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A Novel
by Kristen Arnett
Book Reviewed by:From the New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things, a sparkling and funny new novel of entertainment, ambition, art, and love.
Cherry Hendricks might be down on her luck, but she can write the book on what makes something funny: she's a professional clown who creates raucous, zany fun at gigs all over Orlando. Between her clowning and her shifts at an aquarium store for extra cash, she's always hustling. Not to mention balancing her judgmental mother, her messy love life, and her equally messy community of fellow performers.
Things start looking up when Cherry meets Margot the Magnificent—a much older lesbian magician—who seems to have worked out the lines between art, business, and life, and has a slick, successful career to prove it. With Margot's mentorship and industry connections, Cherry is sure to take her art to the next level. Plus, Margot is sexy as hell. It's not long before Cherry must decide how much she's willing to risk for Margot and for her own explosive new act—and what kind of clown she wants to be under her suit.
Equal parts bravado, tenderness, and humor, and bursting with misfits, magicians, musicians, and mimes, Stop Me If You've Heard This One is a masterpiece of comedic fiction that asks big questions about art and performance, friendship and community, and the importance of timing in jokes and in life.
Orange You Glad
It's not all good.
I mean, I adore being a clown, regardless of anyone else's feelings about it. But there are times when it wears me down to a flat‑out nub. Makes me wish, at least for a moment, that my heart had picked any‑ thing else to love.
First, there's the issue of money. Clowning is cost prohibitive for people like me who live paycheck to paycheck. Like most creative arts gigs, you start off doing stuff for free, hoping to get picked up by an agency. And once you start getting paid for clowning jobs, you're lucky if you manage to rake in enough to cover the time you took off from your actual job. Plus, there's the matter of your agency's cut, which can sometimes be as large as 20 percent. I've never met somebody well‑off who decided they wanted to get into clowning. Stand‑up comedy, sure. That's all focused on the self. It's the I, not the you.
Most clowns, myself included, are struggling to pay off one bill ...
In her third novel, Arnett skillfully weaves a story that is both hilarious and touching. Thanks to Cherry's chosen career, readers get plenty of madcap antics and physical comedy. But at its core, this is a novel about reckoning with grief. Readers will enjoy seeing Cherry come into her own, and her story is likely to resonate with anyone who's felt lost or unsettled. Arnett's novel is both accessible and enjoyable, yet its messages and memorable characters are likely to linger much longer...continued
Full Review
(681 words)
(Reviewed by Jillian Bell).
Alissa Nutting, author of Tampa
Is there any more brilliant and singular talent than Kristen Arnett? I cried laughing and ached at the zeniths of tenderness its tragicomic brilliance achieves. This may be the best book I've ever read. Samantha Irby, New York Times bestselling author of Quietly Hostile
[Kristen Arnett] really outdid herself this time, and Stop Me If You've Heard This One is a certified banger. Can't wait to force it into the hands of everyone I ever meet.In Stop Me If You've Heard This One, the main character, Cherry, chases her dreams of becoming a successful clown. The unusual career path actually requires a lot more work—and financial investment—than one might assume. If you're considering trading in your 9-to-5 for a bright red nose, here are some steps you might consider:
Brush up on the basics
Clowning involves many skills, from the practical (making balloon animals) to the more esoteric (understanding what makes kids laugh). You could read some of the many books on the topic, but you could also consider specialized training. Mooseburger Clown Camp offers six days packed with courses ranging from "Beginner and Intermediate Facepainting" to "...
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