In I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, comedian Martin Short recounts how he and his friends (Steve Martin and Tom Hanks) herald in their yearly colonoscopies by playing poker the night before as they all lay waste (literally) to Short's downstairs bathroom. He drops countless other bombs (of laughter) in this humorous, self-effacing autobiography.
Short traces his journey from singing to himself in his parents' attic in Canada to performing as dweeby Ed Grimley and over-the-top Jackie Rogers Jr. on SCTV and Saturday Night Live and as Jiminy Glick on his own shows. He also gave unforgettable performances in such films as ¡Three Amigos! and Father of the Bride. As he describes it, though, his career hasn't been as prolific as he could have been because he and his beloved wife of many years, Nancy, always put family first. When he addresses her death in 2012, the laughter comes to a halt and Short manages to convey her passing with heartbreaking poignancy.
The loss provides depth to Short's mostly charmed life. Famous people (ex-girlfriend Gilda Radner, party guest Nathan Lane) slip in and out of the narrative with little fanfare. It's not just name-dropping to say that Short is besties with Paul Shaffer or that Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn bought the vacation house next door to him; he's paying homage to the driven, creative people who are dear to him (they just happen to be famous). Short clearly adores the business and his memoir proves that he still has many jokes left to tell. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend