Letterman

Jason Zinoman, a comedy critic for The New York Times and the first person to hold that post, traces the life and work of David Letterman, one of television's most influential talk show hosts. Drawing on new reporting and rare access, he follows Letterman from his childhood in Indiana through to his retirement, examining how his unusual comic sensibility took shape and which earlier performers shaped it. Letterman is portrayed as a famously private and somewhat distant public figure whose career is often misread, and the book looks closely at how his personality and his art fed into one another.

Zinoman divides Letterman's career into three distinct artistic phases, presenting each as a stage in his development. He revisits well-known bits from Late Night with David Letterman, including Stupid Pet Tricks, and places them within the larger story of the show. The book also explores Letterman's working relationships with his writers, with particular attention to co-creator Merrill Markoe, a collaborator with whom he shared a long bond both professional and personal.

At its core, the book argues that understanding Letterman is necessary for understanding contemporary pop culture. Zinoman analyzes the ironic, self-aware humor that set Letterman apart and influenced a generation of comedians and viewers, and he shows how the techniques he pioneered later became familiar conventions across comedy. It suits readers interested in television history, stand-up and sketch comedy, and the people behind famous late-night programs.