A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir (Unabridged)
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In these hilarious essays, the Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor learns how to take a beating.
“I always wanted to punch his face before I read this book. Now I just want to kick him in the balls.”—Larry David
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Cosmopolitan • Vulture • Parade
If there’s one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it’s being able to take a punch—metaphorically and, occasionally, physically.
From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and “seeing the sights” (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.
You’ll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You'll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Update (where he's written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years). And you’ll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian—from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.
For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother’s experience on the scene of the Twin Towers’ collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy—with a face you can’t help but want to punch.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
You wouldn’t think that having a face people want to hit could bring anybody fame and fortune, but Colin Jost is full of surprises. In this candid memoir, the writer and comedian walks with us down his unlikely path toward the limelight. From his childhood in a family of Staten Island firefighters to feeling out of place at Harvard during the rise of Facebook, all of Jost’s adventures are strange, hilarious, and integral to his now-iconic sense of humor. Self-aware and self-deprecating, Jost’s riotous stories are so funny and so painfully honest that they often had us laughing out loud—even when we were cringing. Whether he’s talking about awkwardly performing for college students in cafeterias for free pizza or being promoted to head writer on Saturday Night Live, his narration always has that natural comic timing that made him such a beloved anchor on SNL’s Weekend Update. Jost’s memoir proves that having a punchable face can definitely prepare you for whatever’s ahead—even if it involves stitches.
Customer Reviews
✨👌😀Noice😀👌✨
Good book but I think his boss demanded many takes cause he just wanted to punch him in the face a lot.
How is this someone’s life
I’m not sure how someone can only be 38 and have this many crazy things happen to them but this book was absolutely hilarious and I hope his life continues like this and he writes another book. His Emmy suggestions made me laugh so hard.
family fun
great section dealing with 9/11. fun family anecdotes