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Lizz Free or Die: Essays [Hardcover]

Lizz Winstead
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 10, 2012

Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show and one of today's most hilarious comedians and insightful social critics, pens a brilliant account of how she discovered her comedic voice.

In this collection of autobiographical essays, Winstead vividly recounts how she fought to find her own voice, both as a comedian and as a woman, and how humor became her most powerful weapon in confronting life's challenges.

Growing up in the Midwest, the youngest child of conservative Catholic parents, Winstead learned early in her life that the straightforward questions she posed to various authority figures around her-her parents, her parish priest, even an anti-abortion counselor -prompted many startled looks and uncomfortable silences, but few answers. Her questions rattled people because they exposed the inconsistencies and hypocrisies in the people and institutions she confronted. Yet she didn't let that stop her from pursuing her dreams.

Funny and biting, honest and poignant, this no-holds-barred collection gives an in-depth look into the life of one of today's most influential comic voices. In writing about her childhood longing to be a priest, her role in developing The Daily Show, and of her often problematic habit of diving into everything head first, asking questions later (resulting in multiple rescue-dog adoptions and travel disasters), Lizz Winstead has tapped an outrageous and heartfelt vein of the all-too-human comedy.


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Lizz Free or Die: Essays + Girl Walks into a Bar . . .: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sharply witty and iconoclastic.”—Elle 

“Searching and lively … and moving. … Ms. Winstead writes with a feel for the sound of words.” – The New York Times

“Engaging…Winstead proves that she’s got a writer’s touch.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Charming… with insight and understated humor.”—Mother Jones

“[An] indelible, hilarious, often poignant romp.”—American Way

“Political satirist and stand-up comedian Winstead… [is] shrewdly observant, linguistically adept, bravely soul-baring, and caustically smart.”—Booklist

“Funny, thoughtful… recommended.”—Library Journal

“With this book, Lizz Winstead takes us on a hilarious, honest, moving and insightful journey. It is the journey of a funny, fearless woman as she finds her voice and shares it with the world.”
—Arianna Huffington

“Reading Lizz Winstead's hilarious collection of very personal essays somehow leaves you changed.  You laugh, and yet there are nutrients in her words.”
—Sarah Silverman

“Lizz Winstead has written a fantastically readable collection. I really did laugh, and then, I really did cry.  Most important, though, I found someone I can leave my dogs with, should I have to flee the country.”
– Julie Klam

"Lizz Free or Die is brilliantly funny and razor sharp. Lizz Winstead observes our times with candor, hope and a gimlet eye. She is a national treasure."
--Adriana Trigiani

"Reading Winstead is like hanging out with Winstead: invigorating, infuriating, and hilarious." 
-- Patton Oswalt

About the Author

Lizz Winstead is the co-creator and former head writer of The Daily Show and one of the founders of Air America Radio. She has been cited by Entertainment Weekly as one of the magazine's 100 Most Creative People and frequently appears on MSNBC, CNN, and Comedy Central. She lives in Brooklyn. Learn more at www.lizzwinstead.com or follow her on twitter @lizzwinstead.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (May 10, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1594487022
  • ISBN-13: 978-1594487026
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Lizz is very smart, bright and funny. Nflgirl  |  25 reviewers made a similar statement
It was a fun read and recommend it often. Marianne Marshall  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
The book sounds like Lizz telling you a story, which I liked a lot. Nancy E. Rose Pribyl  |  7 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny. Real. Loved. May 11, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fantastic insight into a smart hilarious woman. If you are a fan of Lizz Winstead, you will be able to hear her voice through the pages. If you are not already a fan, you will fall in love with her through this collection of "messays" about her career and family life. Of course it's funny but it is also poignant and quite honest. I love this book.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book May 11, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Just finished reading this book. Since I'm a senior who was brought up Catholic,
I really related to the parts about religion and family. The rest of the book wasn't too shabby either.
A really fun read!
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Lizz Leaves Too Much Out July 31, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first heard of Lizz Winstead when she joined forces with Al Franken on Air America, a radio station harder to find than the Fountain of Youth. Those were the days Franken was duking it out with Bill O'Reilly and writing books with titles like RUSH LIMBAUGH IS A BIG FAT IDIOT, so I would have listened if I could've found it.

Then I heard she was the co-creator of "The Daily Show". Yes, that's the Jon Stewart "Daily Show." I've never actually seen Lizz Winstead on television, which is strange since I watch her protégé Rachel Maddow from time to time.

