Join us for a conversation between acclaimed author James Curtis and groundbreaking political satirist Mort Sahl celebrating the publication of “Last Man Standing: Mort Sahl and the Birth of Modern Comedy.” The conversation will be followed by a reception and book signing.
The release of Curtis' biography about Sahl coincided with Sahl’s 90th birthday on May 11th. Curtis has written previously on biographical subjects including W.C. Fields, writer-director Preston Sturges, and Spencer Tracy.
ABOUT MORT SAHL
When Mort Sahl made his debut at San Francisco's hungry i in December, 1953, the public's idea of standup comedy was limited to Borscht Belt comics like Henny Youngman. Nightclub comedians steered clear of hard news, and Bob Hope's political jibes generally came off as friendly. Working in an improvisational, jazz-inflected style, Sahl attacked Senator Joseph McCarthy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and, particularly, Vice President Richard M. Nixon, who was to remain a favorite target for decades. Now in his 64th year as a professional comedian, Sahl appears every Thursday night at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco.
BOOK REVIEWS
“In an entertaining, abundantly . . . detailed biography, Curtis, biographer of Spencer Tracy, Preston Sturges, and W. C. Fields, makes a strong case for Sahl’s influence. For Woody Allen, Sahl opened up ‘a whole new style of humor’ that led him to become a performer rather than just a writer. Dick Cavett called Sahl’s performances ‘stunning.’ Among early admirers were Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, and Milton Berle. . . . A sympathetic, evenhanded biography of a man notorious for his savage wit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“James Curtis has superbly chronicled the emergence and career of a comic genius who revolutionized standup comedy and changed it forever. If you weren’t there at the time, it’s hard to realize the enormity of the impact Mort Sahl had on America—both as writer and performer—and this book takes you through it in an exciting narrative that teems with examples of Mort’s dazzling wit.”— Woody Allen
“The book is a triumph. Of prose style, engrossing, lively story-telling, and emotionally moving incidents in that complex genius’s strange and dramatic life. Also, once you put it down, you can pick it up—for re-reading. All books should be so good.”— Dick Cavett
show less
The release of Curtis' biography about Sahl coincided with Sahl’s 90th birthday on May 11th. Curtis has written previously on biographical subjects including W.C. Fields, writer-director Preston Sturges, and Spencer Tracy.
ABOUT MORT SAHL
When Mort Sahl made his debut at San Francisco's hungry i in December, 1953, the public's idea of standup comedy was limited to Borscht Belt comics like Henny Youngman. Nightclub comedians steered clear of hard news, and Bob Hope's political jibes generally came off as friendly. Working in an improvisational, jazz-inflected style, Sahl attacked Senator Joseph McCarthy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and, particularly, Vice President Richard M. Nixon, who was to remain a favorite target for decades. Now in his 64th year as a professional comedian, Sahl appears every Thursday night at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco.
BOOK REVIEWS
“In an entertaining, abundantly . . . detailed biography, Curtis, biographer of Spencer Tracy, Preston Sturges, and W. C. Fields, makes a strong case for Sahl’s influence. For Woody Allen, Sahl opened up ‘a whole new style of humor’ that led him to become a performer rather than just a writer. Dick Cavett called Sahl’s performances ‘stunning.’ Among early admirers were Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, and Milton Berle. . . . A sympathetic, evenhanded biography of a man notorious for his savage wit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“James Curtis has superbly chronicled the emergence and career of a comic genius who revolutionized standup comedy and changed it forever. If you weren’t there at the time, it’s hard to realize the enormity of the impact Mort Sahl had on America—both as writer and performer—and this book takes you through it in an exciting narrative that teems with examples of Mort’s dazzling wit.”— Woody Allen
“The book is a triumph. Of prose style, engrossing, lively story-telling, and emotionally moving incidents in that complex genius’s strange and dramatic life. Also, once you put it down, you can pick it up—for re-reading. All books should be so good.”— Dick Cavett
Join us for a conversation between acclaimed author James Curtis and groundbreaking political satirist Mort Sahl celebrating the publication of “Last Man Standing: Mort Sahl and the Birth of Modern Comedy.” The conversation will be followed by a reception and book signing.
