Joyful Recollections of Trauma

by Paul Scheer

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Paul Scheer delivers a deeply funny, personal and moving account of how joy and pain are the perfect ingredients for a happy and funny life.”—Amy Poehler

"It's a hilarious essay collection about trauma. Yes, really."—People Magazine

From award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer, a candid and hilarious memoir-in-essays on coming to terms with childhood trauma and finding the joy in embracing your authentic self.

Paul Scheer has entertained countless fans and podcast listeners with stories about the odd, wild, and absurd details of his life. Yet these tales have pointed to deeper, more difficult truths that the actor and comedian has kept to himself. Now, he is finally ready to share those truths for the first time—but, of course, with a healthy dose of humor.

Blending the confident, affable voice that has won him a dedicated following with a refreshing level of candor, Joyful Recollections of Trauma chronicles Paul’s often shocking, admittedly tumultuous childhood and how the experiences of his youth have reverberated throughout his life. In his comedy, Paul has always been unafraid to “go there,” to play naïve, cringeworthy characters, imbuing them with disarming charm and humanity. That daring openness is on display in the pages of this memoir, but in true Paul fashion, it is also surprising, eye-opening, and side-splitting.

In this madcap journey through the inner working of his mind and creative process, Paul Scheer demonstrates once again that the truth is often stranger—and funnier—than fiction. Joyful Recollections of Trauma offers a unique perspective on universal themes: growing up, working through a challenging childhood, staying true to yourself, and finding success, fulfillment, and happiness in often strange and difficult circumstances. Throughout, Paul shares both the hard-fought lessons and the laughter that can be found in the darkest parts of life, and reminds us that what matters is not what you’ve been through but who you are becoming. If you loved recent memoirs by Molly Shannon, Maria Bamford, RuPaul, and Jennette McCurdy—or any book that moves you to both laughter and tears—Joyful Recollections of Trauma is the perfect read for you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063293717
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/21/2024
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	27,566
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Paul Scheer is a Screen Actors Guild Award–winning comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster known for his roles in The League, Black Monday, Fresh Off the Boat, 30 Rock, and Veep. He also co-created and starred in Human Giant and NTSF:SD:SUV::. He writes comics for Marvel and DC, and can be heard on Big City Greens and Star Trek: Lower Decks. He cohosts the popular podcasts How Did This Get Made? and Unspooled. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

Editorial Reviews

03/18/2024

Comedian and The League actor Scheer’s debut memoir-in-essays has all the thrills and pitfalls of an improv comedy set. After his parents divorced when he was seven, Scheer grew up on 1980s Long Island with his mother and abusive stepfather, who once choked him during a tense game of Monopoly. Seeking an escape from his volatile home life, Scheer made short films and cultivated a hunger to perform in front of an audience. In high school, he landed a spot with the New York City–based comedy troupe Chicago City Limits, and became fascinated by long-form improv after watching Amy Poehler perform with the Upright Citizens Brigade, a group he eventually also joined. He dots the narrative’s main arcs— about his career in comedy and courtship of fellow comedian June Diane Raphael, whom he eventually married—with amusing celebrity anecdotes, including the gruff dismissal he received from Alan Alda when he sought an autograph as a child (“No, kid. I bet you don’t even know who I am”). At another point, Scheer recounts the platonic lunch date he went on with a “beautiful young woman” while working accounts payable at a branding firm, whom he later learned was Britney Spears. While the results are a bit scattershot—Scheer’s funny, but there’s a lot of froth—they go down easy. This should satisfy comedy fans. Agents: David Kuhn and Nate Muscato, Aevitas Creative Management. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Paul Scheer delivers a deeply funny, personal and moving account of how joy and pain are the perfect ingredients for a happy and funny life." — Amy Poehler

"I loved this deeply vulnerable book with its original style, revealing stories, and profound lessons. It made me cry with compassion but I also cried from laughter, because—true to its title—this is also a laugh-out-loud read. Don’t miss it." — Jane Fonda

"Paul’s book is full of heart, humor and heartache. So proud to call him a friend and fellow author." — Phoebe Robinson

"This book is a SCHEER delight!! (Note: Patton Oswalt was committed to a low-security mental help facility after writing this blurb.)” — Patton Oswalt