Anyway, LIZZ FREE OR DIE is a book of essays, held together by her progressive personality. We Minnesotans get a good look at the music scene as it first began to explode as Lizz and her friends go dancing at The First Edition frequented by Prince and Soul Asylum. It was there a friend recommended that she try stand-up comedy. This was when Minneapolis was one of the havens for new comedians, led by Scott Hansen and including Louie Anderson. Even Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold get a mention. Lizz eventually gets a job as the MC at First Edition.

There are times when the book skips over some possibly absorbing information. Lizz's hockey boyfriend gets her pregnant and she sees a sign offering help to wayward girls. The place sounded like the Texas House of Representatives; they put heavy pressure on her to have the baby, but Lizz never mentions the name of the place. It sounds a whole lot like Birthright. Considering the hammering Planned Parenthood is taking lately, one would think she would have jumped at the chance. Then the essay just stops; we can guess that she had an abortion but she never says where, tells us how she felt about it or anything. She just leaves it out. She also doesn't say anything about her relationship with Al Franken, something I was kind of looking forward to.

She does this again when she spends two years as the producer of "The Daily Show." After two years she just leaves. There's no explanation whatsoever as to why she left. Two months later Jon Stewart takes over the show.

Perhaps the best essay in my mind was the one about the death of her father. He literally died laughing. That's the way I want to go if I can't die in my sleep. The family spends his dying days talking about all the goofy stunts the guy pulled like buying a quarter of beef off the back of some guys truck for forty dollars. He and Lizz's mother were also stars on "The Daily Show". Maybe that's where David Letterman got the idea to feature his mother. They were also dyed-in-the-wool conservative Catholics; I could relate to that as well.

The Air America sequence is also rather interesting. It was the only Liberal radio response, outside of Garrison Keillor, to Limbaugh and the other conservative haters, and that's where Lizz discovered Rachel Maddow who was her partner during her three hour segment. They even interviewed Tim LaHaye, author of the LEFT BEHIND series and contributor to dozens of conservative "think" tanks. LaHaye could not stop talking about the coming Rapture, and Maddow who is usually nice to everybody said, "Can I have your stuff?" Talk about precognition; that's exactly what happened to Harold Camping and his followers.

Lizz would have been better served to find a co-author. It's not that she can't write, she did it for a living after all, but she too often sounds like she's bragging, and that's just not likable, no matter who you are.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars One of the worst human beings
She was awful on Adam Carolla. One of the most biased people I've ever listened to this book is no different. The tornado comment should show you what type of person this is. Read more
Published 7 hours ago by J
1.0 out of 5 stars Perfect read for narrow-minded people, don't waste your time and money
I know we live in a country where freedom of speech is everything, but when people with heavy political agendas get a publisher they just spread their ignorance and biased views... Read more
Published 20 hours ago by Nerd Ote
1.0 out of 5 stars Not smart and very not funny:(
As a fan of The Daily Show from the beginning, I saw this book and who wrote it and figured some laughs were in store. They were not. Read more
Published 27 days ago by MannyRamerizJr
4.0 out of 5 stars comedy
It was enjoyably funny. She writes about her antics of herself getting into the comedy business. Enjoyed her way of writing.
Published 1 month ago by m.bella
5.0 out of 5 stars Great, entertaining book
This is a great book if you have an open mind and a sense of humor. I laughed out loud at many parts, and found others very touching. Read more
Published 1 month ago by L Levey
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny Bio
Very enjoyable reading by a bright, funny, woman that tells all..She went through a lot of hard knocks to get to success.
Published 1 month ago by Wm. Tim Derflinger
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
Had me laughing and could really identify with some of the Catholic stories. A great book to take your mind off everyday issues.
Published 2 months ago by Susan A. Verbalis
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining quick read
I like nonfiction, humorous accounts of the lives of real people. This fit the bill. I read it in a couple of hours on my snow day.
Published 2 months ago by Elizabeth C Hershley
3.0 out of 5 stars All of the good parts revealed on talk circut
Considering the premise of Lizz's life, this really should have been a better book. She certainly thinks highly of herself....
Published 3 months ago by Pamela Rohr
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Lizz
I recommend this great mix of hilarity and provocation. Just be sure you don't read it where your uncontrollable laughter (and accompanying snorting) would disturb anyone.
Published 4 months ago by Ann McBurney
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