Author and journalist Gerald Nachman has had an impressive career, writing for such famed publications as The New York Post and the San Francisco Chronicle, all while publishing six books on an array of topics. One of his more notable books, Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s, published by Pantheon Books in 2003 is nothing short of a must-read for those interested in comedy’s rich history. In the book, Nachman tells of the biggest names in comedy, performers who were nothing short of revolutionary, and how they forever influenced the genre. Touching on everyone from Mort Sahl to Ernie Kovacs, with a lot of notable names in between, Nachman paints a surprisingly detailed picture of each comedian as well as the comedy landscape on the whole. From the book, here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite:
“Nobody saw Mort Sahl coming. When he arrived, the revolution had not yet begun. Sahl was the revolution, at first, although he had no such grand idea in mind. He wasn't plotting the violent overthrow of the conservative comedy government. He was never a rebel, deep down. In thought, yes, but rarely in deed. His secret desire-a pipe dream, really-was to work somewhere as a comedian. He had no experience and little idea where to go to be funny, other than parties and all-night campus hangouts, where he held forth in his motormouth manner.”
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