“In a late-night monologue, it's not just about being funny; you have to come off as knowledgeable. You have to cultivate a persona of trust and intelligence and likeability.” NightLatePersonaKnowledgeableMonologuesBeing FunnyLate Night Author:Anthony Jeselnik
“On the show, you have to be more charismatic, a little smoother, but I think I can still be that prince of darkness. You just have to learn the tricks of the TV trade as well.” ThinkingWellsLittlesStillsI CanShowsDarknessTvsTradeTricksCharismatic Author:Anthony Jeselnik
“Comedy exists to laugh at things that aren't laughable. But isn't it? That's what separates us from the animals. We laugh.” AnimalLaughingComedyLaughable Author:Joan Rivers
“What could be nicer than to have three horrible children behind you in an airplane, and the next set, you go onstage and you talk about how much you despise the children and what you would like to do to them on an airplane? That's the only time I would gladly take a terrorist on. It'd be worth it to get rid of these children.” ChildrenThreeNextBehindsTerroristHorribleDespiseAirplaneWorth ItOnly TimeBehind You Author:Joan Rivers
“I think anyone who's perfectly happy isn't particularly funny. And when you're very, very happy, you're not very funny. You're just happy. I'd rather be damaged and funny.” ThinkingVery Happy Author:Joan Rivers
“Suddenly here was this somewhat roly-poly elderly, northern Italian peasant on the chair of Saint Peter and he was accessible - and he made himself accessible, he went to prisons, he went to hospitals, he went to the shrine of Loreto.” MadePrisonSaintChairsHospitalsItalianPeterElderlyPeasantsShrinesSaint Peter Author:George Weigel
“I think I became a better writer after I started writing for the New Yorker. Well, I know I did. And part of it was having my New Yorker editor and part of it is that was when I started really going on tour and reading things in front of an audience 30 times and then going back in the room and rewriting it and reading it and rewriting it. So you really get the rhythm of the sentences down and you really get the flow down and you get rid of stuff that's not important.” ThinkingKnowsWritingWellsImportantReadingStuffRoomsAudienceFrontsFlowDown AndSentencesRhythmEditorsNew YorkersRewriting Author:David Sedaris
“I think it's good to have the alone time. Well, I kind of have to, because I have to be alone in order to work, so I have alone time. And then I go on tour and I have being-around-people time.” PeopleThinkingWellsKindOrderGoes OnAlone Time Author:David Sedaris
“My dad never blew anything up, but he probably had friends who did. He and my mom have always preached that the pen is mightier than a Molotov cocktail.” MomDadMy DadMy MomPensCocktailsMolotovMolotov Cocktail Author:Joseph Gordon-Levitt
“I never regret anything and I don't believe in regret. I think it's just a big time-waster.” ThinkingBelieveBigsRegretDon't BelieveNever RegretI Never RegretNever Regret Anything Author:Michael McKean