Podcast appearances and mentions of Merrill Markoe

Mike Chisholm joins me to discuss how his curiosity leads to conversations; Steve O'Donnell; our first time watching Letterman; meeting Letterman guests on twitch; Rick Sheckman; intern stories; becoming friends with Rupert Jee and speaking at his retirement; Steve Young; Paul Shaffer; swooning over Barbara Gaines;; Steve Weiner; learning how to podcast; Calvert DeForest; Matt Roberts does a three hour episode; editing, PC culture; censoring episodes; the r word; Midget Wrestling Warriors; saying something is gay; Don Rickles; Andrew "Dice" Clay; Howard Stern; blackface; Jjimmy Hat, Andy Kaufman, and Jerry Lawler; Merrill Markoe; befriending Jeff Altman and Dick Cavett; how my OCD affects my show; his ailing father; season 2 and being my Tony Randall

From Martin & Lewis to Abbott & Costello... from Joe Besser to Curly-Joe DeRita... from Tor Johnson to Groucho Marx... one legendary artist has chronicled the greats, near-greats, and semi-greats of show business with a mix of love, tenderness, and liver-spotted frankness. We talk to Drew Friedman about his long career, his favourite subjects, and the new documentary "Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt." "Drew Friedman: Vermeer of the Borscht Belt" plays in Los Angeles at the Aero Theater on March 29, 7:30pm, followed by a panel discussion featuring Friedman, director Kevin Dougherty, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, Steven Weber, Dana Gould, KAZ, Leonard Maltin, Kliph Nesteroff, and Merrill Markoe. Get tickets here: https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/drew-friedman-vermeer-of-the-borscht-belt-3-29-25/

From October 28, 2020: Merrill Markoe is a national treasure in the world of comedy, one the best television writers in the history of ever.   Her newest book is “We Saw Scenery.”  

Andy Prieboy in conversation with David Eastaugh https://wallofvoodoo2.com/home https://www.andyprieboy.com/home In early 1984, he was invited to join Wall of Voodoo, occupying the vacated front-person position. Touring the world and recording three albums with the band, his composition Far Side of Crazy charted in foreign markets, going top ten in Australia.  In the early 1990's, his solo work featured Tomorrow Wendy, covered by Concrete Blonde on their Bloodletting album. In addition, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt performed Loving the Highway Man as a duet on their Western Wall album.  By the middle of the decade, he was writing, directing, and performing his acclaimed musical, White Trash Wins Lotto, a Gilbert and Hooligan take on the Guns n' Roses story. Between 1995 and 2001, White Trash Wins Lotto successfully ran at Largo and The Roxy Theater in Los Angeles. It was also featured at The HBO Comedy Festival, New York's PS 122, and on Conan O'Brien.  In 2004, Andy co-authored a novel The Psycho-Ex Game with Emmy Award-winning writer Merrill Markoe for Random House.  After taking time out to compose, Andy returned to the stage to present an autobiographical song cycle called A Thousand Gorgeous Lies at The Harold Williams Theatre at The Getty Center in Los Angeles.  Most recently, Andy has been working on this collection of forgotten, abandoned, and unfinished songs which he calls "One and One Make Three."

Steve O'Donnell joined me to discuss Mike Chisholm; stand up; Sarah Silverman; Norm MacDonald loving to tell comic road stories; Massapequa; Jerry Seinfeld; Carson Daly; Larry Jacobson & Groucho; Edward Everett Horton; Jim Norton; Jim Gaffigan; Jackie "The Joke Man' Martling; hating 50's stand-ups; Shelley Berman; Jack Carter; older Rickles on Kimmel; Pat Cooper; David Brenner; Regis Philbin; using his actual gym teacher on Letterman; Norm's impressions; interview with Jane Fonda; Norm's Clint Eastwood; doing a western bit on Sports Show; 25th Anniversary of the ESPY's; Cleveland Baron's mascot; Norm didn't drive; his memoir; Canada's 70's tourism catchphrase; SCTV; Ghoulardi (Ernie Anderson) leads him to Dave; cliches; his twin brother Mark who was more of an auteur and won a Tony for Hairspray; used for twin jokes on Letterman; appeared with his brother on Strangers with Candy; Sklar Brothers; America's Got Talent; Michael Winslow; Vegas residencies; first job as a greeting card writer; sent all his writings to Letterman and Merrill Markoe while working in a tape room at 30 Rock; his interview; having to give two weeks notice and hearing his jokes being told during that time; being told his work is witty; to laugh or not laugh; a typical Steve O'Donnell joke; bringing his parents to Late Night; midwestern slang for rain; doing Letterman was more than just a job; Jim Downey; his brother individually pre-signing books each with an original joke; Dave changes jokes on air for himself; Viewer Mail construction; Alsace or Al's ass; class clowns; Jeff Martin; many comedians wore eyepatches as babies; todays comedy writers are more diverse and better looking; now being one of the few non-performers on a writing staff; being great on podcasts; the trifectas in comedy performed by Brian McConachie, Eddie Gorodetsky, and Ken Keeler; history buffs Larry David & Conan O'Brien; writing on Great Minds with Dan Harmon; writing for the Chris Rock Show; pitching a bit about to Hannibal Burress and pretending to explain what bling is; Hugh Moore and Shy Tony; writing bad jokes; audiences laughing at straight lines or not knowing old sayings or bits and thinking they're new; "No good deed goes unpunished"; animals that speak foreign languages

In episode 727, we discuss some feedback we got from a listener who was none-too-pleased with our belief that drag queens are fun for the whole family, but what got Susie wound up is that the listener was only mad at Susie. She wants to know why people never get mad at Sarah. Let's spread the hate around a little, people. We debate whether we should talk about the submersible and why it's so horrifying. We hear the history of kissing, and learn what animals kiss romantically besides humans. Sarah thinks it all comes down to oral, but Susie thinks it's an evolutionary hack. We get some old gossip about David Letterman and his head writer in the 80s, Merrill Markoe. We learn why she was fired and how it's an industry-wide issue. Hear why men are still outnumbering women even in cartoons and why the Challenge is part of the problem. Plus, we learn why friendship is different in other countries and the government plays a role in the who you consider a "good friend."Join our book club, shop our merch, sign-up for our free newsletter, & more by visiting The Brain Candy Podcast website: https://www.thebraincandypodcast.comConnect with us on social media:BCP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braincandypodcastSusie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiemeisterSarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsarahriceBCP Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/braincandypodSusie's Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/susie_meisterSarah's Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ImSarahRiceSponsors:Get 30% off your entire order at https://www.mykitsch.com/braincandyGet 15% off your first order when you use promo code: CANDY at https://www.bollandbranch.comCancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses theeasy way – by going to https://rocketmoney.com/braincandyMore podcasts at WAVE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/artist/wave-podcast-network/1437831426See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason Zinoman works for the New York Times, currently serving as their comedy critic, and is the author of 'Letterman, The Last Giant of Late Night,' one of the most encompassing books ever written about David Letterman & Company. Jason took some time out of his insane schedule to talk all things Letterman, and brings a unique perspective on a variety of topics. He and Mike discuss the levels of The Show's evolution over the years, how certain figures, like Merrill Markoe and Chris Elliott shaped the show, and what it was like to meet and interview Dave himself for his book. Jason is an expert on the behind the scenes of Letterman and his productions, and an invaluable resource for insight and anecdotes. He also is a podcast host as well, co-hosting 'The Martin Chronicles' which dissects and celebrates the work of British Novelist Martin Amis. As always, The Letterman Podcast is brought to you by Rupert Jee and 'The Hello Deli.' If you find yourself in Midtown Manhattan and want good food served by one of the kindest people on the planet, head to the Hello Deli. Also, if you would like official 'Late Show with David Letterman' merchandise, including mugs, t-shirts, hats and more, head to hello-deli.com and shop to your heart's content. If you ask really nicely, Rupert may even add onions to your order. Please show the love to our show by liking, subscribing, sharing, and leaving positive comments, here and all over the internet. We are growing a community and are excited about the future plans we have. Feel free to join and contribute to our group on The Facebook; especially if you are contributing something odd. We love odd.

