Steve Martin has been an international star for over thirty years. Here, for the first time, he looks back to the beginning of his career and charmingly evokes the young man he once was. Born in Texas but raised in California, Steve was seduced early by the comedy shows that played on the radio when the family travelled back and forth to visit relatives. When Disneyland opened just a couple of miles away from home, an enchanted Steve was given his first chance to learn magic and entertain an audience. He describes how he noted the reaction to each joke in a ledger - 'big laugh' or 'quiet' - and assiduously studied the acts of colleagues, stealing jokes when needed. With superb detail, Steve recreates the world of small, dark clubs and the fear and exhilaration of standing in the spotlight. While a philosophy student at UCLA, he worked hard at local clubs honing his comedy and slowly attracting a following until he was picked up to write for TV. From here on, Steve Martin became an acclaimed comedian, packing out venues nationwide. One night, however, he noticed empty seats and realised he had 'reached the top of the rollercoaster'.B ORN STANDING UP is a funny and riveting chronicle of how Steve Martin became the comedy genius we now know and is also a fascinating portrait of an era.
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
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"Absolutely magnificent. One of the best books about comedy and being a comedian ever written." - Jerry Seinfeld, "GQ"
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
About the Author
Steve Martin was born in Texas in 1945. Famed for his stand up comedy and performances in hit comedy films, he is also a writer, producer, musician and composer.
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I loved this book. I had no idea Steven Martin was such a wonderful writer. It's not a long read, wish there had been more, but didn't feel the slightest cheated. I absolutely enjoyed the journey he took us, the reader, on. It was personal, insightful, funny, rueful, behind-the-scenes and made me feel I had sat down and had a really good getting-to-know-you chat with this man. Great photos too. I've been a fan since just before he hit it B I G - I'm happy to say I was at the Amphitheatre show he mentioned. I always looked forward to his SNL appearances, and his films. I had the impression he was rather distant and cold as a person. But reading this you realise the depth and warmth there - and that he was always just protecting his sanity during the extreme craziness of the "Wild and Crazy Guy" and "Well Excuuuse Me" era. Highly recommended IF you are a Steve Martin fan.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By anonymous
Format:Hardcover
I have been a huge steve Martin Fan ever since I saw a clip of him doing stand-up on BBC Comic Relief in 1989. Since then I have seen all his films, purchased his comedy albums and all his books, This book is the best of the lot.
I was in America the day this book came out and I bought it on that day. I couldn't put it down it was such a well written, enjoyable read. It was finished within the day I bought it. His description of him and his fathers relationship is dealt with exceptionally well, the early years at disneyland and the Bird Cage Theatre, The realisation on a sunny day that he is now going to have to write his own material so he can achieve Originality, his relationships, his television writing, his lonely life on the road, all the way through to his enormous success and eventual step-down are all written about in a wonderful, sometime self deprecating, way that I have returned to sections of this book many times since reading it originally.
It is also a book that explains the culture of the late sixties through the seventies from someone who was there but not out of their head all the time... His description of the 'Streets Of SanFrancisco simmering with a toxic vitality' makes me wish I was around at the time as well.
If I have any complaints about this book it is in what he left out, although the stories were mentioned briefly there was no mention of the publication of 'Cruel Shoes' Also there is no mention of his appearance on the Muppet Show, a Television show as Subversive and funny as SNL which he mentions... Also I was disappointed to learn that the white suit he wore, had a practical purpose and wasn't just to make him look crazier...
Excellent Read... Especially for any Comedy Performers out there.
I was in America the day this book came out and I bought it on that day. I couldn't put it down it was such a well written, enjoyable read. It was finished within the day I bought it. His description of him and his fathers relationship is dealt with exceptionally well, the early years at disneyland and the Bird Cage Theatre, The realisation on a sunny day that he is now going to have to write his own material so he can achieve Originality, his relationships, his television writing, his lonely life on the road, all the way through to his enormous success and eventual step-down are all written about in a wonderful, sometime self deprecating, way that I have returned to sections of this book many times since reading it originally.
It is also a book that explains the culture of the late sixties through the seventies from someone who was there but not out of their head all the time... His description of the 'Streets Of SanFrancisco simmering with a toxic vitality' makes me wish I was around at the time as well.
If I have any complaints about this book it is in what he left out, although the stories were mentioned briefly there was no mention of the publication of 'Cruel Shoes' Also there is no mention of his appearance on the Muppet Show, a Television show as Subversive and funny as SNL which he mentions... Also I was disappointed to learn that the white suit he wore, had a practical purpose and wasn't just to make him look crazier...
Excellent Read... Especially for any Comedy Performers out there.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By b
Format:Paperback
American comic and film actor Steve Martin explores the development of his standup routine, his road to fame and the reasons behind his retirement from the stage in this short but entertaining biography, laced with some of his best lines and accounts of his favourite routines. The book is often poignant, especially when exploring his difficult relationship with his father and contains evocative accounts of some of his early experiences. I am looking forward to reading his account of his film career.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Short but sweet
Fun read, but ends shortly after the release of The Jerk. Would have liked to have heard some of the specifics about the other movies and stuff beyond 1979.
Published 3 months ago by Darren
4.0 out of 5 stars
What Makes Steven Glenn Martin Tick?
Most people think they know Steve Martin they expect the person he portrays to be what he is in real life. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Glenn Cook
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sadly lacking
Steve Martin is a very talented writer. He has written several novels, all of which I have enjoyed hugely. I also like his body of work on film. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Steve Martin-when he was funny
An interesting book about a comedian with a great talent.It is interesting that he decided when he reached the top of stand up comedy that he would stand down. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mb Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Any YouTube Clips Out There!
I must confess to never being a huge fan of Steve Martin the movie star. I had heard of him as a stand up, but never seen any of his work. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mark Beech
1.0 out of 5 stars
Born standing up? Boring reading ugh, more likely
The book reads like a resumé, with a chronological account of places where Steve Martin played, without much further information on his thoughts, his motivations or his... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2011 by Filip Stuer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book
A great book for many reasons. Firstly and mainly it is a good read..Steve Martin is an intellegent and complicated individual. Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2010 by P. Mcgreal
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great bio
Those who have watched his films would probably have thought that Steve Martin might have lived an interesting life, and they'd be right. Read more
Published on 23 July 2009 by J. Boyes
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff
Couldn't put it down so read in one reading. Interesting - a very driven performer. I love Steve Martin's more recent scripts/stories (LA Story, Goldfinger, Shopgirl) probably more... Read more
Published on 4 April 2009 by emma6051
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Well, excuuuse me!"
I discovered Steve Martin through the film of 'The Jerk' and enjoyed the records of his live performances in the 1980s. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2008 by John Ferry
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