Comedy these days is an intensely personal art form. Many stand-ups credit one man for the shift: Alan Lefkowitz, the hardass, career-saving therapist they all, yes, share.
When comedian John List needed help, all of his comedian friends—Sam Morril, Gary Gulman, Robert Kelly—talked up one man constantly, making him out to be something of a quasi-mystical miracle worker for struggling comedians. Apparently, this man had helped everyone from open-micers to superstars, Seinfeld writers to Comedy Cellar regulars. Rumor had it that he was impossible to get time with after Pete Davidson was cast in Saturday Night Live at the tender age of 20, leaving other comics wracked with jealousy. Richard Lewis, the original neurotic comic, had started seeing him back in the '70s, people said. Desperate, List called Morril, who gave him the phone number. Then, List called Alan Lefkowitz, therapist to seemingly all of New York's most successful stand-ups. Five categories, 20 options, one relaxed attitude. Enough gifting. It's time to shop for yourself for a change. How one rider embodies the spirit of the Old West. Look past all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hijinks, if you can, and you'll find a level of heart that stands among the best moments in the web-slinger's history. Charles P. Pierce's 15 essential reads. They just might take you some time, is all. The most famous short story about the Vietnam War is also one of the best war stories ever written. |
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