BEST SHOW BESTS! Tom talks with comedy legend MERRILL MARKOE on her incredible career and graphic memoir, We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe. (Originally aired December 15th, 2020) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Streaming every Thursday night on Twitch at 6pm PT and available every Friday on your podcast app. WATCH THE BEST SHOW LIVE EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT 6PM PT ON TWITCH https://www.twitch.tv/bestshow4life SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH VIDEO EPISODES OF THE BEST SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/bestshow4life FOLLOW THE BEST SHOW: https://twitter.com/bestshow4life https://instagram.com/bestshow4life https://tiktok.com/@bestshow4life THE BEST SHOW IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://thebestshow.net https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-best-show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode pays off a bet Andrew made last month that the January 6 Committee would eventually secure the testimony of White House Counsel Pat Cipollone. Find out why that's such a big deal! In addition to explaining how the J6 Committee came to secure Pets of Belonging's testimony, Andrew answers your questions regarding whether this is some kind of elaborate con (No), how Cipollone's answers are likely to interact with executive and attorney-client privilege (frequently), and the likelihood that he will help round out the successful case for prosecuting Donald Trump for crimes in connection with the 1/6 Insurrection (EXTREMELY!). It's a big deal! After the main breakdown, we share a thoughtful and informative letter from a listener who helps put the Supreme Court's recent (atrocious) decision in Carson v. Makin (that we broke down in Episode 608) permitting direct government aid to expressly religious schools into a fuller context. It's an Andrew Was Wrong (About Rural Maine) and an important object lesson that you can never trust the fact section in a SCOTUS case involving religion these days. Links: The brilliant and hilarious Merrill Markoe captured the live-captioning of Pat Cipollone's name as Patsy Baloney (and others) on Twitter. For the background for the crime-fraud exception, check out Rule 1.2 and Rule 1.6 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. You can check out the Senate Judiciary testimony of Jeff Rosen as well as Richard Donohue for all sorts of new goodies, some of which we covered on the show! Click here to read the Supreme Court's opinion in Carson v. Makin., which we previously broke down in Episode 608 with Andrew Seidel. Finally, secret link! CLICK HERE to read the Kurt Olsen draft complaint for the DOJ, which we discovered in all its madness after the end of the record. Remember you can still donate to the Opening Arguments Foundation at OAfund.org!

Jesse Thorn (Jordan, Jesse, Go!, Bullseye) joins the show with a very original Block Tale, a first in show history, as he gets blocked by the former head writer of The Late Show with David Letterman for making her sit in traffic. It's a true California Block Tale and in true California fashion, we spend a great deal of the show talking about frozen treats, from Jesse's high-end home ice machine to the best selections to come from the ice cream truck. John also gets roasted for a horrendous analogy, Stefan bucks the trend by being the one to talk about nu-metal with the Alien Ant Farm discourse, and we learn about scromiting. Plus, dogs on roofs, Paul F. Tompkins, and Antiques Roadshow.   Jesse Thorn is a podcaster who is the founder of Maximum Fun and can be heard on "Jordan, Jesse, Go!" and "Judge John Hodgman" on a weekly basis. You can also hear his show, "Bullseye", on NPR. You can follow him on Twitter at @jessethorn.   Rest in Peace to our dear friend Nick Nemeroff. We love you, pal. In lieu of flowers, the Nemeroff family has asked that you make a donation to Planned Parenthood, which was one of the last things Nick did before he passed. 

Gerard Mulligan joined me to discuss growing up in Rhode Island; early TV influences such as Milton Berle and Groucho Marx; Steve Allen's Westinghouse Show and its help in creating the Letterman show; high school writing; learning sensitivity in comedy; being an English teacher; moving to San Francisco and being a notary public in City Hall; meeting a homeless man who had the plan for the country; telling off color jokes in Catholic school; trying stand up for the first time; becoming friends with Merrill Markoe who introduced him to David Letterman; Dave hiring him to write Tonight Show monologue jokes when he guest hosted; the morning show; his love for Family Circle; wasting Edwin Newman; the morning show was NBC taking a chance, unlike now; Chicago; his daughter's art; his son's a novelist; theme nights (Harmon Killebrew), Dave says no a lot; Lou Rawls week; Joe Toplyn invents the Velcro Suit; Will it Float; Stupid Pet Tricks; Dave repeats punch lines to dirty jokes as non-sequiturs; "Where's my Bad Credit People At; What If everybody was named Phil?"; Levon Helm doesn't show up; Joan Collins and Willie Nelson decline the show; his hometown paper Narragansett News lobbies to be on "Small Town News"; "working" with Chris Elliot and Adam Reznick; Steve Young laughs so hard he falls off a chair once a year; Dave tried a teleprompter, hired Tony Mendez instead; he, Dave, and Tony go to meet Al Gore; hanging out with old writers at barbeques; Larry Jacobson needing a Japanese rabbi; discussing "Born Again" Bob Dylan with Rich Hall; our favorite musician Elvis Costello; Gerry pre-interviews Elvis in London and he "blows the roof off the dump"; Dave fires Gerry bit; not repeating bits too much unlike SNL; Kristen Wiig's Gillie; Keenan Thompson; Pete Fatovich in the control room when Elvis Costello signs "Radio, Radio"; coming on as Batman; how a joke he wrote and Dave nixed was told on Leno because it was so obvious; accidentally telling one of David Brenner's jokes; love of George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield; using his town of Nutley, New Jersey in remotes; writers coming up with the idea of doing something funny when their names were announced at the Emmys; James Gandolfini nixes turkey wrestling; The Eurythmics want to get "arrested" as a prank during an appearance; Andy Kaufman wants to commit suicide during a 1980 appearance on the morning show; people who died on stage; largest vase; Gerard impersonates leaders, stars, athletes in the "Ask Who segment"; became a notary on the morning show; Bob Sarlatte becomes a contributor to the morning show; being a big Red Sox fan; being reticent to meet idols Ted Williams and Van Morrison; anti-Semitic, racist and transphobic comments made by Morrissey, Roger Waters, and Ricky Gervais; Jews in comedy and other aspects of life.

Wake the Kids and Phone the Neighbors is a letterman podcast tribute. Hosts Mike and Rusty dive deep on the television icon. This Episode: Merrill Markoe Remember this isn't brain surgery; it's just television, a lot of television. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Cohen joins me to talk about the creation of the Top 10 List; growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania; going to Cal Arts to study music and having little talent for it; betting on Johnny Carson's monologues; being a Knicks fan; the solitary life of a writer; first article about Japanese game shows; Modest Proposals a book of satirical letters; meeting the Pope; his first two books; not working with Steve Martin; wanting to end being a freelancer; staying up to watch Letterman; submitting a packet to NBC; not liking Small Town News; having fun appearing on camera; Steve O'Donnell always making him play a doctor; Merrill Markoe's brand of humor; lack of diversity in the writing room; Merrill's structure of pieces lasted after she did; "Late Night in Tokyo"; "Monkey Cam Show"; Dr. Ruth objects to the monkey; "The English Dub Show"; Randy's attempt to do an episode recast; Bad Phone Calls segment; G.E. Handshake; the crew made your piece funnier; man who's; Chris Elliot; leaving in 1990; TV Nation; The Ethicist; most of his writing is under 1000 words; his play The Punishing Blow; being the head writer for the first year of The Rosie O'Donnell Show; his radio show Person Place or Thing --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Things take a long time to begin is but one of the brilliant takeaways from this episode of Camera Ready & Abel with Beth Lapides exploring everything that goes into making a decision (even when we think we're avoiding them) from her new audio book, So You Need to Decide…a series of intimate conversations with a diverse group of comedians, writers, and cultural icons revolving around five universal experiences: family, work, love, moving, and spirituality.  Featuring original interviews with Margaret Cho, Isaac Mizrahi, Bob Odenkirk, Phoebe Bridgers, Baron Vaughn, Aparna Nancherla, Merrill Markoe, and Josh Gondelman, and with research assistance by Mathew Klickstein, So You Need to Decide ultimately challenges the listener to choose how they want to live - bigger or smaller, with artifice or authenticity.   Beth is the godmother of alternative comedy and the creator, host and producer of LA's Uncabaret - the first alternative comedy show (ever!) - which Beth launched nearly 30 years ago to provide a space that was unhomophobic, unxenophobic, unmisogynistic...UNCABARET. The list of comedians Beth has worked with and supported is staggering. You can learn everything and more at Uncabaret.com. Beth is also a writer whose work has appeared in Time, the Los Angeles Times, Premiere, O-The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Elle Decor and All Things Considered on NPR and a teacher.  Learn more about Beth at bethlapides.com and check out her Winter Workshop offerings at https://bethlapidesworkshopwinter2022.eventbrite.com. And get So You Need to Decide today!  

