In this engaging and disarmingly frank book, comic Jay Sankey spills the beans, explaining not only how to write and perform stand-up comedy, but how to improve and perfect your work. Much more than a how-to manual Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy is the most detailed and comprehensive book on the subject to date.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Toronto-based comedian Sankey may not be a household name, but his how-to book is a worthy complement to Judy Carter's Stand-Up Comedy: The Book (Dell, 1989) and far better than Richard Belzer's slight How To Be a Stand-Up Comic (Citadel, 1992). While Carter offers more specific advice on joke writing to beginners, Sankey provides more depth, musing helpfully on writing, delivery, set structure, and more. He may be right to advise that naturally funny people can learn to do stand-up, but Sankey could say more about the daunting hurdles to latter-day professional success. His Zen references are judiciously sparse, and his conclusion that stand-up comics can learn from Zen about being "in the moment" and staying loose on stage rings true. For strong performing arts collections.?Norman Oder, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Jay Sankey offers aspiring stand-up comics a career's worth of wisdom in Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy. His advice [is] both thought provoking and practical.
–Publishers Weekly, May 1998
–Publishers Weekly, May 1998
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant - like no other comedy writing book out there!,
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This review is from: Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy (Paperback)
I collect humorous stories - sales blunders, actually. So I wanted a book that would help me as a professional speaker to be as funny as possible. Speakers, like comedians, get paid more when their audience laughs more.So I began buying all the comedy writing books and most are pretty good. Buy Jay's is first of all, hilariously funny (bonus!) and second, more insightful than anything else. He discusses the psychology of the performer and the audience. He has little, interesting, no - fascinating details I found nowhere else. Funny cartoons, creativity galore, inspiration and encouragement for anyone dipping into comedy or getting a dunking in it. Best book on the block on this topic!
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Book on Stand-up,
By paul cross (Chicago, Il) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy (Paperback)
I've read a lot of bad books on stand-up comedy, all of them except this one. This is the only good one I've read. After I read this, I did stand-up for the first time at a bar for 30 people. The next week I was in the Comedy Central/Miller Lite Lite 'n Up competition at Comedy Works in Denver for a packed house each time I performed. Out of 100 people, and over the course of 2 months of performing, I got third place. Since then I've moved to Chicago and got booked at Zanie's. A lot of that had to do with the book. It cuts through to the chase.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Make this your first book on stand up comedy.,
By
This review is from: Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy (Paperback)
I've bought several books on stand up comedy and,this is the best book.I enjoyed reading and learning from the author.
He tells you what you need to know,why you need to know it and gets to the point real quick.He doesnt bore you.The author shares his experiences and explains things in a very sensible way and very clearly.And,in simple english too.This guy is your friend who just wants to help you be good at stand up comedy and reduce your chances of doing badly. If you want a book that will help you in your new career or you're thinking about it then buy this book first.This book is the one book you will keep with you. I have nothing negative to say about this book at all.Its great value and has so much to offer.Thanks,Jay!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
In response to a question like "What is funny?" comics often say, "Funny is funny," and, though that doesn't say much, I would have to agree. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
comedic perspective, absurdist humor, click moment, time onstage, other comics, first joke, last joke, many comics, few comics, character onstage Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Brian Regan, Milton Berle New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In response to a question like "What is funny?" comics often say, "Funny is funny," and, though that doesn't say much, I would have to agree. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
comedic perspective, absurdist humor, click moment, time onstage, other comics, first joke, last joke, many comics, few comics, character onstage Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Brian Regan, Milton Berle New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
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cites this book:
- New Theatre Quarterly 63: Volume 16, Part 3 (Vol 16, Pt.3, No.63) by Clive Barker on page 100
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