I Shudder : And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey

I Shudder is a side-splittingly funny collection of essays from Paul Rudnick, one of America’s preeminent humorists. Rudnick, who writes for The New Yorker and has written the screenplays for the films In and Out, Sister Act, and Addams Family Values, shares his hilarious observations on life in New York City and New Jersey, the perils of show business, and dealing with one’s family, however crazy they may be. As David Sedaris says, “There’s no book wiser or half as funny as I Shudder.” Comic essays from the author of Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style : “There’s no book wiser or half as funny as I Shudder .” —David Sedaris I Shudder is a side-splittingly funny collection of essays from Paul Rudnick, one of America’s preeminent humorists—a playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and regular contributor to the New Yorker . The reviews say it all: “A hilarious, often touching hodgepodge of essays about his work and his life with his pleasingly demented family.” — People (4 stars) “Uproariously self-deprecating essays about being gay and Jewish in suburban New Jersey and downtown Manhattan.” — The New York Times Book Review “A likable and accomplished raconteur who never loses sight of his own absurdity.” — The Washington Post “Smart, dishy, and very funny.” — Daily News “An acerbic and entertaining memoir.” — Entertainment Weekly “ I Shudder is filled with deeply funny musings and adventures that elevate Paul Rudnick to the highest level of American comedy writing. It should be noted that I would be at the highest level of American comedy writing if I had had Paul’s early advantages.” —Steve Martin A hilariously funny, touching, and revelatory book from one of America's preeminent humorists In his plays, his screenplays, and his writing for the New Yorker and Premiere, Paul Rudnick has established himself as a comic master whose talents transcend genre. Now, in I Shudder, he trains his wickedly perceptive eye on everything from his New Jersey family to Hollywood to demented alcoholic Broadway stars waving swords. At his Uncle Rudy's funeral, Rudnick's beloved Aunt Lil put one hand on her husband's coffin and her other hand on Rudnick's shoulder and said, "Your Uncle Rudy always loved you. He never understood why, in your writing, you had to use that kind of language, but he loved you." Charming and touching, I Shudder is rendered in Rudnick's gorgeous, zinger-laden prose and reminds us of the need to keep our tongues sharp in the midst of life's many obstacles and absurdities. Here is one of the most accomplished collections in years, from a writer who ranks with David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs as one of our most gifted and hilarious social observers. A humorist trains eye on a range of subjects--from living in a series of increasingly bizarre, yet fabulous apartments in New York City to dealing with some of the most perplexing yet endearing personalities in show business to handling the finer points of putting up with, and loving, one's wacky family