Fred Graver joined me to talk about tricking his parents into watching more TV; The Dick Van Dyke Show; going to Notre Dame; getting a job as a typist at National Lampoon; getting hired on Late Night with David Letterman; Merrill Markoe; William Wegman; 360 degree show; writing the Top 10 List; Chris Elliot; remotes; Arnie Barnes; Airplane Anniversary Show; meeting Pete Townshend; best guests; Harvey Pekar; Crispin Glover; Sonny & Cher; working for Norman Lear on Sunday Dinner; getting hired for In Living Color; writing a Hey Mon!; writing Men on Film; Jim Carrey; writing and shooting the episodes; Super Bowl Halftime episode; Night Court; Dick Van Dyke spec script; Cheers last season and Tonight Show wrap up party --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Tom and Julie celebrate the life and career of the legendary Charles Grodin (1935-2021) with help from legendary guests Martin Short, Elayne Boosler, and Merrill Markoe. They talk Clifford, Grodin's infamous appearances on Carson and Letterman, Midnight Run, the invention of cringe comedy, The Heartbreak Kid, unklikeability, Real Life, and more.LISTEN TO DOUBLE THREAT AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS:http://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plusTHIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY:*ZIWE ON SHOWTIME: Ziwe on Showtime premieres May 9th! sho.com/ziwe*BETTER HELP: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/TomandJulieDOUBLE THREAT MERCH:https://www.teepublic.com/stores/double-threatSEND SUBMISSIONS TO:DoubleThreatPod@gmail.comFOLLOW DOUBLE THREAT:https://twitter.com/doublethreatpodhttps://www.instagram.com/doublethreatpodDOUBLE THREAT IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST:https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/double-threatTheme song by Mike KrolArtwork by Michael Kupperman

This week's guest is Merrill Markoe, one of the funniest writers around, whether it's as a trailblazing writer for “The David Letterman Show” or author (and even illustrator) of many novels and non-fiction. Marissa and Merrill attempt to understand many of life's biggest quandaries, including why in middle school we always fell for the kid least likely to love us back and whether that thing your dog is doing to the couch is considered unconditional love. Merrill's brings her sugar-free breakfast cookie recipe, that even sugar-lovers will appreciate. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comedian Rich Hall is joined by Nick Doody to look at the first 100 days of the Biden presidency via the stylings of an American radio talk show. Starring: Rich Hall, Nick Doody, Lewis MacLeod, Freya Parker, Alonzo Bodden and Merrill Markoe. It was written by Rich Hall and Nick Doody, with additional material from Tasha Dhanraj and Jenny Laville. Producer... Hayley Sterling Production Coordinator... Sarah Sharpe A BBC Studios Production

Andy Breckman joined me to guess whether I was a vaginal of Casearean birth; his early childhood; only being allowed to watch one show a week on TV; realizing re never had to go to school again and leaving BU; going to LA and becoming a funny folk singer; transitioning into writing; Kevin Kelton;writing Hot Hero Sandwich; being turned down by SNL in 1980; how the SNL audition packet got him the attention of Merrill Markoe; pulling an all-nighter for his Letterman packet; going through his 13 week cycle without getting anything on the air; first joke that got on Letterman; writing a bit that bombed with Jim Downey; leaving Letterman for SNL after a year and a half; writing Dutch Couple for Eddie Murphy; why its bad for writers to get credit for sketches; Larry's Corner with milk through the nose; Winston University; The Bulge; White Like Me; Mr. Monopoly; Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and Jan Hooks' first sketch - Andy's Psychic on a Game Show sketch; Mike Myers joins the Crips; Japanese Game Show; his feud with Don McLean; his song Railroad Bill; The Misery Index; Monk; Tippy Turtle; --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In her first-ever graphic memoir, four-time Emmy-winning comedy writer Merrill Markoe unearths her treasured diaries, long kept under lock and key, to illustrate the hilarious story of her preteen and teen years and how she came to realize that her secret power was her humor. Her new book is: " We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe ." Wielding her layered and comically absurd style, Markoe takes readers back through her time as a Girl Scout, where she learned that “scouting” was really more about learning housewifery skills, to her earliest crushes on uniquely awful boys and her growing obsession with television. Markoe was the head writer for the original The David Letterman Show (the live NBC morning show that was recognized with a Daytime Emmy Award) and the co-creator and first head writer of NBC’s groundbreaking Late Night with David Letterman , for which she won three additional Emmy Awards. She engineered the majority of the show’s original concepts and created the

Merrill Markoe is one of the funniest people around. She was lead writer on "Late Night with David Letterman," inventing both Studio Pet Tricks and Stupid Human Tricks and winning 3 Primetime Emmy Awards. She went on to write on shows like "Newhart," "Sex & the City" and "Moonlighting" and has written for Rolling Stone, the New York Times, the Huffington Post and more. Her books include 'Calm, Cool & Contentious," "Merrill Markoe's Guide to Love" and her latest, a graphic novel called "We Saw Scenery."  

What's all the hubbub about when it comes to Mercury Retrograde? Welp, the 2020 election happened during MR and so did the second impeachment. In this episode, my favorite astrologer talks about: Ancient Egypt; a f*cked up ephemeris; the divorce of astrology and astronomy; as above, so below; the wanderers; Sirius; certain predictable events; being regulated by the Moon; astrology doesn't require faith; solar wind; Founding Fathers, High Masons and Illuminati; going back to move forward; commerce, trade and communication; the Rocky Horoscope; oysters; a disturbance in The Force; red flags; self-respect; chaos; ACOA; anxious thinking; Gandhi; Old Testament; calm the F down; the red tent and Moon lodge; taking care of ourselves; if you can't have fun, start a fight; psychic residue; the voice in your head; being useful; poop thoughts; gremlins; a chance to be mindful; happiness is an inside job; functional archetypes; New Age hogwash; vertical drop; skin cars; reorganizing the interior; curiosity; a series of frustrations; a lesson in being patient; being well-rested; Saturn's Day; Loki and the Trickster; inventing the Devil;  sh*tty perceptions; let's go deep or leave me alone; Doors of Perception; Socrates; Merrill Markoe; did you have a happy childhood or are you funny; Kurt Vonnegut; made to break; leaving a trail; lost control; homework; your own growth process; radical awakening; arms, hands and fingers; stalling; things to avoid; sign of the knees; old wives' tales; junk in the trunk; paying attention; being compassionate.You can find Coral on her website: https://coralcadman.com/Episode recorded on 02/20/21Episode released on 03/10/21For more information on the podcast or its host, please visit sassylittlepodcast.com. There, you will find links to social media and an opportunity to become a member of the podcast community. We are on Twitter and Instagram @SassyLittlePod and Facebook @SassyLittlePodcast.Thanks for listening! If you like this sassy little podcast, please subscribe to it, rate it and review it, and tell your friends about it. Become a patron on Patreon. Cheers!

Merrill is a legend, and so funny and interesting to talk with. We talked about her childhood and how growing up with a narcissist mom affected her, falling in love with a childhood nazi and more. These are just a couple of the subjects in her graphic novel based on her grade school diaries called … Continue reading Merrill Markoe – You Are Smarter Than a 5th Grader →

March 16-22, 1968 March 16-22, 1968 This week Ken welcomes Cartoonist and co-author of the new book (along with friend of the show and future guest Bob Eckstein) "The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish in this Current Sh*tstorm", Michael Shaw to the show. Ken and Michael discuss MST3k, Wisconsin, The Mid-West, Ken's scholarly attempts, the sweet spot of 1968, growing up outside of St. Louis, Three Stooges, hurting your eyesight, The Flying Nun, TV Service Man talking back, bananas, writing letters, The Prisoner, Hollywood Palace, Nick at Nite, My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, Gitmo: The Sitcom, Don Knotts, Wild Kingdom, statutes of Monkey and Man, Eve Arden, vintage radio shows, the greatest of Merrill Markoe, poodles, Danny Thomas, Burlesque, Sam Jones, Andy Griffith, Maybury RFD, Baloney, Swedish Sex documentaries, preferring the replacement casts, I Dream of Jeanie, the weirdest Larry Hagman stories, Matlock vs. Ironsides, homages, English Gardens, not discussing the Beverly Hillbillies as much as you'd think, breaking the 4th wall, the genius of Green Acres, Jonathan Winters, vanilla ice cream, Dragnet, Harry Morgan, Leave it to Beaver, Tarzan, Gomer Pyle, Jerry Van Dyke's performance anxiety, murderers, variety shows, Mary Tyler Moore, Richard Deacon, avoiding dark TV and watching shows you've never watched but should watch.

