godfrey, Greg Fitzsimmons, Gregg Rogell, Guy Branum … Extra thanks to Guy for letting me use his article. I understood his criticism of the balance of interviewees in my article for the New Yorker, and I know there’s an imbalance in this book, but it’s something I am more aware of now. Thanks to Henriette Mantel, Hood Qaim-Maqami and Jay Oakerson. Regarding Jay, he asked to be completely removed from the book. I didn’t do that, but just to provide some clarity, I think Jay is funny. Thanks to Jim Norton, Joe De Rosa, Joe List, Joe Machi, Jon Hayman, Jon Laster, Jon Manfrelloti, Jonathan Solomon, Judd Apatow, Judy Gold, Keith Robinson, Kevin Brennan, Kurt Metzger, Lenny Marcus, Lewis Schaffer, Liza Treyger, Louis CK, Lynne Koplitz, Mark Cohen, Mark Normand, Mike Royce, Mitch Fatel, Modi, Nick Di Paolo, Paul Mecurio, Rachel Feinstein, Rich Vos, Rick Crom, Rita Rudner, Robert Kelly, Rory Albanese, Russ Meneve, Ryan Hamilton, Sam Morril, Sherrod Small, Stewart Lee, Ted Alexandro, Tom Papa, Tony Daro, Vic Henley, Wali Collins, Wil Sylvince and William Stephenson, who sadly died in 2019. As I said, the book started out as something and ended up as something else, which meant a lot of interview material wasn’t used. Similar to jokes, writing this book was a long process of whittling the story down to what I really wanted to say. Even for those who didn’t appear in the book, their thoughts impacted what the book ended up being, and I greatly appreciate everybody’s time. If you’re wondering why I didn’t speak to a particular comedian, I probably tried, but lots of people declined, perfectly reasonably, just as some non-comedians didn’t respond when I tried to contact them, again perfectly reasonably. If any jokes in this book fall flat or the comedians sound like they’re trying to be nasty on stage, that’s my fault. To be clear, I believe every comedian in this book, while on stage, was only trying to make people laugh, and they made me laugh. One of the reasons the book changed direction was I feared hanging the comedians and other interviewees out to dry by publishing their words out of context. All of them had been brave and honest in cooperating with the book, knowing the reception their actions and thoughts might provoke online. To try and temper that I switched to transcripts, including my own side of the conversation, none of which was intended to go in the book when those words were spoken. The result is that anyone who reads this book witnesses me sucking up, misunderstanding and, more importantly, failing to unpick things I would otherwise have unpicked. So I’m in the book with the best of intentions, but as one person at my publisher said, at times it makes me sound sycophantic, narcissistic and silly. I felt that was a price worth paying. Away from the world of comedy clubs, thanks to William Fiennes, who showed me The Old House at Home by Joseph Mitchell. It might not be obvious, but it influenced this book. Thanks to my agent, Toby Mundy, especially for not objecting to appearing in the book. Thanks to my editor Philip Gwyn Jones and everyone at my publisher, Scribe, including Adam Howard, Aoife Datta, Guy Ivison, Kevin O’Brien, Mick Pilkington, Molly Slight and Sarah Braybrooke, all of whom never complained when I was struggling to balance parenthood and deadlines. Thanks to the Society of Authors for a grant in the early days of the book. Thanks to the Arts Council for a grant in the latter days of the book. Thanks to my parents and their partners. But thanks mostly to my wife and three children, who put up with that dreadful thing of having a writer in the house. You make me laugh and I love you.
NOTES
Prologue
Interview, 8 June 2018.
Pages 1–4
Interview, 26 October 2018.
Pages 5–6
Interview, 11 October 2018.
Pages 7–11
Interview, 18 October 2018.
Pages 12–13
Louis on stage, 9 October 2018.
Pages 14–15
Louis on stage, 8 October 2018.
Page 16
Interview, 26 October 2018.
Pages 17–18
Interview, 11 October 2018.
Pages 19–20
Interview, 20 September 2018.
Pages 21–24
Interview, 4 September 2018.
Page 25
Ted on stage, 1 September 2019.
Page 26
Tweet from @DanaAndJulia, 31 August 2018.
Page 27
Interview, 11 October 2018.
Pages 28–30
Interview, 4 September 2018.
Pages 31–32
Louis on stage, 27 August 2018.
Pages 34–36
Interview, 4 September 2018.
