Yesterday I caught Samantha Bee promoting her new book – I Know I Am, But What Are You? – as part of the Bryant Park Reading Series, only there was no reading going on. Apparently her material was deemed unsuitable for loudspeakers in a public venue.
From the opening grafs alone (a homicidal fantasy involving her parents and musings on a family history of sluttery), I suspect it may have been the right decision. Amen and Hallelujah! Have you not yet had it with the earnest lady memoir? And what’s with the male stranglehold on the humorous memoir? Bring it, Ms. Bee.
It was a real delight to hear Bee talk with Ophira Eisenberg, another funny woman, in large part because there wasn’t a lot of pause on “woman” as a qualifier to funny. To quote Eisenberg, she still gets the comment that she’s funny for a female. “What I hear is that I’m funny,” she deadpanned.[video:
425×344]
At the end Bee signed copies of her book, where I got the following lovely soundbite. [video:
425×344]
The feeling is mutual.
