SJ Perelman was my grandfather's cousin. That is to say that my great-grandmother and SJ's mother were sisters. I was 9 when SJ died and never met him, so this was quite a treat to get to hear him speak. He and my grandfather grew up together, and I hear shades of my grandfather in SJ's speech and mannerisms and demeanor. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for your wonderful comment. I learned of him only today after randomly buying a 1945 copy of crazy like a fox.... loved it, started looking into the author
Thank you for posting this. A lifetime Perelman devotee, I had never heard his voice. Yes, I hear Groucho and Mae West - and, too, such a precious freight of common sense about the act of writing. Humourists - a dying species...
Last year I started to have depression and anxiety so severe I quit my job. I joined some book clubs and everything we read was depressing. We started with the Pianist. So i found out there are millions of depressing books but very few funny books. I read his book going around the world and it’s interesting how through it still is. Wish there were more books of humor like in other countries. I highly recommend Aziz Nassim who is a Turkish humorist. Very very funny
The Swiss Family Perelman is my favorite. I think it’s his only book-length work aside from “Dawn Ginsburgh’s Revenge.” Makes you wish he’d done more of them.
Thank you so much for making this available! I spent two years of my academic life researching Perelman's brother-in-law Nathanael West's experimental novels and always wondered what SJ Perelman sounded like. It's a relief to know the great humorist sounds like Mae West rolled into Groucho Marx. Or vice versa! SJP was right about "chasm" being pronounced with a k... If anyone's interested in reading my Master's thesis "Nathanael West's American Nightmare Factory", just mail me for a free copy.
Life would be seriously impoverished, for me, without SJ. Perelman. I'm 57 and have been reading and RE-reading him for 25 years or so.He's sure isn't funny in person,tho'. He's sent me to the dictionary so many times...the early "woodcuts" are priceless... Heat Yegs in Vessel, Sprinkle with Hazard!
If you like their stuff, you might want to check out Avram Davidson’s short stories. Early on, he got pigeonholed into the science-fiction ghetto and never got the recognition he deserved, which is unfair. Terrific stylist and very funny guy, when he wanted to be. Utterly unappreciated.
I just went over and reread a bit of " The Most". I have two observations, one, Mr. Perelman has not aged as well as I had hoped. He is still stylist of great wit, but, I'm afraid in comparison to Wodehouse for example, time has paused, and gone on. As for his take on Joyce, he is spot on. I remember reading him one night in a reading room and having a lotta body experience; laughed like a mule.
Perelman really does remain the wellspring of American humor. Woody Allen was right-he really gets into your bloodstream and you can’t help but be influenced by him.
Mort Lachman was Bob Hope`s head writer. I knew Lachman too and he was a great writer. Not the Perelman type but a great writer. And I don`t know how much `committee writing `Lachman did. Of course he was head writer.
Shep really admired him. Glad to 👀 this. Thanks 😊
What a wonderful find! So glad I stopped in. I wonder what he'd be saying now?
241 likes after 12 years? SJ Perelman was genius. He is the most fun one can possibly have without laughing.
SJ Perelman was my grandfather's cousin. That is to say that my great-grandmother and SJ's mother were sisters. I was 9 when SJ died and never met him, so this was quite a treat to get to hear him speak. He and my grandfather grew up together, and I hear shades of my grandfather in SJ's speech and mannerisms and demeanor. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for your wonderful comment. I learned of him only today after randomly buying a 1945 copy of crazy like a fox.... loved it, started looking into the author
I'm reading his collected works now. He is astounding.
Thank You!
How amazing to see the man behind the glittering prose, for the first time. They don't make television as simple and intelligent as this anymore
A hero!
A tremendous humorist. Love his work. Thanks Mr. Perelman.
Thank you for posting this. A lifetime Perelman devotee, I had never heard his voice. Yes, I hear Groucho and Mae West - and, too, such a precious freight of common sense about the act of writing. Humourists - a dying species...
