This funnyman’s memoir isn’t about being funny … it’s about writing a memoir.
Brooklyn comedy titan Michael Showalter, who is the brains behind “Wet Hot American Summer” and television shows such as “The State,” and “Michael and Michael Have Issues,” will celebrate the paperback release “Mr. Funnypants,” on Feb. 16 at Word in Greenpoint, where he’ll read selections from his meta-memoir.
“I set out to write my own heartbreaking work of genius and in my writers block I started writing about my attempts to write that book rather than write the book,” the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens writer told us of his book, “Mr. Funny Pants.”
In the book, Showalter grapples with the “crushing reality” that he doesn’t have anything to write about — and the realization that “if you’re going to write a book, you should read books too,” he said.
Showalter sets out to atone for his literary sins by tackling a backlog of the greatest 100 novels of all time.
It doesn’t go well.
“It never even got off the ground,” he said.
Showalter, who teaches screen writing at New York University, is taking a crack at his second book now.
“It will be more straight-forward memoir and less meta-memoir,” he said.
Meanwhile, he’s keeping busy on a handful of projects — including a pilot for FOX called “www.deadline.com/2011/12/fox-buys-comedy-about-2-sets-of-friends/“>I Hate Your Friends,” — and the long-anticipated prequel to the sleeper smash “Wet Hot American Summer,” which he is writing with fellow “State” alum, David Wain.
Showalter wouldn’t dish on the new movie — beyond its setting.
“It’s going to [take place] at a big party, that’s what I can disclose,” he said.
But when it came to the Brooklyn Paper, we could barely get Showalter to shut up.
“It’s just so awesome,” he said.
Michael Showalter at Word [126 Franklin St. between Milton and Noble streets in Greenpoint (718) 383-0096] Feb. 16 at 7 pm.
Reach reporter Dan MacLeod at [email protected] or by calling him at (718) 260-4507. You can also follow his Tweets at twitter.com/dsmacleod.
