It Never Ends: A Memoir with Nice Memories!

Product Description From the comedian, television writer, and host of the Best Show, a revealing and powerful memoir exploring a life of struggle and reinvention "Tom Scharpling possesses more than merely a generation-defining comedic mind. He has a heart as big as New Jersey, an eye as keen as a crow's, and a voice as powerful, pained, and righteous as a wounded god. I AM NOT BEING HYPERBOLIC." --John Hodgman, New York Times bestselling author of Vacationland Tom Scharpling is good at being funny, which is a miracle, considering what he's survived. Like hitting a deer and narrowly escaping with his life on the night of the 2016 election. But that's nothing compared to the struggles he had earlier in his life. It Never Ends is his memoir of a life writing comedy amidst a lifelong struggle with mental illness, a story he has never told before. It’s the heartbreaking account of his intense coming-of-age, and the lengths he's undertaken to pull away from the brink of self-destruction. Scharpling brought himself back to life first with punk zines and NBA coverage, then through the world of comedy, writing and executive producing Monk, and creating one of the most beloved, longest running comedy radio broadcasts/podcasts, The Best Show. Of course, there are also the tangents into auditioning for The New Monkees, why Billy Joel sucks, the siren call of the Sex and the City slot machines, and how he made a fool of himself in an elevator with Patti Smith. Tom is the quintessential underdog, and he wears that status on his sleeve as a badge of honor. With this memoir, he lifts the curtain to let the light in on the turmoil that still follows him, even as he racks up accolades and achievements. But most importantly, he reminds us that while many of us carry trauma and shame, we are not alone. It Never Ends is about rising above whatever circumstance you find yourself in and getting the most out of your life, while steamrolling the chumps along the way. Review "The book's darkness and jokes work hand in hand...When Scharpling writes about his resilience and work ethic, it's legitimately inspiring."-- "Pitchfork" "It Never Ends is, to put it as frankly as possible, as good as memoir gets. It is open, honest, and thoughtful, tempering the bleakness of a battle with foundational depression and suicidality with genuinely funny anecdotes and observations that feel just as insightful." -- "Bandcamp Daily" "It Never Ends, unfortunately, does. But BEFORE it does, it's a funny, angry, sensitive saga about an outsider who rose above it all without ever losing his touch for the everyday, the poetic, and the misfit music of reality. This is a VERY specific story that will appeal to everyone."--Patton Oswalt "New York Times bestselling author of Silver Screen Fiend" "[Scharpling] proves himself an able storyteller with his debut memoir, a collection of stories that include a summer spent in a Jersey Shore arcade and a bizarre Papa Roach promotional basketball game...A radio deejay should be loud and opinionated, and Scharpling doesn't disappoint."-- "Library Journal" "Comedian and television writer Scharpling careens with reckless abandon around the curves life has thrown him in his sidesplitting debut...Readers will laugh, cry, and laugh some more as they cheer on this story of persistence and triumph."--Publishers Weekly "Hilarious, touching, and serpentine..." -- "The Philadelphia Inquirer" "I have always been in awe of Tom's comedy, which is somehow simultaneously aggressive and kind, defeated and resilient, farcical and totally sincere. With this book, I finally understand how Tom can, and must, be all of these things at once. It Never Ends is moving, hilarious, honest, and inspiring!"--Rebecca Sugar "New York Times bestselling author and the creator of the Emmy Award-winning show Steven Universe" "In his brilliant memoir It Never Ends, Tom places his story of breaking into comedy -- hilarious as you'd expect -- within a larger s