Synopses & Reviews
A provocative, funny, and whip- smart memoir of how one man learned to find joy in his own life after years of hand-to-hand combat with death. Actor and author Evan Handlers new book, Its Only Temporary, is both a deeply personal memoir and a series of meditations on life, love, faith, gratitude, and mortality. In closely examining his own triumphs, mistakes, and less-than-ideal relationships since his miraculous recovery from a supposedly incurable leukemia more than twenty years ago, Handler zeroes in on the most profound question facing every human being: How can a person live well with the knowledge that time is limited? In doing so, Handler has created a poignant and wildly funny rumination on the ironies of human existence.
Structured as a collection of incisive and probing autobiographical stories , Its Only Temporary is a startlingly candid portrait of one mans struggle to find love and happiness within a life he knows hes lucky just to have. By turns hilarious and heart-wrenching, blunt and shocking, Handlers defiantly unconventional memoir ultimately succeeds as both a stirring love story and a classic coming-of-age tale. Its Only Temporary celebrates the transformation from boy to maneven if it took Handler more than forty years to get there.
Review
In
It's Only Temporary, Evan Handler confronts the ambiguities of life backward, forward, and in between. With hilarious honesty he reflects on the realization that we can start over again.
It's Only Temporary is a heartfelt book for all of us who are getting younger and older at the same time.
Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetters Daughter, and The Kitchen Gods Wife
In a series of wonderful essays, Evan Handler gives himself up to us - warts and all. To our amusement and bemusement we share in his emotional growth as he struggles to mature. I not only laughed along with him but felt that I too had grown a little along the way. Who could ask for more?
Lewis Black, comedian, Daily Show correspondent, and author of Nothing's Sacred
Evan Handler's new book is simply wonderful. He pulls you inside his life, and you come out his very close friend.
Neil Simon, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright/screenwriter of Lost In Yonkers, The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and The Goodbye Girl
Evan Handler is a man whos looked into the abyss and laughed. His book, Its Only Temporary, made me laugh along with him. He covers love, lust, showbiz, triumph, and despair and he manages to be both funny and inspiring about all of it. Its an important book that I think can help to spread goodness around the world. Something we desperately need.
Lance Armstrong, seven time Tour de France Champion; Founder, The Lance Armstrong Foundation
Evan Handler is not only a fine actor, hes a damn good writer. Its Only Temporary is wise and funny and as righteously indignant as it is endearingly self-effacing. In what may be a literary first, the book actually left me wanting more.
Meghan Daum, author of My Misspent Youth and The Quality of Life Report
Evan Handler's unsparingly honest stories about life, love, and his own shortcomings are hilarious to read and oh, so easy (and fun!) to relate to. By the end you will be left with the surprising but unmistakable feelings of hope and redemption. Its Only Temporary is truly an inspiration, particularly for anyone who's out there looking for love.
Liz Tuccillo, co-author of Hes Just Not That Into You
Change is good - thats the credo Evan Handler reinvigorates with the hard won wisdom of this hard luck story. Handlers prose style is disarmingly funny and smoothly conversational. He writes like a guy who's just happy to be here, and a little pissed off at you if you're not. As he has worked hard to shape himself into a good actor, life has shaped him into a good man. The cover photo is worth the price alone.
David Duchovny, actor, director, screenwriter
About the Author
Evan Handler is an actor best known as Harry Goldenblatt from HBOs Sex and the City and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors. Handler currently co-stars in Showtimes hit series Californication co-starring David Duchovny. His past acting credits include Lost, The West Wing, Ransom, and Taps. Handler also has written for Elle, Mirabella, O, the Oprah Magazine, USA Weekend, and The New Yorker.