Acknowledgments ix
The Set-up: A Prologue 1(4)
1 Celebrations 5(4)
2 A Kid at the Studio 9(4)
3 The Boys 13(8)
4 Socks and Moxie—Jerry Seinfeld 21(10)
5 The Wives 31(6)
6 Stirring the Sauce with Joy Behar 37(8)
7 Hotels 45(6)
8 Comedy Begins at Home—Billy Crystal 51(6)
9 On the Road 57(8)
10 The First Laugh—Robin Williams 65(6)
11 The Funny Barber 71(8)
12 He Said/He Said—Ben & Jerry Stiller 79(8)
13 aka Orson 87(4)
14 Testifying with Chris Rock 91(12)
15 Beverly Hills, My Neighborhood 103(10)
16 My Dad 113(8)
17 Harry and the Parakeet 121(6)
18 Angelo's Boy—Jay Leno 127(8)
19 Miss Independence 135(4)
20 My Big Brown Eyes 139(8)
21 Killing and Dying—Alan Alda 147(6)
22 Comedians in Their Dressing Rooms 153(2)
23 A Phone Call with Mr. Warmth—Don Rickles 155(10)
24 The Two Dannys 165(4)
25 Turn-ons with Conan O'Brien 169(10)
26 The Bow 179(2)
27 Twenty Questions for Stephen Colbert 181(8)
28 Dinner at the Goldbergs 189(6)
29 The Survivor—Joan Rivers 195(10)
30 Obsession 205(12)
31 Fall-Down Funny—George Lopez 217(6)
32 Tony's Pilot 223(6)
33 Oh, Donald 229(4)
34 Lew Parker 233(8)
35 The Comedian's Comedian 241(4)
36 Growing Up Free 245(8)
37 One-Girl Show—Lily Tomlin 253(12)
38 Rose Marie 265(8)
39 The Book on Kathy Griffin 273(10)
40 Capra, Orson (the Other One), and Me 283(10)
41 The Wright Stuff—Steven Wright 293(10)
42 Growing a Feminist 303(10)
43 The Joke on Me 313(6)
44 The Making of a Wisenheimer—Tina Fey 319(8)
45 The Reluctant Interview: An Improv 327(10)
46 The Storyteller—Whoopi Goldberg 337(6)
47 Against the Odds 343(2)
48 Legends of Comedy 345(6)
49 The Elm House 351(6)
50 Mother and Marge 357(4)
51 The Only Jew in the Neighborhood—Jon Stewart 361(10)
52 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 371(8)
Epilogue 379(2)
About the Author 381(1)
Credits and Permissions 382