Writing
Art, Life, Work, & Gray Hair
Wed/Apr/2009 04:58 PM Filed in: Work
There's something reassuring about biographies, particularly autobiographies written by folks who started with nothing. I'm sure this is true for any field, but when you're trying to make it in any sort of creative business, be it film, publishing, performing, or any of the fine arts, it's nice to know that others have stood in your shoes and taken their first awkward steps in the world, only to stumble and realize that we're all born with two left feet (either that or someone with a fat wallet just tied our laces together and sprinted on ahead). Steve Martin's 2007 memoir, "Born Standing Up," is just that kind of book. Martin is a true Renaissance man. Banjo player. Comic. Writer. Actor. He's worn many hat's, some I'd prefer he hadn't (Clouseau? Really?) , but this is the first time I've ever heard him speak about how he got started. It was not a smooth trip up the ladder to success, and he shares the painful, quite candid details of how he found his way, his missteps, and his insights as he carved out his own little niche in the world. Martin is interested in movies, art, architecture, music, and film, and as someone who loves all those things, and started going gray at age 12, there are secrets to be gleaned by seeing the world from Martin's point of view. I highly recommend this book.
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