Comedy writer, Merrill Markoe, has a keen perspective on life. Now, she turns that perspective toward her own life, having recently discovered her childhood diaries and turned them into an annotated and illustrated journey in the form of her latest book, We Saw Scenery--The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe. Merrill is a multiple Emmy Award-winning writer and boosted The David Letterman show into the America cultural zeitgeist. She also wrote for shows like Sex and the City, Newhart and Moonlighting. Merrill's written eight books in addition to her latest and was awarded the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for television writing achievement. She joins Mark and J Elvis Weinstein to talk about her book, We Saw Scenery--The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe. The second half of the show brings on a man who has spent his life on the street.  Homeless by choice, Bumdog Torres discusses the year 2020 which had unimaginable challenges for all of us but for the homeless those challenges were amplified and encompassed a civil disobedience movement in addition to COVID-19. You can reach the show at EdgewithMarkthompson@gmail.com

Comedy writer, Merrill Markoe, has a keen perspective on life. Now, she turns that perspective toward her own life, having recently discovered her childhood diaries and turned them into an annotated and illustrated journey in the form of her latest book, We Saw Scenery--The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe. Merrill is a multiple Emmy Award-winning writer and boosted The David Letterman show into the America cultural zeitgeist. She also wrote for shows like Sex and the City, Newhart and Moonlighting. Merrill's written eight books in addition to her latest and was awarded the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for television writing achievement. She joins Mark and J Elvis Weinstein to talk about her book, We Saw Scenery--The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe. The second half of the show brings on a man who has spent his life on the street.  Homeless by choice, Bumdog Torres discusses the year 2020 which had unimaginable challenges for all of us but for the homeless those challenges were amplified and encompassed a civil disobedience movement in addition to COVID-19. You can reach the show at EdgewithMarkthompson@gmail.com

Merrill Markoe's new book We Saw Scenery, a medium dive into sports, & what to do when you're dead.

This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating the very 2020 calendar crossover of Christmas and the 10th of Tevet, a minor Jewish fast day. Our Jewish guest is writer and comedian Merrill Markoe, whose new graphic memoir is “We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe.” Our Gentile of the Week is Phillipe Etienne, the French ambassador to the United States, who gave us a lesson in the French notion of secularism and discussed rising anti-Semitism in France. Join us Monday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m EST. for a virtual Unorthodox live show with special married guests Jamie and Brian Stelter at Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, PA. Jamie is NY1’s traffic anchor and co-hosts Mornings on 1, and Brian hosts CNN’s Reliable Sources. Register here. On Jan. 14 at 6:30 p.m. EST, we’ll be at the Temple Emanuel Streicker Center discussing our book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia. Register here. See our full schedule of virtual events here. Let us know what you think of the show! Send us comments and questions at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave us a voicemail at (914) 570-4869. You can also record a voice memo on your smartphone and email it to us. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel! Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Sponsors: The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education is offering a special one-day online program for young professionals and college students called “Jewish Ed U: Creating Joyful Learning.” Learn more about the Jan. 10 event at www.jtsa.edu/jewishedu. American Jewish World Service is fighting poverty and pursuing justice in the developing world. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, AJWS is currently twice-matching all donations; find out more about the organization and make your donation at AJWS.org/unorthodox. Harry’s is a great shave at a great price. New customers can get a Harry’s trial shave set for just $3 at harrys.com/unorthodox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom talks with comedy legend MERRILL MARKOE on her incredible career and new graphic memoir “We Saw Scenery!” DARREN FROM WORK calls in! Plus, phone rings on the topic: SEQUEL MANIA! A truly great show!

This week's guest is Merrill Markoe, legendary TV writer and the author of "We Saw Scenery"! Dalton, Mutt & Amy discuss her childhood watching Bonanza and the time she fell in love with a Nazi. Then they discuss episode 14 of Bonanza, "The Sisters," in which Adam and a saloon girl are spied on by a pervert horse.

Merrill Markoe, author of the graphic memoir, We Saw Scenery, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about the art, craft, and business of writing. They laugh a lot, too. Download audio. Musical intro, outro, and interludes by Travis Barrett. Find more of his music on Spotify.(Broadcast date: Nov. 11, 2020)

Merrill Markoe's storied career in comedy has included co-creating and serving as head writer for Late Night with David Letterman (earning her three of her four Emmys and giving the world "Stupid Pet Tricks" in the bargain), TV writing stints for Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Moonlighting, and Sex and the City, a Writers Guild Award for writing and performing on HBO's Not Necessarily the News, and even an acting gig on Friends. The versatile Markoe, who recently received the prestigious the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement, has also published much-loved collections of her comic essays and three hilarious novels-and her cartoons have been featured in The New Yorker. All of this Renaissance woman's considerable talents converge in her first ever graphic memoir, WE SAW SCENERY: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe (Publication Date: October 13, 2020; $24.95), which, with hindsight and wit, transforms the comedian's real-life adolescent journals into a laugh-out-loud work of art. "There are occupational hazards to being a writer," the grownup Markoe reflects. "In addition to the emotional mess that can come from writing about the people you love, there is the physical mess that accumulates from seeing everything as a potential topic. Usually I save things that strike me as funny, thinking maybe I'll write about them some day. At least that is the excuse I give myself for the weird stuff in the boxes of things I didn't get rid of because they make me laugh..It wasn't until the day that I decided to try and clean house that I found the little stack of childhood diaries I'd received as Christmas and birthday presents. They were lying way at the bottom of one of the biggest boxes. Each one came with a lock and key, because in the early sixties it was very important for preteen girls in suburban housing tracts to keep their dangerous secrets safe from prying enemy eyes." Those little tin keys unlocked a trove of now funny memories of events that, admittedly, didn't always seem funny to young Merrill at the time. Rereading the diaries, Markoe says, she often felt like she was reading about a stranger. But it also spurred a narrative of a childhood during what is often perceived as a simpler time, but was nonetheless fraught with family dysfunction, the angst of puberty and, ultimately, the first steps toward honing her singularly off-kilter talent. Markoe finds the hilarity in being a girl scout or running for 8th grade treasurer or first "love," even as she awkwardly navigates a daily reality controlled by a chronically angry suburban mother and shaped by the rapid social changes of the 1960s. With deadpan retrospection, she recounts honing her unique vision of the world through humor, even when her family made it feel as if she were doing something wrong. "Merrill Markoe got all the talent," says Nell Scovell, author of Just the Funny Parts. "WE SAW SCENERY is revealing, sad, funny, and above all, relatable. Markoe captures the experience of a young woman finding-and holding on to-her own voice. And we're all lucky she did." Mimi Pond, author of The Customer is Always Wrong, adds, "Merrill Markoe's visual and written analysis of her childhood diaries are acute, devastating, and hilarious." This is a witty, poignant, and perceptive story of a girl growing up told by the woman she became

