Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss

Snarky, intellectual, and sarcastic, Al Franken and Tom Davis were veterans of the "Saturday Night Live" writing bullpen. While Franken has gone on to host a radio show, write books, and run for political office, Davis has been less visible. THIRTY-NINE YEARS OF SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS is Davis's memoir about his life with and without Franken and SNL. Davis reads the work himself, which fails as often as it works. When it fails, Davis rushes through as if the subject were someone else's life. He ends one story and immediately starts the next one without a pause. The structure is also problematic, as he jumps from years to year with no apparent pattern. Overall, the book is interesting, though more behind-the-scenes SNL stories would be welcome. M.S. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine