Synopses & Reviews
In andlt;iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gayandlt;/iandgt;, Ed Karvoski Jr. traces the evolution of gay and lesbian comedy from the few pioneers in New Yorkand#8217;s Greenwich Village in the seventies, to the mavericks who played San Franciscoand#8217;s famed Valencia Rose in the eighties, to the comics who starred in their own TV specials in the nineties and continue to headline comedy clubs.andnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;Among the more than 30 humorists spotlightedand#8230;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;TOM AMMIANO - longtime San Francisco elected official andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;JUDY CARTER - three-time author including andlt;iandgt;The Homo Handbookandlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;KATE CLINTON - three-time author including andlt;iandgt;Donand#8217;t Get Me Startedandlt;/iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;SABRINA MATTHEWS - star of own Comedy Central specialandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;BOB SMITH - three-time author including andlt;iandgt;Openly Bob andlt;/iandgt;and star of own HBO specialandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;JASON STUART - frequent TV guest appearances andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;ROBIN TYLER - performer, producer and proprietor of a womenand#8217;s cruise lineandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER - star of own HBO special andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#183;andnbsp;DANNY WILLIAMS - longtime MC at RSVP Cruisesandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;and#8230; and more!andlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;To the next generation of showbiz hopefuls who are gay or lesbian and choose not to hide it: make a grand entrance onto the comedy-club stages and television and film studios.andnbsp; The closet door has been set ajar.andnbsp; As any of these openly gay and lesbians comics will tell you, and#8216;A funny thing happened on the way out of the closet!and#8217;and#8221;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;-- Ed Karvoski Jr., from authorand#8217;s introductionandlt;/bandgt;
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andlt;divandgt;
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andlt;divandgt;
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andlt;divandgt;"Karvoski manages to cull works that pack an equal punch on the page.
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“There’s not a closet big enough to hold this book! The performers, many of whom I’ve worked with, are here and now. You’ll get to hang out and laugh. Enjoy this!”
-- Whoopi Goldberg “The sex may be safe, but the comedy isn’t. This is the kind of funny, bias-bashing book that all of America – gay and straight – should be reading.”
--Bill Maher, host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher “You think Ellen DeGeneres had it tough, hiding her homosexuality in the closet all those years until after she hit the big time in television? What about comics long out of the closet who have struggled in relative obscurity in large part because they are openly gay?... Many of their routines are available to a wider audience through a new compilation,
A Funny Time to Be Gay, collected by Ed Karvoski Jr.”
--Tom Kuntz, THE NEW YORK TIMES “According to publishers and retailers, this is indeed ‘a funny to be gay’…
A Funny Time to Be Gay is among the strong, consistent sellers.”
-- James A. Martin, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “… a great reference guide to gay and lesbian comics working today, giving you a good sense and a better idea of whose act you’ll want to catch at a venue near you. … This guy [Karvoski] is good at what he does… So come on – put your hands together and give a warm welcome to the past, present and future of queer comedy.”
-- Julia Willis, LAMBDA BOOK REPORT “Karvoski manages to cull works that pack an equal punch on the page. Each interview and excerpt seems like a private conversation with the comic, which reflects Karvoski’s own fascination with the topic. …
A Funny Time to Be Gay anecdotally includes some of the history of gay and lesbian comedy over three decades, filtered through Karvoski’s own funny perspective.”
-- Meryl Cohn, FRONTIERS NEWSMAGAZINE (Los Angeles) "After reading
A Funny Time to Be Gay, I passed from being entertained to being inspired."
– Brett Butler, comedienne and author of Knee Deep in Paradise "
A Funny Time to Be Gay is as funny as it is fun to read.”
– Gregg Shapiro, journalist and Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame inductee "Ed Karvoski Jr. beats the odds and gathers more than 30 very funny gay and lesbian comics in one volume. ... A really important book,
A Funny Time to Be Gay is a history of gay and lesbian comedy, social commentary, public debate and private lives. Check it out."
