MAY 2018 - AudioFile
Nell Scovell’s memoir presents a behind-the-scenes look at television comedy writing in the 1980s and beyond, when Scovell was seeking to establish her career in an industry largely dominated by men. Her friend, actress Amy Hohn, narrates Scovell’s story. Hohn channels the author’s affable nature as well as her frustration with the Hollywood boys’ club. However, Hohn’s delivery of some of the jokes seems to lack some of the witty bite intended by the author. Overall, her narration is just a bit too pleasant. Included in the memoir are some clever jokes Scovell wrote that did not make the cut in well-known shows and speeches as well as anecdotes of her encounters with various famous folks in Hollywood, New York, and other places. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Samantha Bee
Nell is an incredible writer, and this book is just as amazing as I would expect. I particularly liked page XX.” (page Bee is mentioned on)
Bette Midler
Nell Scovell has finally written the book that everyone in the comedy world has been waiting for! Besides being one of the funniest people I know; she has not just survived, but she has made a pretty great living as a comedy writer for years on end. That alone makes this book worth reading. How the hell did she do it?? Crack it open and find out!
Adam Grant
I’ve known for a while that Nell is an unusually talented and funny writer, but I had no idea just how much she shaped the TV that I’ve watched for decades—or how much bias she faced along the way. Despite that (and sometimes because of it), this book was a delight to read. It’s full of jokes that made me laugh and sharp analyses that made me think.
Jeffrey Toobin
Just the Funny Parts is, like Nell Scovell herself, funny as hell. Laugh-out-loud, chuckles, eye rolls, embarrassed (for Nell) giggles—it’s all there. But there’s a lot more, too. This is a smart, wise book about growing up, growing old(er), and most of all, what it means to be a woman in a man’s world. That’s no joke. (But it is, as I mentioned, funny.)
John Oliver
This clear eyed account of 30 years in a profoundly flawed industry is the funniest, most unflinching book I’ve read in a long time. I laughed out loud so many times. If you’ve ever watched TV, you should read this book. And if you’ve ever read a book, you should read this one, too.
Library Journal
10/01/2016
Former Late Night writer Scovell has plenty of insider stories to tell. But because she has felt the need to speak out about the male-dominated and sometimes hostile environment of late night TV after David Letterman revealed that he had had sex with staffers, her memoir morphs into a treatment of sexual politics in the entertainment world. With a 150,000-copy first printing.
MAY 2018 - AudioFile
Nell Scovell’s memoir presents a behind-the-scenes look at television comedy writing in the 1980s and beyond, when Scovell was seeking to establish her career in an industry largely dominated by men. Her friend, actress Amy Hohn, narrates Scovell’s story. Hohn channels the author’s affable nature as well as her frustration with the Hollywood boys’ club. However, Hohn’s delivery of some of the jokes seems to lack some of the witty bite intended by the author. Overall, her narration is just a bit too pleasant. Included in the memoir are some clever jokes Scovell wrote that did not make the cut in well-known shows and speeches as well as anecdotes of her encounters with various famous folks in Hollywood, New York, and other places. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
