Synopses & Reviews
Now in paperback, this posthumous work by an American classic was a fitting last book, an instant bestseller, and a huge success!andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;One of the undisputed heavyweight champions of American comedy, with nineteen appearances on the Johnny Carson show, thirteen HBO specials, five Grammys, and a critical Supreme Court battle over censorship under his belt, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career, and made fun of most of it. andlt;iandgt;Last Words andlt;/iandgt;is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life, including encounters with a Whoand#8217;s Who of 1970s celebrityand#8212;from Lenny Bruce to Hugh Hefnerand#8212;and the origins of some of his most famous standup routines. Carlinand#8217;s early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, andlt;iandgt;Last Words andlt;/iandgt;is told with the same razor-sharp wit and unblinking honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.
Review
"
Last Words, a posthumous autobiography from George Carlin, is a jazzy, inward-looking piece of work...as a chronicler of the working of his own mind, Carlin is terrific."
-- The New York Times
Review
"...what "Last Words" ultimately reveals is how Carlin became a political protester, slam poet, cynic, polemicist and performance artist whose messages were delivered under the veneer of humor."
--Washington Post
Review
"The book is at turns biting and touching, and often both, which is what you would expect from a man for whom the sacred was profane and the profane, sacred."
--Entertainment Weekly
Review
"...frank and insightful..."
--Time magazine
Review
"[
Last Words] sounds as if he is still with us, rested and ready to ridicule the latest cultural hypocrisies."
--The Washington Times
Review
"For comedy fans, this book is vital. It's easily worth its weight in gold for the biting observations on showbiz and its personalities."
--San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Seven particular words are associated with the late comedian George Carlin, and sentimental is not one of them. But that's the surprising portrait that emerges from
Last Words."
--Houston Chronicle
Review
"This is not a collection of setups and punch lines, but a candid, fearless accounting of his life and art...
Last Words shows a comic master at the height of his storytelling powers and with no limit to what he had left to say."
--L.A. Times
Synopsis
The autobiography that George Carlin had nearly completed before he died.
Synopsis
For the last 14 years of his life, the brilliant, caustic, and hilarious George Carlin worked on his autobiography--now, written with bestselling author Tony Hendra and posthumously published, Carlin has proven that even after death, he is still one of the funniest men who ever lived. One of the undisputed heavyweight champions of American comedy, with nineteen appearances on the Johnny Carson show, thirteen HBO specials, five Grammys, and a critical Supreme Court battle over censorship under his belt, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career, and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life, including encounters with a Who's Who of 1970s celebrity--from Lenny Bruce to Hugh Hefner--and the origins of some of his most famous standup routines. Carlin's early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp wit and unblinking honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.
Synopsis
The autobiography that Carlin had nearly completed before he died, "Last Words" chronicles the late comedian's illustrious career and includes commentary from Carlin's fellow comedian, Hendra.
Synopsis
As one of America’s preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life. Carlin’s early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.
Synopsis
As one of America’s preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life. Carlin’s early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.
About the Author
Born in New York City in 1937, George Dennis Patrick Carlin was one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time.andnbsp; He appeared on and#8220;The Tonight Showand#8221; more than 130 times, starred in andnbsp;an unprecedentedandnbsp;thirteen HBO Specials, hosted the first and#8220;Saturday Night Liveand#8221; and penned three andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling books.andnbsp;Of theandnbsp;twenty-three solo albums recorded by Mr. Carlin,andnbsp;eleven were Grammy nominated and he took home the coveted statue five times including a 2001 Grammy win for Best Spoken Comedy Album for his reading of his best seller andlt;iandgt;Brain Droppings.andlt;/iandgt;andnbsp;In 2002, Carlin was awarded the and#8220;Freedom of Speech Awardand#8221; by the First Amendment Center in cooperation with the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, and heandnbsp;was the namedandnbsp;eleventh recipient of The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in June of 2008. George Carlin passed away at age seventy-one on June 22, 2008 in Santa Monica, California.andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;bandgt;Tony Hendraandlt;/bandgt; was recently described by andlt;iandgt;The Independent of Londonandlt;/iandgt; as and#8220;one of the most brilliant comic talents of the post-war periodand#8221; He began his comedic career with andlt;iandgt;Graham Chapman of Monty Pythonandlt;/iandgt;, appeared six times on the andlt;iandgt;Ed Sullivan Showandlt;/iandgt;, was one of the original editors of andlt;iandgt;National Lampoonandlt;/iandgt;, edited the classic parody andlt;iandgt;Not The New York Timesandlt;/iandgt;, starred in andlt;iandgt;This Is Spinal Tapandlt;/iandgt;, and co-created and co-produced the long-running British satirical series andlt;uandgt;Spitting andlt;/uandgt;andlt;iandgt;Imageandlt;/iandgt; for which he was nominated for a British Academy Award. He has written or edited dozens of books, most of them satirical, with the exception of two andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestsellers: andlt;iandgt;Brotherhoodandlt;/iandgt; (2001) and andlt;iandgt;Father Joeandlt;/iandgt; (2004). He is a senior member of the Board of the nation-wide story-telling community, andlt;iandgt;The Mothandlt;/iandgt;.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;