– Andrea L.T. Peterson, GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE (Cleveland) "The result of Karvoski's passion for gay and lesbian humor is
A Funny Time to Be Gay, a collection of comedy routines from legendary and new gay and lesbian comics. ... As any good comedian will tell you, timing is everything. Karvoski's timing was impeccable."
– Harriet L. Schwartz, OUT FRONT COLORADO (Denver) & SOUTHERN VOICE (Atlanta)
Review
andlt;divandgt;"There's not a closet big enough to hold this book!
Review
andlt;divandgt;
Review
and#8220;According to publishers and retailers, this is indeed and#8216;a funny to be gayand#8217;and#8230; andlt;iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gay andlt;/iandgt;is among the strong, consistent sellers.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;-- James A. Martin, PUBLISHERS WEEKLYandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"After reading andlt;Iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gayandlt;/Iandgt;, I passed from being entertained to being inspired."andnbsp; andlt;Bandgt;and#8211; Brett Butler, comedienne and author of andlt;Iandgt;Knee Deep in Paradiseandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;Iandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
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"andlt;Iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gay andlt;/Iandgt;is as funny as it is fun to read.and#8221;andlt;Bandgt; and#8211; Gregg Shapiro, journalist and Chicago Gay andamp; Lesbian Hall of Fame inducteeandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
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"Ed Karvoski Jr. beats the odds and gathers more than 30 very funny gay and lesbian comics in one volume. ... A really important book,andlt;Iandgt; A Funny Time to Be Gayandlt;/Iandgt; is a history of gay and lesbian comedy, social commentary, public debate and private lives. Check it out."andlt;Bandgt; and#8211; Andrea L.T. Peterson, GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE (Cleveland)andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
Review
"The result of Karvoski's passion for gay and lesbian humor is andlt;Iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gayandlt;/Iandgt;, a collection of comedy routines from legendary and new gay and lesbian comics. ... As any good comedian will tell you, timing is everything. andnbsp;Karvoski's timing was impeccable."andlt;Bandgt; and#8211; Harriet L. Schwartz, OUT FRONT COLORADO (Denver) andamp; SOUTHERN VOICE (Atlanta)andlt;Iandgt; andnbsp; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
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"andlt;Iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gay andlt;/Iandgt;chronicles the rise of gay stand-up and gives it historical perspective." andlt;Bandgt;and#8211; J.S. Hall, BAY WINDOWS (Boston)andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/Bandgt;
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"As both a performer and a writer Karvoski has gained an insider's view of the entertainment industry as it affects gay performers. ... The interviews that precede the monologues are not only entertaining, but informative. ... There are no closets in Karvoski's book, just page after page of humor and a very good read."andnbsp; andlt;Bandgt;and#8211;andnbsp; Lester Strong, WATERMARK (Orlando)andlt;/Bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Thereand#8217;s not a closet big enough to hold this book! The performers, many of whom Iand#8217;ve worked with, are here and now. Youand#8217;ll get to hang out and laugh. Enjoy this!and#8221;andlt;bandgt;-- Whoopi Goldbergandlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;The sex may be safe, but the comedy isnand#8217;t. This is the kind of funny, bias-bashing book that all of America and#8211; gay and straight and#8211; should be reading.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;--Bill Maher, host of HBOand#8217;sandlt;/bandgt; andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;Real Time with Bill Maherandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;You think Ellen DeGeneres had it tough, hiding her homosexuality in the closet all those years until after she hit the big time in television? What about comics long out of the closet who have struggled in relative obscurity in large part because they are openly gay?... Many of their routines are available to a wider audience through a new compilation, andlt;iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gayandlt;/iandgt;, collected by Ed Karvoski Jr.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;--Tom Kuntz, THE NEW YORK TIMESandlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;and#8230; a great reference guide to gay and lesbian comics working today, giving you a good sense and a better idea of whose act youand#8217;ll want to catch at a venue near you. and#8230; This guy [Karvoski] is good at what he doesand#8230; So come on and#8211; put your hands together and give a warm welcome to the past, present and future of queer comedy.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;-- Julia Willis, LAMBDA BOOK REPORTandlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Karvoski manages to cull works that pack an equal punch on the page. Each interview and excerpt seems like a private conversation with the comic, which reflects Karvoskiand#8217;s own fascination with the topic. and#8230; andlt;iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gay andlt;/iandgt;anecdotally includes some of the history of gay and lesbian comedy over three decades, filtered through Karvoskiand#8217;s own funny perspective.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;-- Meryl Cohn, FRONTIERS NEWSMAGAZINE (Los Angeles)andlt;/bandgt;
Synopsis
In this close-up look at history in the making, Karvoski traces the evolution of gay and lesbian comedy, profiling the gay and lesbian comics from across the country who have come out of the closet and stormed the mainstream with the hippest and wittiest comedy acts of the last three decades. Includes 30 monologues. 30 photos.