Last year I started to have depression and anxiety so severe I quit my job. I joined some book clubs and everything we read was depressing. We started with the Pianist.
So i found out there are millions of depressing books but very few funny books. I read his book going around the world and it’s interesting how through it still is.
Wish there were more books of humor like in other countries.
I highly recommend Aziz Nassim who is a Turkish humorist. Very very funny
I met Perelman when I was a PA on `Emphasis`. He was doing an interview with Barbara Walters, one of 5 `Emphasis` presenters.
"Westward Ha" ....and "No Starch in the Dhoti, S'll Vous Plait" are my favorite Perelman works. He's in the same class as Mark Twain.
The Swiss Family Perelman is my favorite. I think it’s his only book-length work aside from “Dawn Ginsburgh’s Revenge.” Makes you wish he’d done more of them.
Thank you for uploading this.
I'm here because of Steve Stoliar's interview on Gilbert Gotttried's podcast. His story about Perelman and Groucho was hysterical.
The Road to Miltown was my favourite.
Terrific! What an enlightening interview.
Truly two brilliant individuals. Man, when I grow up...
Satisfaction...he IS a great writer...as tough as he may find it he IS a great writer. he is able to be a great writer.
Thank you so much for making this available! I spent two years of my academic life researching Perelman's brother-in-law Nathanael West's experimental novels and always wondered what SJ Perelman sounded like. It's a relief to know the great humorist sounds like Mae West rolled into Groucho Marx. Or vice versa! SJP was right about "chasm" being pronounced with a k... If anyone's interested in reading my Master's thesis "Nathanael West's American Nightmare Factory", just mail me for a free copy.
Nobody asked, did they?
Life would be seriously impoverished, for me, without SJ. Perelman. I'm 57 and have
been reading and RE-reading him for 25 years or so.He's sure isn't funny in person,tho'.
He's sent me to the dictionary so many times...the early "woodcuts" are priceless...
Heat Yegs in Vessel, Sprinkle with Hazard!
There was never anyone funnier. Period.
Twain, Mencken, Perelman are the three best humorists/stylists that
America has ever produced. Or any other country, for that matter.
If you like their stuff, you might want to check out Avram Davidson’s short stories. Early on, he got pigeonholed into the science-fiction ghetto and never got the recognition he deserved, which is unfair. Terrific stylist and very funny guy, when he wanted to be. Utterly unappreciated.
"I'll always call you schnorrer, my African explorer"- a Perelman piece on Groucho Marx.
Great talk
Delightful!
I just went over and reread a bit of " The Most". I have two observations, one, Mr. Perelman has not aged as well as I had hoped. He is still stylist of great wit, but, I'm afraid in comparison to Wodehouse for example, time has paused, and gone on. As for his take on Joyce, he is spot on. I remember reading him one night in a reading room and having a lotta body experience; laughed like a mule.
Perelman really does remain the wellspring of American humor. Woody Allen was right-he really gets into your bloodstream and you can’t help but be influenced by him.
Highly Recommended: "Don’t Tread On Me, The Selected Letters of S.J. Perelman," Prudence Crowther, Ed.; Viking (1987)
@Nizbaby1 Expand the description. Taped 4/2/74.
Mort Lachman was Bob Hope`s head writer. I knew Lachman too and he was a great writer. Not the Perelman type but a great writer. And I don`t know how much `committee writing `Lachman did. Of course he was head writer.
What does he say at 27:36 after "grim business"? Sounds like "passes in half"
You bite pencils in half....
I find after 45 years that writing is easy. Still, it is hard to get started...but once I start, after 45 years, it is easy.
Guitar and whistle - Toots Thielemans?
Definitely.
My father Hy Shevey was a total original.
Sandra Shevey
Who?
Where are the two ferns?
The darling modest man. What year is this? They should identify it.
Delicious nerd soup
Woody Allen adored him. He sounds like Woody sometimes.
poetcomic1
Other way round.
Wrong. Only read the best.
Sandra Shevey
Wrong, for the reasons SJ gives here.