Jerry Seinfeld talks to EW about his new book Is This Anything?
Jerry Seinfeldis releasing his first book in 25 years letting the world in on his very particular process.
EW spoke with the comedian ahead of the release ofIs This Anything?(Oct.
Credit: Simon & Schuster
How were you able to organize it?
When I sat down to do the book, most of the stuff was in terrible, terrible shape.
It was just scribblings that were completely unorganized.
It took me months and months and months.
When its life-and-death, you remember!
Why did you decide to share this inside look at your work after all this time?
So I wanted to leave a trail for young people.
Is there a piece of music that influenced your stand-up?
I stopped really listening to rock music in my early 20s.
Good stand-up should feel like jazz, in that its a very pure invention of that person.
How much of your success is due to being naturally funny versus putting in the work?
There has to be a certain spark of life.
Its like the way a lighter works.
Its an unearthly phenomenon.
To control it is…its kind of like juggling fire.
Like with baseball what they do is attempt to get the percentages just slightly more in their favor.
Choke up on the bat.
Move just an inch.
Lock my elbow up.
Bring my hands down.
Comedians are not risk-takers, they are risk eliminators.
The industry is so different now from what it was in your early days.
Do you think up-and-coming comedians have to chase viral moments more?
Yeah, and thats fine!
The greatest thing about stand-up is getting into it.
The worst part of stand-up is being thrown out of it.
I was so happy when I made it inside comedy.
I felt like a tropical fish that had found an aquarium.
All I want is to never leave this aquarium.