"At once wildly entertaining and achingly poignant. Paul Scheer takes you on a courageous dive through the darker waters of his past, and his irrepressible spirit shines through and beckons us to join him in the light." — Casey Wilson

"Read Paul Scheer’s Joyful Recollections of Trauma for an unexpected journey where humor and heartache collide. Scheer masterfully navigates the tightrope of life's absurdities, delivering a poignant, yet uproariously funny, exploration of personal tales that resonate deeply and delight endlessly." — Jessi Klein

"Paul Scheer is good at everything. A writer, performer, and director who’s entertained millions onscreen and in podcasts over the years, it’s almost unfair he’s also a fucking amazing memoirist, too. The stories in this book are funny and dark at the same time. Honest and true. The kind of writing that sticks with you." — Ed Brubaker

"An endearing underdog story that will have readers cheering for the author from a troubled beginning to a sweet, happy end." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Scheer is able to pack in the laughs that fans of his irreverent comedy will expect as well as showcase a uniquely intimate writing voice that successfully tackles topics as wide ranging as an adult ADHD diagnosis and his own love story with fellow comedian June Diane Raphael. Scheer’s recollections add up to something entirely substantial that fans of comedy and confessional memoir writing will appreciate." — Booklist (starred review)

"Charming, disarming, candid, and warm . . . Readers will find the sincerest form of self-acceptance through hard lessons learned. . . . Scheer’s memoir addresses somber truths of adolescence and abuse while never losing a sense of hope and humor along the way." — Library Journal (starred review)

"It's a hilarious essay collection about trauma. Yes, really." — People

"Blends the horrifying and the self-deprecatingly funny, often within the same chapter, sometimes within the same sentence." — Los Angeles Times

"His ability to juxtapose his darkest moments with humor results in a memoir that is as emotionally jarring as it is entertaining." — Paste Magazine

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2024

Award-winning actor/comedian/podcaster Scheer's charming, disarming, candid, and warm collection of essays will appeal to readers who like their humor best when it's bittersweet. He aims to wear his former feelings of shame with pride, whether it's describing abuse at the hands of his stepfather or listing cringeworthy celebrity encounters so embarrassing that he had to leave the scene. He acknowledges the times in his life that those who loved him most, including himself, failed him. Laying bare how traumatic events can become so routine they may not register as trauma, he conveys his humility and humanity with humor and authenticity. In the chapters "Ode to a Minivan" and "Scheer Humiliation," readers see the silly side of him in his roles as an actor, a comedian, a husband, and a father. Readers will find the sincerest form of self-acceptance through hard lessons learned in the chapters "When I Grow Up" and "Becoming Dad." VERDICT Scheer's memoir addresses somber truths of adolescence and abuse while never losing a sense of hope and humor along the way. Recommend this beautiful book to fans of Sam Neill, Casey Wilson, and Samantha Irby.—Alana R. Quarles

Library Journal

★ 2024-03-15
The comedian and actor wasn’t kidding around when he titled his memoir.

Scheer, best known for his work on The League, Black Monday, and Veep, begins with some harrowing tales of abuse from his stepfather that he balances by recognizing how they helped make him the successful father, husband, and entertainer he is today. “All the chaos and abuse were so normalized that only in the retelling do I realize just how abnormal they were,” he writes, adding that there were moments when he felt victorious, “like the time I outran a pitchfork he threw at my back.” It’s these triumphs, cut with his self-deprecating humor, that makes Scheer’s memoir so charming and uplifting, despite the often difficult subject matter of his childhood on Long Island. Given his storytelling experience as an actor and a podcaster on How Did This Get Made?—which he co-hosts with his wife, June Diane Raphael, and fellow League actor Jason Mantzoukas—the author manages to make it all entertaining. Even his story about learning that he was lactose intolerant after a serious health scare at Disney World becomes hilarious in retrospect. Scheer also writes about his love of improv, especially with the Upright Citizens Brigade; the auditioning process; and his enjoyment of movies and working at Blockbuster Video. However, the author treats his higher-profile jobs, like his regular gig on VH1’s Best Week Ever, as asides to his life with his wife and family. It’s part of the serious point Scheer wants to make, despite the humor. He chronicles his journey through abuse and into the life he dreamed of to show how he did it: through therapy, self-acceptance, and prioritizing his family.

An endearing underdog story that will have readers cheering for the author from a troubled beginning to a sweet, happy end.

Kirkus Reviews