Synopsis
In A Funny Time to Be Gay, Ed Karvoski Jr. traces the evolution of gay and lesbian comedy from the few pioneers in New York's Greenwich Village in the seventies, to the mavericks who played San Francisco's famed Valencia Rose in the eighties, to the comics who starred in their own TV specials in the nineties and continue to headline comedy clubs.
Among the more than 30 humorists spotlighted...
- TOM AMMIANO - longtime San Francisco elected official
- JUDY CARTER - three-time author including The Homo Handbook
- KATE CLINTON - three-time author including Don't Get Me Started
- SABRINA MATTHEWS - star of own Comedy Central special
- BOB SMITH - three-time author including Openly Bob and star of own HBO special
- JASON STUART - frequent TV guest appearances
- ROBIN TYLER - performer, producer and proprietor of a women's cruise line
- SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER - star of own HBO special
- DANNY WILLIAMS - longtime MC at RSVP Cruises
... and more
"To the next generation of showbiz hopefuls who are gay or lesbian and choose not to hide it: make a grand entrance onto the comedy-club stages and television and film studios. The closet door has been set ajar. As any of these openly gay and lesbians comics will tell you, 'A funny thing happened on the way out of the closet '"
-- Ed Karvoski Jr., from author's introduction
Synopsis
Meet the out crowd that's really in -- the gay and lesbian stand-up comics who've come out of the closet and stormed the mainstream with the hippest and wittiest comedy acts of the last three decades.
In A Funny Time to Be Gay, Ed Karvoski Jr. traces the evolution of gay and lesbian comedy from Robin Tyler in the seventies and mavericks who played San Francisco's famed Valencia Rose in the eighties to the latest comics in development for their own sitcoms.
With short introductions that reveal the performers' approaches to both their sexual and professional identities, over thirty hilarious monologues capture the diversity of the gay and lesbian comic community, including Lynda Montgomery on being white trailer trash (I was raised in a paneled hallway); Barry Steiger on Prozac (I think antidepressants should come in a Pez dispenser); Bob Smith on being a gay kid ((My parents) once gave me a chemistry set -- I used it to make my own line of skin care products); and Suzanne Westenhoefer on the distinctions in lesbian culture (... the butch is the one that holds the remote control, and the femme is the one that sits beside her going, 'change it ... change it ... change it ... '). From cabaret performers, late-night regulars, and rising stars, these pieces carry a message of joyful celebration: We're here, we're queer -- get used to laughing along with us
About the Author
Ed Karvoski Jr. has worked in various aspects of the entertainment and publishing industries for over 30 years. He's the author of five books, includingandnbsp;the bestseller andlt;Iandgt;A Funny Time to Be Gay,andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Iandgt;Award-Winning Menandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;The Movie Queen Quiz Bookandlt;/Iandgt;. Karvoski and his books have been featured in andlt;Iandgt;The New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;USA Weekendandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;The Advocateandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;Outandlt;/Iandgt;. Additionally, andlt;Iandgt;The Village Voice andlt;/Iandgt;called him "an insatiable vacuum cleaner in the showbiz closet!"