Merrill Markoe's storied career in comedy has included co-creating and serving as head writer for Late Night with David Letterman (earning her three of her four Emmys and giving the world "Stupid Pet Tricks" in the bargain), TV writing stints for Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Moonlighting, and Sex and the City, a Writers Guild Award for writing and performing on HBO's Not Necessarily the News, and even an acting gig on Friends. The versatile Markoe, who recently received the prestigious the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement, has also published much-loved collections of her comic essays and three hilarious novels-and her cartoons have been featured in The New Yorker. All of this Renaissance woman's considerable talents converge in her first ever graphic memoir, WE SAW SCENERY: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe (Publication Date: October 13, 2020; $24.95), which, with hindsight and wit, transforms the comedian's real-life adolescent journals into a laugh-out-loud work of art. "There are occupational hazards to being a writer," the grownup Markoe reflects. "In addition to the emotional mess that can come from writing about the people you love, there is the physical mess that accumulates from seeing everything as a potential topic. Usually I save things that strike me as funny, thinking maybe I'll write about them some day. At least that is the excuse I give myself for the weird stuff in the boxes of things I didn't get rid of because they make me laugh..It wasn't until the day that I decided to try and clean house that I found the little stack of childhood diaries I'd received as Christmas and birthday presents. They were lying way at the bottom of one of the biggest boxes. Each one came with a lock and key, because in the early sixties it was very important for preteen girls in suburban housing tracts to keep their dangerous secrets safe from prying enemy eyes." Those little tin keys unlocked a trove of now funny memories of events that, admittedly, didn't always seem funny to young Merrill at the time. Rereading the diaries, Markoe says, she often felt like she was reading about a stranger. But it also spurred a narrative of a childhood during what is often perceived as a simpler time, but was nonetheless fraught with family dysfunction, the angst of puberty and, ultimately, the first steps toward honing her singularly off-kilter talent. Markoe finds the hilarity in being a girl scout or running for 8th grade treasurer or first "love," even as she awkwardly navigates a daily reality controlled by a chronically angry suburban mother and shaped by the rapid social changes of the 1960s. With deadpan retrospection, she recounts honing her unique vision of the world through humor, even when her family made it feel as if she were doing something wrong. "Merrill Markoe got all the talent," says Nell Scovell, author of Just the Funny Parts. "WE SAW SCENERY is revealing, sad, funny, and above all, relatable. Markoe captures the experience of a young woman finding-and holding on to-her own voice. And we're all lucky she did." Mimi Pond, author of The Customer is Always Wrong, adds, "Merrill Markoe's visual and written analysis of her childhood diaries are acute, devastating, and hilarious." This is a witty, poignant, and perceptive story of a girl growing up told by the woman she became

June 22-28, 1963 It's a TWOFER week as Ken welcomes genius level funny, author of the new memoir "We Saw Scenery" Merrill Markoe to the show. Ken and Merrill discuss needing to get back to dark and gloomy weather, being shocked at how much TV you watched as a kid, We Saw Scenery, being in love with sitcom sons, being boy crazy, being on the wrong side of variety TV, The Mary Tyler Moore Hour, Newhart, Burns and Allen, breaking the 4th wall, surrealism on TV, being the first generation of people making TV who grew up on TV, Saturday Night Live, The New Laugh In, The Late Show with David Letterman, Vaudeville, cigarette ads, the war between TV and movies, The Donna Reed Show, unlikable male characters, the inherent sexism of Hollywood green lights, pitching shows, watching the networks fall, coverage of JFK's travel, the dissolution of Equal Time, Crazy Guggenheim, Jackie Gleason, how big is small and small is big on TV, cute casting, the Rifleman, loving beans being eaten in a tin, Ed Sullivan, Kliph Nesteroff's The Comedians, child stars, Car 54 Where Are You?, Not Necessarily The News, The Smothers Brothers, seeing everything live, reviewing the Beatles, diaries, Doctor Shows, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, writers getting credit, James Baldwin, Perspectives, what the hell happened to Myna Birds?, Mel Blanc, hypochondria, The Beverly Hillbillies, learning from TV, Mad Magazine, space and a band, My Three Sons, roasts, the Rat Pack, the existential depression of the same scenery in The Flintstones, Route 66, Dobie Gillis, the horrors of Bob Hope in a Beatle Wig, Chris Elliot, being scared of Alfred Hitchcock, Pen15, how 8th grade is always 8th grade, Nazi flirting, and graphic novels

Merrill Markoe is an Emmy Award winning comedy writer, co-creator and head writer of Late Night with David Letterman, and an acclaimed author.  She joins Heath to discuss her new graphic memoir We Saw Scenery, which she both wrote and illustrated.  It tells the story of her adolescence through her diary entries of the time.  She also discusses her time at The Comedy Store, working with and dating David Letterman, and her experience at some of the major cultural events of the 1960s.

Could you eat a 13-pound hamburger in 9 minutes? That's the challenge from Chris Steaks and Burgers in Bangkok, Thailand. We will also tell you about lovely loaves of bread created by Blondie and Rye, almost too pretty to eat! Our Quoteable Quotes feature Confucius and Merrill Markoe and there's trivia questions that include one about Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2019. And if you don't know what the stapes is, then check out "Did You Know...". Also hear your horoscope and laugh with our clean, corny jokes!

This week, Busy’s made a huge life decision but is maybe not doing her best when it comes to contractual matters. Shantira’s scheduled her surgery & Caissie apologizes for spilling the beans about something that maybe didn’t even happen? Then late night TV genius Merrill Markoe talks about her life & career pivots, including her creative & romantic partnership with David Letterman, as well as her new book “We Saw Scenery.” Plus, advice for a forlorn listener!Sponsors:Athena Club (athenaclub.com promo code: best)Talkspace (talkspace.com promo code: BEST)Warner's (walmart.com/bestofwarners)Helix Sleep (helixsleep.com/best)

Rosanne Cash, Merrill Markoe. Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash returns to discuss the making of her new song, “Crawl Into The Promised Land” and the importance of the upcoming election. Award-winning writer Merrill Markoe talks about her new book and first graphic novel, “We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe.”    

Ron remembers when he was called into the radio station General Manager's office to explain certain comments he made on the air.... Guest: David Letterman's comedy writing partner Merrill Markoe "We Saw The Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe"

Merrill Markoe is an Emmy award winning television writer and celebrated humorist. She's worked on shows ranging from Sex and The City to Moonlighting but is probably best known for her association with The David Letterman Show, where she was the head writer from the show's inception in 1981 until the late 1980s. She's also the author of nine books, including the brand new graphic memoir We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe. Here, Merrill draws from an enormous cache of diaries she kept from approximately the fourth grade through her first year of college. In this conversation, Merrill talks about the book, about growing up female and funny, about harnessing that funniness into a career, and about working with-and being the longtime girlfriend of-David Letterman. She also talks about what it's like to pursue comedy in this era of heightened sensitivities and why it's a myth that you're not allowed to be funny anymore.   Guest Bio: Merrill Markoe was recently awarded the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement. Her new book, We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe, is just out from Algonquin Books. 

Comedy legend Merrill Markoe returns to the show to celebrate her new graphic memoir, We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)! We talk about how it felt to spend time with her childhood self over the course of the book, the decision to illustrate it and what that process taught her about cartooning, what contemporary Merrill has to say to her younger self, and how she owns up to having a crush on a junior high boy who made Heil Hitler salutes at her. We also get into the influence of Lynda Barry on her work, why she's considering leaving Malibu for the Pacific Northwest, her decision to auction off her Late Night with David Letterman gear to contribute to charities (like this one!), her love for Pen15, the joy of the Undo button, and how the world has changed for funny women. And speaking of, Emily Flake also joins the show to talk about the Kickstarter for St. Nell's Humor Writing Residency for Ladies (expiring Oct. 30, so go check it out)! Follow Merrill on Twitter and Instagram • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal

The greatest gift to any humorist is a parent who is impossible to please. This writer, a co-creator of Late Night With David Letterman, describes a note in her mother’s copy of David Copperfield. “It said, ‘Not one of his best works. I was disappointed.’ If she was giving Dickens a hard time, what did I think that I was going to get?” You can enjoy these delightful scenes of childhood in her graphic memoir, We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe..

