The Bassoon King

October 12, 2015
The title of this book notwithstanding, Wilson is better known for his role in TV’s The Office and as the mastermind of the Soul Pancake website and media company than for being a former fledgling bassoonist. This memoir takes readers through his life and acting career, including his early, formative years in Nicaragua with his then recently divorced and remarried father. Wilson was born in 1966, and when he was five, the family moved to Olympia, Wash., and later to a suburb of Seattle, where he grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons as well as the bassoon, and participating in the Model U.N. (his “precursor” to acting). Through his digressions on favorite albums, unremarkable jobs, and his various acting teachers, Wilson’s story is engaging. He eventually attends acting school at NYU during the 1980s. His description of gritty, raucous Manhattan at that time is spot-on, with memories of drug and alcohol escapades, muggings and robberies, bombing on Broadway (in a play, that is), and finally marrying the love of his life, becoming a father, and rediscovering his Baha’i faith (the latter explained in an informative addendum). Readers will relish his experiences as Dwight Schrute (who contributes the book’s foreword) in The Office—snagging the part, the show’s debut, the actors and writers, and behind-the-scenes reminiscences. Agent: Richard Abate, Richard Abate Literary.

October 1, 2015
The actor best known for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office and founder of the inspirational website and media company SoulPancake shares tales of his awkward youth and later adventures as a struggling actor in New York and Los Angeles]a journey sustained by his lasting commitment to the Baha'i faith. Beginning with a foreword written in the voice of Schrute, Wilson (co-author: SoulPancake: Chew on Life's Big Questions, 2010) is quick to set an irreverent though somewhat self-conscious tone that dominates the early chapters. The only child of "pseudo hippie," "oddball" parents, the author recalls his early years as a self-described geek, punctuated by activities ranging from bassoon playing to marathon games of Dungeons & Dragons. His family relocated back and forth from Seattle to Nicaragua and later to the Chicago suburbs, where, as a teenager, he gained a modicum of social acceptance through his interest and emerging talent in dramatic arts: "I had moved from regular geek/nerd to the very top of the geek/nerd hierarchy, DRAMA geek/nerd." These chapters feature over-the-top anecdotes, extended footnotes, and trivia lists, including "Compendium of Comic Sidekicks," "The Greatest Albums of the Early Eighties," and "Shitty Jobs" (busboy, security guard, dishwasher, traffic-counter guy). Unfortunately, these comedic devices seldom hit the hilarious marks he's intending, and comparisons will likely be drawn to gifted humorists such as bestselling author and former Office alum Mindy Kaling. Wilson's narrative gathers momentum and insight when he recounts his years as a drama student at NYU, which led to film and TV work. The author also provides vivid descriptions of working on the set of The Office and deeper revelations about his spiritual path. Certainly for fans of The Office, but the amiable actor also offers thoughtful glimpses into the realities of the TV and film industry and an impassioned rationale for living an openly spiritual life.

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2015
Wilson, best known for his role as intractable paper salesman Dwight K. Schrute on the popular TV comedy The Office, shares the ups and downs of his journey to fame in this funny and frank memoir. The only son of two hippies living in the Pacific Northwest, Wilson was raised by his father after his parents split. Growing up in Seattle and Nicaragua, Wilson was a nerd before nerds were cool, embracing the bassoon, science fiction, and Dungeons and Dragons. When Wilson was 16, his family moved to the suburbs of Chicago, and he discovered theater. His passion for the stage led him to New York, where he pursued acting as a career. After years of struggling financially and spiritually, Wilson found his way back to the Baha'i faith he was raised in. A friend's project brought him to Los Angeles, where he would go to the fateful audition for The Office. The funnyman's memoir will be of particular interest to aspiring actors and other creative types, as well as the many fans of the long-running NBC comedy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)