Rating: 
Summary: A swinging... sex... god.
Review: There can be no disputing the fact that Steve Martin is a comic genius. He also happens to be an exceptionally bright human being with a love for writing - but also what appears to be a visible craving for people to consider him an exceptionally bright human being. Sometimes this seems to get in the way of what is ordinarily solid, but not especially overwhelming art. In the case of his plays (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) and his novellas (Shopgirl), I would argue that Steve is a far better writer when he loses himself, and captures the subtleties of normal, daily life (rather than the punchlines of his amazing comedy acts) with its poignant moments and quiet instances of futility and despair. But thankfully for you - who probably doesn't look to Steve Martin for instances of futility and despair - this collection of shorts taken primarily from the back page of The New Yorker is an absolute laugh riot - for some. I have found that those who are Steve Martin fans from his stand-up days tend to like this book better than those who only know him from his recent films. For those in the former category, I think it helps to read this book as Steve might have spoken the words. Of his three books, I most highly suggest this one. It's what you want from Steve Martin. Yet, there is no substitute for the man himself, even though sometimes, I wonder if comedy isn't more of an obstacle for Steve than a cure.
Rating: 
Summary: The First Is Always A Little Different.
Review: This writer is creativity personified. What can't he do?! The book itself is not new, but it was new to me -- just found it. And to say that he had to have friends in high places to get it published is putting it mildly.
It's not like he'd never been 'published' before. Twelve of these little anecedotes previously appeared (at intervals, I'm sure) in THE NEW YORKER Magazine. Of the 23 short 'bursts of at-random thinking', the piece in which he eschews 'celebrity', "The Nature of Matter and Its Antecedents," appeared in The New York Times Magazine. My goodness, he even had a crazy thing in the op-ed section of that same paper entitled 'Mars Probe Finds Kitten.'
This is a short book and it takes very little time to get all the way through to the end. The title tells it all, it's "pure drivel." After being off the screen for three years, busy in New York on other projects like 'several' plays, a 'handful' of sketches, two screenplays, and these thoughts of his. He calls it 'intense retrospection' as he sat in his rose garden with his computer enjoying the feel and pleasure of watching his fingers on the keys. It didn't matter whether everything came out as typo-gibberish or actual words -- all the same to him. He had editors. To him, he was being creative, reading a story in each rose. I'd say he was intensely depressed.
The good thing about writing is the knowledge of being able to change, fiddle with, re-think, and deny words. Who said that a picture is worth a thousand words? He says, "painters don't have that luxury." Actually, compiling these short vignettes was for material matters since he had a new wife and two young children at the time -- I'd say he needed money to pay his philosopher/lawyer.
He thinks 'writing is easy,' tell that to a real writer. One of my favorites has decided to take a year off from the grind and pressure in the publishing world (with all their deadlines and demands for more) to be with his young family and recoup. No. it's not 'writers' block,' just a respite and a determination to be with those he loves for the holidays this year. More power to him!
For Steve Martin, it turned into three years before he got his creative juices going again. He'd had successes in several films; my favorite was THREE AMIGOS! and PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES. I will take this opportunity to apologize for the bad review I gave of CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN almost a year ago! I didn't know the pressure he'd been under. I'm sorry, Steve. It wasn't you -- it was the movie which I felt wasn't funny.
He wrote scripts for some of the movies he appeared in, like the famous BOWFINGER'S BIG THING with Eddie Murphy. He was in David Mamet's film THE SPANISH PRISONER and received a jacket blurb as a result. He certainly has friends with a strange sense of humor, like Mr. Mamet and Victoria Dailey. These are certainly unusual people.
He calls writer's block a 'myth.' Tell that to a real writer. I know one who moved to Middle Tennessee from Boston, Mass. after a successful career with two or three series (Fletch, Flynn, etc), write half a dozen at the most, and his life changed drastically. Now, if that's not 'writer's block' I'd like to know what it is -- he was in limbo.
One of my favorite writers for many years who taught me a lot of different things with his varied themes, had travel books, novels, screenplays' success after success for a long time. Then, nil -- only two or three after returning to Cape Cod from England. If you run out of story lines, or ideas, you can always go traveling (like Bill Bryson) and write about it.
One of his New Yorker pieces was heavy with characters named Socrates and Plato, and friends -- pure drivel. He played around with words at the end a little bit, so I think I'll call him a 'sedate' Alfie. What's it all about? He wrote SHOPGIRL, PICASSO...AND OTHER PLAYS, THE PLEASURE OF MY COMPANY, CRUEL SHOES, SOLD! (with Gary Colleran). It appears he has found a new career.
Rating: 
Summary: If he's a writer, I'm the queen of France.......
Review: Wha....wha....wha happened? I am a YOOOOGE Steve Martin fan and have been for years. This book was on the shelf at the dollar store and now I know why. Talk about a stinkeroo. I SO didn't get it, Steve. Too many trips in Anne Heche's spaceship, perhaps?
I want my dollar (and my "Jerk") back.....
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