The Funniest One in the Room

March 1, 2008
Johnson ("Life Before and After Monty Python"), a devoted student of comedy, is an ideal writer to tell the story of well-known comedic pioneer Del Close. Close was a comedian's comedian: he was integral in developing the art of improvisation, the most challenging form of the professional comedic craft. Close was known to embellish many incidents in his life, so Johnson tries to distinguish between fact and fiction as he addresses each known contradiction. A longtime friend of Close, Johnson interviewed many of his comrades to elicit a definitive picture of the real person. Close, who seemed to know everyone in the business, was involved with either creative development or teaching involvement in comedy training including the St. Louis Compass, Second City in Chicago, the Harold in San Francisco, the ImprovOlympic, and even Saturday Night Live. Close's is a fascinating tale of eccentricity, living life from one extreme to the other, and gaining the title of the king of improv. Johnson's book should be read by anyone who has an interest in comedy and show business. This is the real thing"." Richard A. Dickey, Washington, DC

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.