Comedy legend Merrill Markoe (Head writer for Late Night with David Letterman) stops by to talk with writers Mike Sweeney and Jessie Gaskell about learning how to produce a morning talk show on the fly during her time working on The David Letterman Show, where the idea for remotes with Letterman came from, what she was looking for in writers for Letterman’s move to Late Night, how her background as an artist helped her write comedy for TV, and her new book “We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe.” Plus, Mike and Jessie answer a special two part listener voicemail question.   Got a question for Inside Conan? Call our voicemail: (323) 209-5303 and e-mail us at insideconanpod@gmail.com For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com

This week, Liberty and Vanessa discuss The Once and Future Witches, The Midnight Bargain, Ring Shout, and more great books. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s mystery thriller podcast, Read or Dead; Ritual; and Sourcebooks. Pick up an All the Books! 200th episode commemorative item here. Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS, iTunes, or Spotify and never miss a beat book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow In the Study with the Wrench: A Clue Mystery, Book Two by Diana Peterfreund Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter WHAT WE’RE READING: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman The Redshirt by Corey Sobel The Bright Lands by John Fram MORE BOOKS OUT THIS WEEK: Midnight’s Borders by Suchitra Vijayan Junk Boy by Tony Abbott They Never Learn by Layne Fargo Regal Lemon Tree by Juan José Saer, Sergio Waisman (translator) How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America (Voice of Witness) by Sara Sinclair The Gifted, the Talented, and Me by William Sutcliffe The Magnetic Fields by Andre Breton, Philippe Soupault, Charlotte Mandell (translator) How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back by Jeff Tweedy Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick by David Wong  Finding Your Harmony: Dream Big, Have Faith, and Achieve More Than You Can Imagine by Ally Brooke Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry Lived Experience: Reflections on LGBTQ Life by Delphine Diallo The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins  Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky) by Rebecca Roanhorse How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices by Annie Duke American Utopia by David Byrne and Maira Kalman A Time for Mercy by John Grisham Christmas with Kim-Joy: A Festive Collection of Edible Cuteness by Kim-Joy The Blind Light: A Novel by Stuart Evers  Chance: A Memoir by Uri Shulevitz A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book: An Interactive Guide to Life-Changing Books by Logan Smalley and Stephanie Kent  People You Follow: A Memoir by Hayley Gene Penner The Lost Love Song: A Novel by Minnie Darke Three Little Truths by Eithne Shortall Big Wednesday (Deluxe Anniversary Edition) by Denny Aaberg, John Milius Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff This is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again by Robert D. Putnam The Heartbeat of Iran: Real Voices Of A Country and Its People by Tara Kangarlou Friends and Enemies: A Life in Vogue, Prison, & Park Avenue by Barbara Amiel  Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy by Talia Lavin Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron The Redshirt: A Novel by Corey Sobel A Lover’s Discourse by Xiaolu Guo Too Many Times: How To End Gun Violence in a Divided America edited by Melville House Invisible Girl: A Novel by Lisa Jewell Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow Simmer Down by Sarah Smith  She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh  Shelter in Place by David Leavitt All Lara’s Wars by Wojciech Jagielski, Antonia Lloyd-Jones (translator) The Last Interview: A Novel by Eshkol Nevo, Sondra Silverston (translator) You Know I’m No Good by Jessie Ann Foley What Tech Calls Thinking: An Inquiry into the Intellectual Bedrock of Silicon Valley (FSG Originals x Logic) by Adrian Daub Absolution: A Novel by Regina Buttner Negotiations by Destiny O. Birdsong The Historians: Poems by Eavan Boland  Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America by Mark A. Bradley Goodnight Beautiful: A Novel by Aimee Molloy Midnight Train to Prague: A Novel by Carol Windley Mellybean and the Giant Monster by Mike White The Long Shadow by Anne Buist The Land by Thomas Maltman The Lost Shtetl: A Novel by Max Gross Wave If You Can See Me by Susan Ludvigson Cat Ninja by Matthew Cody, Yehudi Mercado The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America by Marcus J. Moore  Cinders and Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann Lightbringer (The Empirium Trilogy) by Claire Legrand The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice by Lisa DeSelm Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry The Tindalos Asset by Caitlín R. Kiernan Dracula, Motherf**ker by Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson  Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from my Indonesian Kitchen by Lara Lee Ghostland: In Search of a Haunted Country by Edward Parnell   Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe by Merrill Markoe All About Us by Tom Ellen The Emperor’s Wolves (The Wolves of Elantra Book 1) by Michelle Sagara  Come On In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home by Adi Alsaid  The Truth Project by Dante Medema Jeeves and the Leap of Faith: A Novel in Homage to P. G. Wodehouse by Ben Schott Above All Else by Dana Alison Levy The National Road: Dispatches From a Changing America by Tom Zoellner Meteorite: How Stones from Outer Space Made Our World by Tim Gregory Gambling with Armageddon: Nuclear Roulette from Hiroshima to the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1945-1962 by Martin J. Sherwin Maids by Katie Skelly Concrete Kids (Pocket Change Collective) by Amyra León Ramifications by Daniel Saldaña París, Christina MacSweeney (translato Dance We Do: A Poet Explores Black Dance by Ntozake Shange Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee Ghosts by Dolly Alderton  Revolutions of All Colors: A Novel by Dewaine Farria See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merrill Markoe is a comedian, comedy writer, author of ten books, and Emmy award Winning writer and producer of the Late Show with David Letterman.   Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the I’m Not Joking community today: petermcgraw.org Peter McGraw Twitter Peter McGraw LinkedIn

Merrill Markoe is a comedian, comedy writer, author of ten books, and Emmy award Winning writer and producer of the Late Show with David Letterman. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the I’m Not Joking community today: petermcgraw.org Peter McGraw Twitter Peter McGraw LinkedIn

Mark welcomes back the audience and J Elvis Weinstein! Then... As head writer on the Letterman Show (both daytime and late night) Merrill has influenced the entire culture and genre of contemporary talk shows. We visit with her as she writes her acceptance speech for the prestigious Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award from the Writers Guild and reflects on her award winning work with the Letterman shows--work that shaped a generation of comedy. J Elvis Weinstein joins Mark Thompson for the talk with Merrill. Then, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, James Risen on Iran, the U.S. intelligence community and a reinvigorated abortion debate in America. 00:00-07:20 Mark welcomes back the audience and J Elvis Weinstein! 720-41:10   Merrill Markoe on Comedy 41:25- 1:17:30 James Risen on Intel Community, Iran and Abortion Rights reach the show at: edgewithmarkthompson@gmail.com

Mark welcomes back the audience and J Elvis Weinstein! Then... As head writer on the Letterman Show (both daytime and late night) Merrill has influenced the entire culture and genre of contemporary talk shows. We visit with her as she writes her acceptance speech for the prestigious Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award from the Writers Guild and reflects on her award winning work with the Letterman shows--work that shaped a generation of comedy. J Elvis Weinstein joins Mark Thompson for the talk with Merrill. Then, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, James Risen on Iran, the U.S. intelligence community and a reinvigorated abortion debate in America. 00:00-07:20 Mark welcomes back the audience and J Elvis Weinstein! 720-41:10   Merrill Markoe on Comedy 41:25- 1:17:30 James Risen on Intel Community, Iran and Abortion Rights reach the show at: edgewithmarkthompson@gmail.com

I promised you that I’d tell you why I knew my cat Willie would protect my apartment and get physical with any intruder that dared to enter the house. Here is the story of why Willie’s nickname was “Killer Cat.” Next, did you know that your dog can recognize your different facial expressions and that someday you may be hearing what your pets actually say, though using artificial intelligence?  My guest today, is Richard Louv, a nature journalist and author of the book, “Our Wild Calling: How connecting with animals can transform our lives – and Save theirs.” Along with other new, startling, scientific discoveries about our relationship with our pets and other wild animals, he makes the point through many fun and fascinating stories, that the connection we have with non-human creatures affects our well-being and mental health in deeper ways than we may be aware. Then, do you wonder why your dog turns in circles while digging at the carpet or its doggy bed before lying down to sleep?  Find out the answer in this show. Additional Resources for the Show. Richard Louv’s website. Order “Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with animals can transform our lives – and save theirs.” By Richard Louv. Source for story about dogs turning in circles: “The Secret Lives of Dogs” by Jana Murphy and the Editors of Pets, Part of the Family. Fictional excerpt from book ”Walking in Circles before Lying Down,” by Merrill Markoe.

Scott chats with multi-Emmy-winning comedy writer and performer Merrill Markoe about breaking into TV writing, her years working with David Letterman as he was coming up, and her audiobook (co-written with Megan Koester), "The Indignities of Being a Woman."