The release of Curtis' biography about Sahl coincided with Sahl’s 90th birthday on May 11th. Curtis has written previously on biographical subjects including W.C. Fields, writer-director Preston Sturges, and Spencer Tracy.
ABOUT MORT SAHL
When Mort Sahl made his debut at San Francisco's hungry i in December, 1953, the public's idea of standup comedy was limited to Borscht Belt comics like Henny Youngman. Nightclub comedians steered clear of hard news, and Bob Hope's political jibes generally came off as friendly. Working in an improvisational, jazz-inflected style, Sahl attacked Senator Joseph McCarthy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and, particularly, Vice President Richard M. Nixon, who was to remain a favorite target for decades. Now in his 64th year as a professional comedian, Sahl appears every Thursday night at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco.
BOOK REVIEWS
“In an entertaining, abundantly . . . detailed biography, Curtis, biographer of Spencer Tracy, Preston Sturges, and W. C. Fields, makes a strong case for Sahl’s influence. For Woody Allen, Sahl opened up ‘a whole new style of humor’ that led him to become a performer rather than just a writer. Dick Cavett called Sahl’s performances ‘stunning.’ Among early admirers were Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, and Milton Berle. . . . A sympathetic, evenhanded biography of a man notorious for his savage wit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“James Curtis has superbly chronicled the emergence and career of a comic genius who revolutionized standup comedy and changed it forever. If you weren’t there at the time, it’s hard to realize the enormity of the impact Mort Sahl had on America—both as writer and performer—and this book takes you through it in an exciting narrative that teems with examples of Mort’s dazzling wit.”— Woody Allen
“The book is a triumph. Of prose style, engrossing, lively story-telling, and emotionally moving incidents in that complex genius’s strange and dramatic life. Also, once you put it down, you can pick it up—for re-reading. All books should be so good.”— Dick Cavett
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The release of Curtis' biography about Sahl coincided with Sahl’s 90th birthday on May 11th. Curtis has written previously on biographical subjects including W.C. Fields, writer-director Preston Sturges, and Spencer Tracy.
ABOUT MORT SAHL
When Mort Sahl made his debut at San Francisco's hungry i in December, 1953, the public's idea of standup comedy was limited to Borscht Belt comics like Henny Youngman. Nightclub comedians steered clear of hard news, and Bob Hope's political jibes generally came off as friendly. Working in an improvisational, jazz-inflected style, Sahl attacked Senator Joseph McCarthy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and, particularly, Vice President Richard M. Nixon, who was to remain a favorite target for decades. Now in his 64th year as a professional comedian, Sahl appears every Thursday night at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco.
BOOK REVIEWS
“In an entertaining, abundantly . . . detailed biography, Curtis, biographer of Spencer Tracy, Preston Sturges, and W. C. Fields, makes a strong case for Sahl’s influence. For Woody Allen, Sahl opened up ‘a whole new style of humor’ that led him to become a performer rather than just a writer. Dick Cavett called Sahl’s performances ‘stunning.’ Among early admirers were Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, and Milton Berle. . . . A sympathetic, evenhanded biography of a man notorious for his savage wit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“James Curtis has superbly chronicled the emergence and career of a comic genius who revolutionized standup comedy and changed it forever. If you weren’t there at the time, it’s hard to realize the enormity of the impact Mort Sahl had on America—both as writer and performer—and this book takes you through it in an exciting narrative that teems with examples of Mort’s dazzling wit.”— Woody Allen
“The book is a triumph. Of prose style, engrossing, lively story-telling, and emotionally moving incidents in that complex genius’s strange and dramatic life. Also, once you put it down, you can pick it up—for re-reading. All books should be so good.”— Dick Cavett
show less
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142 Throckmorton Theatre
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142 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941
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