Whether you first knew him as one of the 鈥淭wo Wild and Crazy Guys鈥� on Saturday Night Live or as one of the investigating podcasters on chances are you've seen comedic talent in some form on screen.
But what younger audiences may not appreciate is Martin's depth as a humor writer, with a canon of written work that stretches back just as many decades.
鈥淪teve Martin Writes the Written Word鈥� is an aptly-named collection and excellent introduction to the comedian's best writings, including some new material.
The book showcases Martin's versatility as a writer, especially by including his debut 2000 novella 鈥淪hopgirl." In that book, Martin uses a subdued sense of humor to describe heartbreak and loneliness his characters experience no matter their age.
The book also includes previously published selections from his writing for The New Yorker's 鈥淪houts & Murmurs鈥� column. It's fitting that Martin's best shorter works in this collection focus on writing and the written word, including a piece written from the perspective of words themselves.
In another piece, he makes the list of 100 greatest books he read laugh out loud funny with fake titles such as 鈥淥melet: Olga 鈥� Mnemonic Devices for Remembering Waitress' Names" and 鈥淢arijuana! Totally Harmless (can't remember author).鈥�
Some of the pieces may not resonate with younger audiences, including a piece titled 鈥淭he Y3K Bug鈥� that plays off of the Y2K hysteria that led up to 2000. But the collection as a whole demonstrate a timeliness to Martin's humor that helps explains his enduring success.
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AP book reviews:
Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press
