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Thirty-Nine Years of Short-Term Memory Loss
The Early Days of SNL from Someone Who Was There
Tom Davis
Introduction by Al Franken
Mar 2009
Trade Cloth
$24.00 US
($31.00 CAN)
978-0-8021-1880-6 | 9780802118806
0-8021-1880-1 | 0802118801
320 pp
28 per carton
Biography
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Entertainment & Performing Arts
Winter 2009
Imprint Rights: W
Title Rights: USCO
Product Safety: Information Not Available
Published by
Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Grove Press
Description:
39 Years of Short Term Memory Loss is a seriously funny, offbeat and irreverent memoir that chronicles the early days of Saturday Night Live and features some of its greatest personalities—Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Michael O'Donoghue, and Chris Farley. Written by Tom Davis, an original SNL writer and comedy partner of Al Franken, 39 Years of Short Term Memory Loss is the story of coming of age in the 60s, and a spellbinding account of the birth and rise of one of television’s most celebrated shows, Saturday Night Live. Tom Davis’ memoir is filled with wry, candid anecdotes about his days at Saturday Night Live and friendship with its stars. But it also the story of Davis’ own coming of age—escaping his conservative roots in suburban Minneapolis, traveling the world, and reveling in the hippie culture of 1960s San Francisco. The author finds the highs and lows of his own career to be an hilarious counterpoint to the meteoric rise of SNL and his friends' growing celebrity. Hysterical, lucid and wise, 39 Years of Short Term Memory Loss is a free spirited, unrepentant romp through an era of sex, drugs, and comedy.
Excerpt:
Adrenaline pumping, I watch Johnny Carson ask, “Who wants to sump the band?” Al and I raise our hands. Johnny steps down and looks at us. We stand up.
Johnny: “So—have you guys got a song for us?”
Al: “Ah . . . yes we do.”
Johnny: “What’s your name?”
Al: “I’m Al Franken.”
I: “Tom Davis.”
Johnny: “Okay—so what’s the song?”
Al: “Richard Nixon’s campaign song from 1952.” The audience laughs, and so does Johnny.
Johnny: “Doc—you guys want to take a stab at that one?” Cut to: Doc and the band. They smile and shrug. They’re stumped.
Johnny: “Okay guys, let’s hear it.” We belt out the song we learned during research. Johnny cracks up and the crowd applauds.
Johnny: “Say you guys are terrific. What do you do?”
Al: “We’re a standup comedy team.”
Johnny: “Really. Maybe you guys should do the show sometime?”
Al: “We’d love to . . . (he points off camera) . . . but your talent coordinator said there’s no place for us here.” Johnny is as stunned as everyone else. He turns to camera, calling for a commercial. Johnny disappears; the lights come down, the audience buzzes softly, and our hopes to appear on The Tonight Show have vanished like a fart in a tornado.
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