Clothing Optional: And Other Ways to Read These Stories [Hardcover]

Alan Zweibel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 16, 2008

Garry, it s Alan. Look, I m calling because I just felt the need to tell someone that I m forty-four years old, and about an hour ago, for the first time in my life, I put suntan lotion on my ass. I ll explain later. Bye.

In Clothing Optional, Alan Zweibel offers a collection of laugh-out-loud personal narratives, essays, short fiction, dialogues, and even a few whimsical drawings. Zweibel first made a name for himself as one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live, but his career s humble beginnings included creating one-liners for Catskill comedians at seven dollars a pop. That experience is only one of the hysterically inspired anecdotes ( Comic Dialogue ) in this quirky compilation.

Zweibel confesses his first love, as a young Hebrew school student, for Abraham s wife, Sarah ( At this point, Sarah s husband had been dead for more than three thousand years so, really, who would I be hurting? ); recounts the time he was sent to a nudist resort to write an article ( The fact that I brought luggage is, in itself, worthy of some discussion ); offers a touching tribute to Saturday Night Live writer and mentor Herb Sargent ( Herb was New York. But an older, more romantic New York that took place in black and white like the kind of TV I grew up on and wanted to be a part of someday ); and imagines a scenario in which Sergeant Joe Friday, the stiff, monotoned character from Dragnet, is inexplicably partnered with Snoop Dogg ( Damn, Friday. You gotta learn to chill. Take some free time and kick it with your boys )

Every piece is punctuated with the same wit and insight that have come to define Zweibel s humor.

Unhinged and hilarious, Clothing Optional is an unguided tour through the uniquely peculiar life and mind of a man who The New York Times said has earned a place in the pantheon of American pop culture.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Saturday Night Live writing alum and Thurber Prize winner Zweibel (The Other Shulman) returns with a collection of essays, short stories and ephemera that should solidify his place among American satirists. The books starts off strong with "Letters From an Annoying Man," a fictional tete-a-tete between Zweibel and a misguided fan that quickly escalates (with shades of Curb Your Enthusiasm, another show Zweibel has written for); the title essay, detailing Zweibel's trip to a nudist resort; and "Herb Sargent," a meditation on the mercurial qualities of friendship. At its best, Zweibel's work has depth and a respect for his subjects commiserate with his self-deprecating sense of humor; instead of laughing at nudists, readers laugh at Zweibel as he struggles with an erection in the swimming pool, or suffers the indignity of being beaten in the New York City Marathon by a runner dressed as a polar bear, or the litany of abuse he endures as a Little League commissioner. Though some pieces run long ("Comic Dialogue," "Happy"), comedy fans will appreciate Zweibel's range, as well as his ability to convey tender moments. Many humor books are consumed and forgotten; this is one to read and revisit.
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Review

Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Saturday Night Live writing alum and Thurber Prize winner Zweibel (The Other Shulman) returns with a collection of essays, short stories and ephemera that should solidify his place among American satirists. The books starts off strong with Letters From an Annoying Man, a fictional tete-a-tete between Zweibel and a misguided fan that quickly escalates (with shades of Curb Your Enthusiasm, another show Zweibel has written for); the title essay, detailing Zweibel s trip to a nudist resort; and Herb Sargent, a meditation on the mercurial qualities of friendship. At its best, Zweibel s work has depth and a respect for his subjects commiserate with his self-deprecating sense of humor; instead of laughing at nudists, readers laugh at Zweibel as he struggles with an erection in the swimming pool, or suffers the indignity of being beaten in the New York City Marathon by a runner dressed as a polar bear, or the litany of abuse he endures as a Little League commissioner. Though some pieces run long ( Comic Dialogue, Happy ), comedy fans will appreciate Zweibel s range, as well as his ability to convey tender moments. Many humor books are consumed and forgotten; this is one to read and revisit.

Praise for CLOTHING OPTIONAL

"Humor writer, author, playwright. But enough about me. Alan Zweibel's book made me laugh out loud!"
--Steve Martin

"If you're only going to read one book this year, well, you're a moron and this is definitely not the book for you. If, however, you're depressed, agitated, bitter, horny, bi-polar, a layabout, or a pathological liar, then, like me, you have much in common with the depraved soul who wrote these stories and owe it to yourself and whatever loved ones you probably don't have, to read it."  
--Larry David

"Alan Zweibel is the funniest writer in the world. He might be even funnier when he's naked, but I'm afraid to find out."    
 --Dave Barry

"I've known Alan Zweibel since 1975, and I've always had this sneaking suspicion that he might possess a sense of humor.  After reading CLOTHING OPTIONAL, I'm almost sure he does."      
--Rob Reiner

"So funny, so smart.  I can't wait to re-read Alan's book with the TV off."
--Martin Short

"Read Alan Zweibel and you'll be reminded of the likes of Robert Benchley and S.J. Perelman. You can't help but be moved by his warmth and insight even as you laugh your ass off."
--David Steinberg

"Reading Alan Zweibel makes me laugh out loud.   And yet it is not a particularly funny name."
--Eric Idle

 
"This new work by my lifelong pal proves two things. One, he deserves his iconic status  as a humorist and two, he needs hospitalization.
--Richard Lewis