Pages 37–41
Text in an email, text dated 7 August 2018.
Pages 42–44
Interview, 20 September 2018.
Page 45
Email, sent 8 November 2018.
Pages 46–48
Interview, 26 October 2018.
Pages 49–50
Email, sent 23 June 2018.
Pages 51–53
Interview, 21 June 2018.
Pages 54–55
Interview, 18 July 2018.
Page 56
Wil on stage, January 2018.
Pages 57–60
Andrew on stage, 8 May 2018.
Pages 61–69
Article, published 10 November 2017; podcast, published 17 November 2017.
Page 70
Interview, 19 April 2018.
Page 71
Interview, 8 June 2018.
Pages 72–73
Interview, 12 January 2018.
Pages 74–75
Emails, sent 6 September 2017.
Page 79
Interview, 12 January 2018.
Page 80
Article, published 13 August 2017.
Pages 82–86
Interview, 14 July 2017.
Page 87
Ryan and Jerry on stage, 11 January 2017.
Page 88
Interview, 19 April 2018.
Page 89
Email, sent 17 March 2017.
Pages 90–100
Interview, 16 March 2017.
Page 101
Interview, 2 March 2017.
Page 102
Interview, 19 December 2016.
Pages 104–105
Email, sent 21 October 2016.
Page 106
Podcast, published 12 September 2016; text message, sent 18 September 2016.
Page 107
Interview, 4 July 2016.
Page 108
Podcast, published 24 May 2016.
Pages 110–112
Interview, 4 July 2016.
Page 113
Web page, dated 15 July 2016.
Pages 114–119
Interview, 16 July 2017.
Pages 120–121
Interview, 21 June 2018.
Pages 122–124
Interview, 12 July 2017.
Page 125
Emails, sent 25 September 2018.
Pages 126–128
Interview, 31 January 2018.
Pages 129–130
Erika’s email, sent 18 July 2016.
Pages 135–137
Interview, 4 July 2016.
Pages 138–140
Interview, 1 May 2017.
Page 141
Interview, 28 February 2019.
Page 142
Interview, 25 February 2018.
Pages 143–145
Interview, 11 July 2017.
Pages 146–147
Interview, 8 August 2016.
Pages 148–150
Tweets, 30 December 2014.
Pages 151–153
Interview, 27 June 2017.
Pages 154–155
Interview, 14 June 2017.
Pages 156–158
Interview, 4 July 2017.
Page 159
Interview, February 2013.
Pages 160–161
Interview, 19 April 2018.
Page 162
Interview, 4 July 2016.
Page 163
Interview, 8 August 2016.
Pages 164–167
Interview, 3 June 2017.
Pages 168–169
Interview, 18 March 2015.
Page 170
Interview, 9 May 2017.
Pages 171–172
Interview, 16 June 2017.
Page 173
Interview, 14 September 2018.
Page 174
Interview, 26 October 2018.
Page 175
Interview, 13 July 2017.
Pages 176–177
YouTube clip, uploaded 5 July 2010.
Pages 178–179
Interview, 13 July 2017.
Pages 180–182
Interview, 18 October 2018.
Pages 183–185
Interview, 3 August 2018.
Page 186
Interview, 18 July 2016.
Page 187
Interview, 8 August 2016.
Pages 188–195
Email, sent to Pat 24 April 2010.
Pages 196–199
Interview, February 2013.
Pages 200–203
Interview, 3 August 2017.
Pages 204–205
Interview, 19 April 2018.
Pages 206–207
Electronic document, dated 6 September 2004.
Pages 208–211
Electronic document, written January 2004.
Page 212
Interview, 30 November 2018.
Pages 213–215
Interview, February 2013.
Page 216
Interview, 11 October 2018.
Pages 217–218
Interview, 28 February 2019.
Pages 219–220
Interview, 18 March 2015.
Page 221
Interview, 17 July 2017.
Page 222
Interview, 8 October 2018.
Pages 223–224
Interview, 16 May 2019.
Page 225
Interview, 13 July 2017.
Pages 226–228
Letter, undated.
Pages 229–230
Interview, 18 March 2015.
Page 231
Interview, 3 August 2017.
Page 232
Interview, 14 July 2017.
Page 233
Interview, 10 June 2017.
Page 234
Interview, 6 August 2017.
Page 235
Don't applaud. Either laugh or don't. (At the Comedy Cellar.) Page 23