This week's episode is a conversation with Michael Gerber, publisher and editor of humor and satire magazine The American Bystander. There are hundreds, maybe thousands or more places to get satire and humor online. But The American Bystander is the one place dedicated to it in print. You can subscribe to a PDF version, but everything flows from the print version – its design and construction are part and parcel of its identity. It's a throwback, most recognizably to The National Lampoon, but in a long tradition that included magazines like Punch and Spy. This is the vision of the magazine's publisher and editor, Michael Gerber. Gerber and I spoke about this long tradition, and the Bystander's impressive array of contributors, including Michael Ian Black, Al Jean from The Simpsons, Merrill Markoe from Letterman, Drew Friedman from MAD, M.K. Brown from the Lampoon, and even former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins. You can probably tell from that list that the Bystander isn't established on the sense of humor of just a few people controlling everything. It casts a wide net in terms of format and sensibility. That's something Gerber believes will make it more durable and not seem quite as dated as its predecessors when, somewhere down the road, we look back on these early years of its existence. Of course, Gerber had a life before Bystander as a humorist, author of many books including the Barry Trotter series of Harry Potter parodies. We talk about his own history, and even touch on his changing attitude towards horror as a former fan, and how similar humor and horror can work in a mechanical sense. That's mixed up in a discussion of the difference between your comedy brain and your regular, every day brain, and how the comedy brain can be more reductive and in some cases, even cruel. Gerber has a lot to offer, and the conversation skitters into a lot of different corners. This likely won't be the last time we speak for this podcast. You can subscribe to and support The American Bystander through its Patreon account, which you can find at www.americanbystander.org. Start looking for issue ten next week, and you can keep up with the latest American Bystander news on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This week's featured track is “Como Minimo” by next week's guest Micropixie from her upcoming album, Dark Sight of the Moon, out April 9. Micropixie, an alter-ego of Neshma Friend, is an outsider character, an alien come to Earth trying to understand why we treat each other so poorly. I say “an” alter-ego instead of “the” alter-ego, because Neshma also inhabits Micropixie's Earthling counterpart, Single Beige Female, a woman trying to grow and prosper amid her own struggles to understand her fellow humans. We go in-depth on these characters on next week's episode, and she explains this much, much better than I do. I would strongly suggest listening to all of Micropixie's music with a nice pair of headphones so you can get the full effect of the layered sound, and so you can catch everything she has to say. This particular song is a good example of that. “Como Minimo” translates to “at the very least,” or “at the minimum,” and the message is “yes is the minimum.” In other words, fellas, you need to do more. As Micropixie sings, if the mantra is “boys will be boys,” that will eventually turn into “men will be creeps.” But it's just locker room talk right? Which is boorish at best. The Department of Tangents Podcast with Micropixie is out next week, and the album Dark Sight of the Moon is out April 9th. ‘Til then, enjoy this preview.  

Tess is out this week but never fear, the hilarious Merrill Markoe (@MerrillMarkoe) and Megan Koester (@BornFeral) are here! They discuss witches, prepping for the apocalypse, and the history of women in society. The ladies also talk about skiing injuries, forced socialization, and what to do with your rusted Emmys. They answer a lady problem from a listener who's worried about her new boyfriend's abilities in bed. Want to donate to charity AND listen to a hilarious movie commentary with us and Karen Kilgariff from My Favorite Murder? Now you can! Donate $10 or more to WingsofRescue.org & email your receipt to MyFavoriteMurderLady@gmail.com for access to our Death Becomes Her commentary! Create your own website with SquareSpace and get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain by entering the code LADY at checkout. Trade stocks easily with Robinhood! Get a free stock by signing up at LADYTOLADY.ROBINHOOD.COM.

Igår fick 205 anställda på Danmarks radio sparken som följd av stora sparkrav -finns det ett större europeiskt mönster? Premiär för poeten och musikern Mattias Alkbergs scenshow "Alla är sämst". Danmarks radio fick i våras omfattande krav på nedskärningar i går blev bilden mer konkret när 205 personer meddelades att de var uppsagda. I det nya kontraktet med staten betonas också att programinnehållet ska spegla att Danmark "har sina rötter i kristendomen" och att DR har ett uppdrag att "sprida dansk kultur och det danska kulturarvet". Liknande exempel finns från fler public service bolag i Europa. Finns det ett större mönster? Hör medieforskare Maria Norbäck, Claes Aronsson utrikeskorrespondent i London samt Margareta Svensson, Syderopakorrespondent.  I kväll har poeten och musikern Mattias Alkbergs nya föreställning premiär på Norrbottensteatern "Alla är sämst". Senare i höst ska föreställningen ut på turné. P1 Kultur har besökt repetitionerna.  Det är nu ett år sedan skandalen kring Harvey Weinstein briserade och resulterade i rörelsen Metoo. I Hollywood är meningarna delade kring vad rörelsen inneburit så här långt. P1 Kultur har träffat författaren och komikern Merrill Markoe som är argare än någonsin över det som hon ser som bristen på förståelse för kvinnliga sexualbrottsoffer i USA. Och denna veckas ord har Fredrik Wadström också hittat i efterdyningarna av #metoo i vitt skilda betydelser. Veckans ord är "Offer". Har konsten en uppgift när det gäller det gemensamma minnet av stora katastrofer, eller riskerar den att bara göra saken värre? I dagens essä från OBS har kulturredaktionens Mårten Arndtzén funnit svaret på en undanskymd plats intill en gammal kyrkogård i Stockholm. Programledare: Saman Bakhtiari Producent: Eskil Krogh Larsson

In episode 245, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian Jamie Loftus to discuss the 'Presidential Alert' text message American's received, Adam McKay's new film about Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration, how Trump's brand is suffering since he entered the White House, the GOP's lack of care for women, the truth about Trump receiving a ton of money from his father, the most hated food in each state, and more! FOOTNOTES: 1. Merrill Markoe, Megan Koester to Debut Podcast ‘The Indignities of Being a Woman’ (EXCLUSIVE) 2. Cellphone users nationwide just received a ‘Presidential Alert.’ Here’s what to know. 3. Christian Bale Is Fully Committed to This Dick Cheney Part and His Transformation Is Proof 4. Speed Read: The 5 Richest Bits in Forbes’ Look at Trump the ‘Net Loser’ 5. Trump Isn’t the Only Republican Mocking Survivors of Sexual Assault 6. SRA Poll shows ND Senate race numbers, reaction to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh case 7. Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father 8. This Map Shows The Most Hated Food In Every State 9. WATCH: Cirandar by Seu Jorge Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

The Indignities of Being a Woman is the new audio book from comedy writers, Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester.The book details (in an entertaining way because they ARE comedy writers) the ways in which societies around the world have discounted women in society with a resentment and denial of their critical place in societies and cultures.J. Elvis Weinstein joins Mark with Merrill and Megan.The episode starts with political analyst, Michael Shure. Michael explains how mid-term election polling is done and what it's indicating so far.Michael also shares his thoughts on the politics of the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and the likely outcome.Reach us at edgewithmarkthompson@gmail.com00-04:45 Mark intro04:45-23:40 Michael Shure23:40-1:33:50 Merrill Markoe, Megan Koester and J. Elvis Weinstein(warning for explicit language and occasional mature themes)

The Indignities of Being a Woman is the new audio book from comedy writers, Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester. The book details (in an entertaining way because they ARE comedy writers) the ways in which societies around the world have discounted women in society with a resentment and denial of their critical place in societies and cultures. J. Elvis Weinstein joins Mark with Merrill and Megan. The episode starts with political analyst, Michael Shure.  Michael explains how mid-term election polling is done and what it's indicating so far. Michael also shares his thoughts on the politics of the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and the likely outcome. Reach us at edgewithmarkthompson@gmail.com 00-04:45 Mark intro 04:45-23:40 Michael Shure  23:40-1:33:50 Merrill Markoe, Megan Koester and J. Elvis Weinstein      (warning for explicit language and occasional mature themes)

The Indignities of Being a Woman is the new audio book from comedy writers, Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester. The book details (in an entertaining way because they ARE comedy writers) the ways in which societies around the world have discounted women in society with a resentment and denial of their critical place in societies and cultures. J. Elvis Weinstein joins Mark with Merrill and Megan. The episode starts with political analyst, Michael Shure.  Michael explains how mid-term election polling is done and what it's indicating so far. Michael also shares his thoughts on the politics of the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and the likely outcome. Reach us at edgewithmarkthompson@gmail.com 00-04:45 Mark intro 04:45-23:40 Michael Shure  23:40-1:33:50 Merrill Markoe, Megan Koester and J. Elvis Weinstein      (warning for explicit language and occasional mature themes)

Jen sits at home to talk to you about what happened to sitcoms, and then it’s time to take to the All Things Comedy Studio to talk to Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester - authors and performers of the new Audible Original, “The Indignities of Being a Woman.” They talk about a woman’s learning curve about her own experiences with gender bias, and we joke about all the thousands of years of this bs! Send an email to: havingfunless@gmail.com Follow on Twitter:  twitter.com/funlessnesspod Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/havingfunlesspod Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/284637022419795

COUCH PILOTS S14 EP09 "THE LEWIS LECTURES" COUCHPILOTSPODCAST.COM * 910-745-6871 * PATREON ** LINK TO THE LEWIS LECTURES ** The Captain’s take flight to review The Lewis Lectures starring Jack Black and Merrill Markoe. Come fly with us as we finally find out the secret behind Fukme and DSJ. We give you some facts about this cartoon, review it, and give you our ratings. Every flight is a guaranteed good time. Join us for and buckle up. ** LINK TO THAT CROOK’D SIPP **

Luke and Andrew survive a huge storm -- or possibly just some calm weather -- on this Tuesday edition of the show. Plus, Luke tries to channel his inner Merrill Markoe, and Andrew yells at the listeners.

