Description
A delightful and entertaining book about one of Americas greatest humoristsSeth Meyers
Thisabsorbing illuminating Jon Meachambiography of the legendary political humorist reveals the life behind his mustread Washington Post columns featuring neverbeforepublished documents and interviews
BeforeJon StewartStephen Colbert Trevor Noah and Doonesbury there was Art Buchwald For more than fifty years from 1949 to 2006 Art Buchwalds Pulitzer Prizewinning column of political satire and biting wit made him one of the most widely read American humorists and a popular player in the Washington world of Ethel and Ted Kennedy Ben Bradlee and Katharine Graham Dean Acheson former US Secretary of State called Buchwald the greatest satirist in the English language since Pope and Swift
Drawing on Buchwalds most memorable columns and unpublished correspondence with other famous people Funny Business shows how Art Buchwald became an American original Like Mark Twain Dorothy Parker and James Thurber he satirized political scoundrels lampooned the powerful and worshipped the quicksand that ten presidents walked on as Buchwald joked The key to Buchwalds style of humor he once stated was to treat light subjects seriously and serious subjects lightly
But there was a darker more serious side to Art Buchwald A childhood spent in foster homes taught him to see comedy as a refuge Buchwald also struggled with depression a secret he kept from the public for nearly thirty years
This revealing book is studded with stories of Buchwalds friendships with Humphrey Bogart John Steinbeck Irwin Shaw William Styron Erma Bombeck Frank Sinatra Adam West Batman Robert Frost and others Throughout his career Buchwald wrote about such historical events as the Vietnam War the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy Watergate and the 9/11 terrorist attack Featured here are stories of Buchwalds nonstop oneliners known in his day as Buchshots
Entertaining and absorbing Funny Business looks back on Buchwalds brilliant gift for humor and satire which will once again bring readers a comedic respite from troublesome times
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