Who needs sleep anyway? The men (and woman) who established a genre of television—comedy after dark—are revealed in probing, wide-ranging and provocative interviews that first appeared in Playboy magazine. From pioneers Dick Cavett and Tom Snyder to the original meta-hosts David Letterman and Garry Shandling to contemporary keepers of the late-night flame Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel, these hilarious, ever-charming talkers reflect the very best of 50 years of the Playboy Interview. Late-Nigh...

Reminiscences from the legendary talk show host: "Erudite and witty . . . Brief Encounters is very good and very funny." — Chicago TribuneOn his talk show, Dick Cavett welcomed leading figures from film, music, theater, literature, comedy, and politics, and engaged them in conversation that made viewers feel like the discussion was taking place in their own living rooms. In Brief Encounters, Cavett introduces us to the fascinatin...

The legendary talk show host's humorous reminiscences and pointed commentary on the great figures he has known, and culture and politics today.For years, Dick Cavett played host to the nation's most famous personalities on his late-night talk show. In this humorous and evocative book, we get to hear Cavett's best tales, as he recounts great moments with the legendary entertainers who crossed his path and offers his own trenchant commentary on contemporary American ...

John Neihardt, celebrated for his cycle of epic poems about the American West and for Black Elk Speaks, was in his nineties when he wrote this engaging book about growing up in the Midwest. All Is But a Beginning describes the people and events instrumental in shaping his later distinguished career as a poet; historian, and authority on Indians.

2017 Nebraska Book Award Nonfiction: FolkloreOne day Roger Welsch ventured to ask his father a delicate personal question: “Why am I an only child?” His father’s answer is one of many examples of the delightful and laughter-inducing ribald tales Welsch has compiled from a lifetime of listening to and sharing the folklore of the Plains. More narrative than simple jokes, and the product of multiple retellings, these coarse tales were even delivered by such prudish sources as Welsch’s...

In this wonderful parody from 1940, W.C. Fields announces his candidacy for America's highest office. He offers sound advice on a number of topics in classic Fields-style humor in his attempt to win votes. "Campaign resolutions are no better than New Year's resolutions," he writes. "They are thrown together hastily at the last minute, with never a thought as to how they may be gracefully broken. Now, I am a candidate with years of experience breaking New Year's resolutions, and what I can ...

A beloved, bestselling classic of humorous and nostalgic Americana—the book that inspired the equally classic Yuletide film and the live musical on Fox.The holiday film A Christmas Story, first released in 1983, has become a bona fide Christmas perennial, gaining in stature and fame with each succeeding year. Its affectionate, wacky, and wryly realistic portrayal of an American family’s typical Christmas joys and travails in small-town Depression-era India...

Raised Eyebrows is the bittersweet story of the last years in the life of Groucho Marx, told by a young Marx Brothers fan who was fortunate enough to work for Groucho as his personal secretary and archivist, right inside Marx’s Beverly Hills home. In addition to getting to know his hero, the author was able to spend quality time with Zeppo, Gummo, Mae West, George Burns, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, SJ Perelman, Steve Allen, and scores of other luminaries of stage, screen, TV, and liter...

Oliver Twist is an orphan, born into the world of workhouses and poverty. Apprenticed at a young age, he runs away and finds himself with a curious collection of thieves, rogues and murderers. Tragedy and death are constantly at his heels. Oliver struggles with the burden of being a child and of being poor in industrial England. In this tale, Dickens shows that poverty breeds crime and that the road from the workhouse to Fagin's vicious gang is short and straight.

One of the greatest of all American classic tales, Huck Finn can no longer stand his life at home so he fakes his own death. While camping, he discovers the runaway slave, Jim. Together, Huck and Jim travel down the mighty Mississippi River in a series of adventures with a cast of unforgettable characters.

The legendary talk show host's humorous reminiscences and pointed commentary on the great figures he has known, and culture and politics todayFor years, Dick Cavett played host to the nation's most famous personalities on his late-night talk show. In this humorous and evocative book, we get to hear Cavett's best tales, as he recounts great moments with the legendary entertainers who crossed his path and offers his own trenchant commentary on contemporary American c...

A 2016 Grammy nominee for Best Spoken Word AlbumDick Cavett is back, sharing his reflections and reminiscences about Hollywood legends, American cultural icons, and the absurdities of everyday lifeIn Brief Encounters, the legendary talk show host Dick Cavett introduces us to the fascinating characters who have crossed his path, from James Gandolfini and John Lennon to Mel Brooks and Nora Ephron, enhancing our appreciation of their ...