Why Not?
Description
From master comedian Mark Schiff, a long-time touring partner of Jerry Seinfeld, comes a hilarious account of decades of foolery with comedy and acting legends and how he honed his mensch skills in all of life's arenas.
Pursuing a career in comedy has always taken a lot of chutzpah. Today Mark Schiff looks back at his fifty-year career as a stand-up comic, actor, and writer and knows he's laughed with the best of them. His comedy and character have been widely praised by everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Bill Maher, Paul Reiser, and Colin Quinn-as Seinfeld writes in his foreword, Mark is "the greatest comedy pal a guy could ever wish for"-but it hasn't always been easy.
In this brilliantly honest collection of essays inducing both heart tugs and deep belly laughs, Mark recounts growing up Jewish in the outer boroughs of New York City and shares how he survived a harrowing childhood and managed health crises, aging, marriage, parenting, and career highs and lows. With wit and wisdom, Mark reminds us that no matter the troubles at-hand, the show must always go on. The result is an unforgettable and highly relatable account from one of the best humor writers of our time that will leave readers of all faiths energized and feeling like they've schmoozed with the best of them.
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Mark Schiff is a stand-up comedian who has headlined at comedy clubs nationwide, including all the major casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and toured worldwide with Jerry Seinfeld for fifteen years. Mark has specials on HBO and Showtime, has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonand Late Night with David Letterman, is featured in Seinfeld's Netflix special Jerry Before Seinfeldand Live from the Laugh Factory with Dom Irrera, and has been the featured act at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. He coedited I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comicswith Ritch Shydner, is the playwright of Married People, cowritten with Steve Shaffer, which played to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles in 2019, and The Comic, whichran in Los Angeles for ten months as well as at the Aspen Comedy Festival, a regular contributor to Jewish Journal, and the host of the podcast You Don't Know Schiff. Mark lives in Los Angeles with his first wife, his fifth dog, and photos of his three sons who have all moved out and have good jobs, yet still manage to call and ask for money.
Jerry Seinfeld is an actor and comedian best-known as the creator of the TV show Seinfeld. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Is This Anything? and SeinLanguage, which reached #1 on the list. He lives in New York City and Los Angeles.
Content
Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld
Introduction
1. Age
May You Live Till
Oy Vey Iz Mir
The Incredible Shrinking Man
The Show Must Go On
2. Community
Craving Community
I Don't Have to Go, Now I Get to Go
It's In You, So Share You
Amazing, Amazing
Gooood Shabbas
I Love My Neighborhood
3. Dieting
Excuse-Aholism
Jews, Non-Jews, and Weight Loss
My Downfall is Bread
Eat, Pray, Eat
You're Too Thin
4. Family
Here Comes the Judge
I Used to Have a Life
What is a Typical Jewish Mother?
The Miserable Side of Dining Out
All You Need Is Love? Maybe
I Saw Ma
Traveling with My Father
The Orphan
5. Friends
The Importance of Friends
Get A Couple
Abu Mustafa Calls Me His Brother
The Big Snub
Don't Ever Quit on Yourself
6. Funny
Consult Your Doctor
The War on Culture
What's All the Complaining About?
The Most Jewish Comedian Ever
The Punchless Punchline
Heeere's Mark Schiff
7. Helping Others
Coronavirus and Sumo Wrestling
Willingness
A Great Phone Call
A Valued Customer
As the World Turns
A Tight Twenty Minutes
Brother From a Different Mother
I Want to Be Around for All of You
My Uncle Miltie
Simon Says Do This
8. Hope
?B? Positive is Not Just a Blood Type
The Perfect Circle
Let There Be Light
The Blessing
Sealed with a Kiss
9. Kindness
Always Keep Your Promises to Your Dog
How a Christmas Gift Changed a Young Jewish Boy's Life Forever
The Candy Man
The Haircut
Pause When Agitated
A Period of Transition
Ruby: A Lesson in Kindness
The Rumor Mill
10. Love
Don't Fence Me In
The Good Old Days
I'm Proud of You
11. Marriage
Proof There is a God
Seinfeld, Bradley Cooper, and My Wife
Two Million
You Look Marvelous
12. Parenting
Great Catch, Champ
Never Talk While Eating Fish
They Are Back
The Nineteen Boxes
Smell My New Car
The Nearness of You
Pay Attention
Welcome to the Club
13. Self-Help
How to Accomplish Getting
Nothing Done
I Love Your Smile
Lost and Found
Nap Time
I Don't Want to Exercise
Keep Your Two Cents to Yourself
14. Famous Friends
The Day Bob Dylan Came to My House
Katharine Hepburn and Me
Hey, Carl, Don't Forget Your Toupee
What's a Kid from the Bronx Doing Hanging Out with Sir Anthony Hopkins?
Free Cars
15. Stand-Up
The Night
?There Goes the Neighborhood?
The Road
Caesars to Cedars
Portrait of a Young Comedian
Acknowledgments
Photos
