Nobody Gets Out of Catering Alive, Joe Montaperto, Amazon.com Services LLC, 2019
The author was a rising star in the 1990's New York City comedy scene, along with people like Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart. Suddenly, it all fell apart. In his 30's, he found himself living with his parents (in Jersey City), talking to a figurine of Napoleon at 3:00 AM and wondering what he was going to do next.
He spent several months at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in upstate New York. He witnessed, firsthand, the gentrification of New York City; his favorite bars and local restaurants were replaced by Starbucks and Rite Aid. He wanted to understand more about economics, so he found a pay-what-you-can school based on the writings of Henry George (look him up; you'll be glad you did).
There are a couple of girlfriends; neither relationship lasts very long. Linda, one of them, convinces him to join her in New Mexico. There he gets a job, and has a near-death experience, as a Ranger in a national park. Back in Jersey City, he pays the bills by getting shifts working for various corporate catering companies. It is as funny, and as awful, as it sounds.
He starts to put together a one-man show, featuring several different characters, including a stoner and an executive for Monsanto. Initial feedback is very favorable. He rents a local theater in lower Manhattan for a special performance for potential financial backers. It is a necessary step to take his show to the next level (maybe, eventually, to Broadway). Then 9/11 happens.
Be prepared for a wild ride. The writing is very funny, and very heartfelt. This will certainly keep the reader's attention.
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