Staff Picks Category: Actors

Comedian and actor Sarah Silverman is known for her outrageously rude humor which belies her ingenuous appearance. Her memoir, subtitled “stories of courage, redemption, and pee,” revels in contradictions and brilliant comic timing. Silverman uses shame to promote self-respect. Her “potty humor” is bizarrely sophisticated. She uses meta-political incorrectness to express sincere liberal tolerance. She endears herself to her audience through obnoxiousness.

It’s hard to tell how much of these stories are factually true, but in Silverman’s comic style, the exaggeration and twistedness bring out a deeper truth.

Note: The subject matter and the short chapters make this ideal bathroom reading, though you might lose track of time in there, and the people waiting outside will hear you laughing.