by Artie Lange
First published 2008
Artie Lange opens his life like a book of scars and punchlines. The Howard Stern Show cast member shares stories that swing between hilarious and heartbreaking. Lange grew up in a working class Italian family in Union, New Jersey. His father told him he had talent for two things: sports and comedy. The comedian pursued both paths with the manic energy of a Yankees fanatic. His quick wit matched Howard Stern's pace when he joined the radio show in 2001. But Lange carried a pathetic self image and a talent for self sabotage that kept derailing his success. These personal stories reveal a natural storyteller with endless material drawn from his own disasters. Howard Stern contributes a foreword to this collection. Lange's tales capture the wild energy of satellite radio's uncensored frontier. His comedy emerges from genuine pain and working class roots.
Genres: addiction, autobiography, biography-memoir, comedy
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: natural-storyteller, working-class-roots
Setting: Union, New Jersey
Period: 2001
298 pages · Hardcover · Spiegel & Grau
Content warnings: addiction, substance-abuse