Michael Shure returns from watching the State of the Union speech deep in Trump country.   In THE FAST 15, Michael answers the question: What would it take for Democrats to get political control in Congress again and how close are they?     Then, Mark discusses what's happening to singer James Brown's estate.   Brown wanted to support economically disadvantaged kids with millions of dollars but they may never get it.   That's the first 20 minutes of the show when Mark Thompson speaks with Michael Shure.   Then: Dead people, Jerry Lewis and The Impossible Burger.  A chat with producer, writer, comedian, Merrill Markoe.  (24 mins into episode)   Former co-host, Heather Ankeny also makes an appearance to join Mark and J. Elvis Weinstein.    She's back for this episode and updates us on her life as an engaged woman living in Northern California.     Then Merrill Markoe talks about dead people, entertainers and food.

Michael Shure returns from watching the State of the Union speech deep in Trump country.   In THE FAST 15, Michael answers the question: What would it take for Democrats to get political control in Congress again and how close are they?     Then, Mark discusses what's happening to singer James Brown's estate.   Brown wanted to support economically disadvantaged kids with millions of dollars but they may never get it.   That's the first 20 minutes of the show when Mark Thompson speaks with Michael Shure.   Then: Dead people, Jerry Lewis and The Impossible Burger.  A chat with producer, writer, comedian, Merrill Markoe.  (24 mins into episode)   Former co-host, Heather Ankeny also makes an appearance to join Mark and J. Elvis Weinstein.    She's back for this episode and updates us on her life as an engaged woman living in Northern California.     Then Merrill Markoe talks about dead people, entertainers and food.

More than 30 of this year's podcast guests tell us about the favorite books they read in 2014! Guests include Maria Alexander, Ashton Applewhite, David Baerwald, Nina Bunjevac, Roz Chast, Sarah Deming, Michael Dirda, Jules Feiffer, Mark Feltskog, Mary Fleener, Nathan Fox, Josh Alan Friedman, Richard Gehr, Paul Gravett, Sam Gross, Rachel Hadas, Kaz, Daniel Levine, Sara Lippmann, Merrill Markoe, Brett Martin, Mimi Pond, George Prochnik, Emily Raboteau, Jonathan Rose, Ron Rosenbaum, Dmitry Samarov, Seth, Katie Skelly, Ron Slate, Maya Stein, Rupert Thomson, and Frank Wilson! Check out the list of books at our site!

Comedy legend Merrill Markoe joins The Virtual Memories Show to prove Christopher Hitchens wrong: women can be very funny! We talk about her career, helping launch Late Night with David Letterman, her opinions on today's late-night TV scene, the show she'd write for if she was starting out in TV now, her literary influences, her favorite cartoonists, and why Curly was the greatest of the Three Stooges!

Happy Pride! This week's show is a HIDDEN GEMS medley of delights, featuring never-before-heard tidbit/morsels of chats with MERRILL MARKOE, ANDY KINDLER and BRIAN STACK! Enjoy those gems, pals! And also, relish some brand new observations about why leather harnesses are the best possible things for society, the luxury of being an aging person over irony who just wants to listen to terrible music, a story about a wonderful insane older gal who screamed things about Bush and Cheney at my show, Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie's insane sex, and why David Bryne's hair just screams to have red wine spilled on it. Enjoy everything!

Beth Lapides asks Emmy Award winning comedy writer Merrill Markoe: what makes you you? Merrill's answer, is like all things Merrill, simutaneously analytical and whimsical. She covers negative zen, stupid pet tricks, the secret to writing and inventing the format for Late Night with David Letterman. Merrill, while best known for her Emmy Award winning writing on Late Night with David Leterman, has also written for Sex and the City, Newhart, Moonlightlng and HBO's Not Necessarily the News, for which she won a WGA award. She also wrote for and appeared on Michael Moore's TV Nation, wrote comedy specials for HBO and Cinemax,  appeared on Friends, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and in The Aristocrats. Merrill is a prolific writer. Her books include Cool, Calm and Contentious; How To Be Hap-Hap-Happy Like Me and What The Dogs Have Taught Me. She has written for Rolling Stone, The New York Times and Glamour, among others. She appeared in Friends, has worked as a radio host and appears regularly at UnCabaret and its spinoff show Say The Word. 

Gang! Behind every genius, there's another genius with a vagina. This week's guest is the legendary MERRILL MARKOE, friend to dogs, hilarious novelist and essayist, and the woman who created so many important television comedy things, it's overwhelming. Listen as Julie chats with Merrill about her contributions to the original LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, her new dog Wally, Laugh-In 2, and many more wonderful things you will delight to hearing about from somebody as intelligent as Markoe. Hooray for her!    Also! Julie went on the HELTER SKELTER death tour while she was still in LA, and she has a very long, extensive story about it. Sorry. A lot of the monologue is just that. But there is also talk about Jim Henson's Creature Challenge on SyFy, Dave Barry's daughter and his desire for her to never be made love to, the latest dumb prop in HOUSE OF CARDS season 2, and how weird it is to get used to not hearing the Doors playing all the time now that Julie is back in NYC.    Mister MOJO RISING!

is on the show. She has a new and you should know who she is, really. Best known for working on Letterman, making up stuff like Stupid Pet Tricks, she’s written . I talk too much but I learn stuff too. It’s so good.   Credits: Audio leveling by Music is by Website design by : who has his own     Apps are available with the bonus contest: or My websites are and Review the show on Feel free to e me.   NOTES: Dragon Tattoo… safe space..yet…   What Merrill is Reading

Author and comedy writing royalty Merrill Markoe joins Jordan and Jesse to offer a little advice on good tweets, the perils of house sitting & a Rick Moranis comeback.

Stupid Human Interviews The brainchild behind David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks and bestselling author Merrill Markoe is back for more insanity with the Animal Radio® crew. This time, she puts Animal Communicator Joy Turner in the hot-seat. Parvo Outbreak at 'Occupy SF' Movement Three pooches at the Justin Herman Plaza space have tested positive for the highly contagious and deadly parvovirus, putting all four-legged friends there at risk. The San Francisco SPCA and Animal Care and Control visited the camp Monday afternoon to offer free veterinary services. The Top 5 Pet Gadgets of 2011 Gadgeteer Geoff Mott returns for his yearly count-down of the hottest pet gadgets and goodies. You may be surprised by this year's picks. See Geoff's list: http://www.petgadgets.com/AnimalRadio.htm. More Gift Baskets Giveaways Animal Radio's 12 Dog Daze of Christmas continues with two-baskets chock-full of goodies from Clear Conscience Pet, Zodiac Eden, Whiskas, Overby Farm, and Sleepypod. Listen to win. More this week

The legendary TV writer/comedian/author Merrill Markoe (Late Night with David Letterman) and the brilliant writer/comedian/author Megan Koester (Vice) discuss their new audiobook, The Indignities of Being a Woman.Find The Indignities of Being a Woman on Audible here.Follow Merrill Markoe on Twitter at @merrillmarkoe, and Megan Koester on Twitter and Instagram at @bornferal. Alison Stevenson is @justaboutglad, and Alexandra Tweten is @alexandratweten.If you like the podcast and want to hear juicy bonus episodes, become a patron at patreon.com/vsingle.Theme song is "I Can't" by Feeling Feelings. Transition music is "Addictive Personality" by Toulouse Control. Logo design is by Dylan Lathrop.  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/v-single/donationsWant to advertise on this podcast? Go to https://redcircle.com/brands and sign up.