"This book made me sick - that l didn't write it."
--Larry Gelbart

"That Alan Zweibel is deeply funny is a given.  The thing that I really love about this collection is Alan's humanity.  Read it.  It's wise, hilarious and original."
--Publishers Weekly

Entertaining, funny . . . winning deadpan humor . . . [Zweibel] writes with a jaundiced satirical eye. --Los Angeles Times Book Review

An amazing comic novel that is every bit as novel as it is comic. --Larry David, creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345500865
• ISBN-13: 978-0345500861
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #629,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Most of these humorous sketches are winners November 18, 2010

By Jonathan Groner VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Humor is never an easy thing to pull off on a consistent basis. Zweibel succeeds most of the time, which is high praise. His wry, self-deprecating humor, clearly tinged by his New York Jewish background, contains elements of Nora Ephron and Woody Allen. But Zweibel is less afraid to move in the direction of the sentimental without fear of becoming too maudlin. The sketch about the varieties of Catskills comics -- there are six species, the "unknown," the "semi-name, the "name" and so on -- had me laughing out loud. And the one with the former New York Met player, long retired, and his encounter with an unusual baseball fan was poignant, if a bit long. Lots of good stories here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars like any good comic, Zweibel's best writing will make you pause and ponder life's absurdities, if only for a valuable moment November 17, 2008

By Bookreporter

Format:Hardcover

The balance in your 401(k) is shrinking. The value of your home is drifting downward like the falling autumn leaves. Need a good laugh? Who doesn't these days? Thanks to CLOTHING OPTIONAL, Alan Zweibel's collection of short stories, personal essays, sketches and occasional pieces (along with a Vonnegut-like drawing or two), your prayers may have been answered.

Zweibel was one of the original writers on "Saturday Night Live" and perhaps is best known for BUNNY BUNNY, the touching memoir of his close friendship with Gilda Radner. Crediting his show business career to the 23 law schools that refused to admit him, Zweibel shares a Jewish comic sensibility with contemporaries from Long Island like his close friend, Billy Crystal. "Woody Allen's my idol," Zweibel writes, and there's also an Allenesque aura that hovers unmistakably over these pages. CLOTHING OPTIONAL is something of a grab bag of material, culled from Zweibel's writings for publications as diverse as the AARP Bulletin and Atlantic Monthly. Like a solid standup routine, if one piece doesn't suit your taste, just wait a minute, because the next one is likely to score.

The targets of Zweibel's observational wit are wide-ranging, but he has a striking fondness for biblically-themed material. He confesses that as an 11-year-old his first love was Sarah, Abraham's wife. While he admires the fact that she was "wise and understanding," one principal attraction was a very practical one: "Plus, at this point in time, Sarah's husband had been dead for more than three thousand years --- so really, who would I be hurting?" He also offers the tale of God's dialogue with Joshua and a hapless caterer named Mendel that provides a take on the story of Jericho's fall unlike anything you learned in Sunday school.

The book's title piece describes Zweibel's magazine assignment to write about a nudist club in Palm Springs. From his arrival at a "naked tea" wearing "gym shorts and a Yankees nightshirt that extended just below the knee," let's just say he undergoes a stunningly abrupt transformation in his attitude toward nudity. "I realized I liked these naked people," he writes. "They were without pretense in addition to being without clothing." By the time his departure day arrives, he's calculating exactly how long he can linger and still cover the 114 miles he needs to travel to reach his daughter's softball game on time, his estimates becoming ever more fanciful along the way.

Alongside the numerous examples of Zweibel's wit, often of the most self-deprecating variety, appears a touching tribute to one of his mentors, Herb Sargent, another "SNL" writer. Zweibel was drawn to Sargent because "Herb was New York. But an older, more romantic New York that took place in black and white, like the kind of TV I grew up on and wanted to be a part of someday. Comedy with a conscience. And mindful of its power to influence." The conclusion of this remembrance is powerful enough to make you reach for the phone or send an email to an old friend who has slipped from your life.

In a similar spirit is the piece entitled "Comic Dialogue," a series of conversations between Zweibel, in the early days of his career as a comedy writer, and a Catskills comic who introduces the young Alan to the taxonomy of stardom: "unknowns, semi-names, names, stars, big stars and superstars." When Alan writes a movie script he thinks will help lift the comic out of "semi-name" status, the comedian's rebuff is poignant and rich with irony.

Not every piece here hits the mark. The concluding sketch, "Between Cars," about the courtship of toll collectors at a deserted parkway exit, probably goes on a bit too long, while a couple of the shorter ones feel undercooked. But these weaker efforts are balanced by ones like "Barbarians at the Plate," Zweibel's account of the emotionally draining season he served as commissioner of his son's Little League. Or "Happy," the wistful encounter between a retired baseball player living in obscurity in Florida and one of his fans.

Nothing you read in CLOTHING OPTIONAL is likely to radically transform your worldview, unless you adopt Zweibel as some sort of existentialist Long Island philosopher. But like any good comic, his best writing will make you pause and ponder life's absurdities, if only for a valuable moment. And in hard times laughter can be a tonic, a prescription this book more than satisfies.

--- Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg