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Born Standing Up
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life | Steve Martin
Steve Martin has been an international star for over thirty years. Here, for the first time, he looks back to the beginning of his career and charmingly evokes the young man he once was. Born in Texas but raised in California, Steve was seduced early by the comedy shows that played on the radio when the family travelled back and forth to visit relatives. When Disneyland opened just a couple of miles away from home, an enchanted Steve was given his first chance to learn magic and entertain an audience. He describes how he noted the reaction to each joke in a ledger - 'big laugh' or 'quiet' - and assiduously studied the acts of colleagues, stealing jokes when needed. With superb detail, Steve recreates the world of small, dark clubs and the fear and exhilaration of standing in the spotlight. While a philosophy student at UCLA, he worked hard at local clubs honing his comedy and slowly attracting a following until he was picked up to write for TV. From here on, Steve Martin became an acclaimed comedian, packing out venues nationwide. One night, however, he noticed empty seats and realised he had 'reached the top of the rollercoaster'. BORN STANDING UP is a funny and riveting chronicle of how Steve Martin became the comedy genius we now know and is also a fascinating portrait of an era.
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CSeydel
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#MarchMadness final haul!
Top row were all book club reads
Middle row #AAM and #LMPBC and #shortstory challenge
Bottom row are still in progress

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 2y
38 likes1 comment
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CSeydel
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Pickpick

This book was great! I alternated between the print book, which has photos, and the audiobook, which has excellent narration by the author as well as banjo interludes. This book focuses on Steve Martin‘s early life through his stand up career, which ended in 1981. It‘s written with his trademark keen, philosophical wit, introspective voice, and clever eye for detail. Highly enjoyable.

Mandoul I have wanted to read this for a while, but will go for the audio book now, sounds well worth it. Thanks for the review 😀 2y
CSeydel @Mandoul The audiobook is great! Of course I‘m a long time Steve Martin fan, but I really enjoy his humor. (edited) 2y
CSeydel Also counts for #bigfabbeatles 2y
47 likes3 comments
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Shannon_McKinney
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Pickpick

I‘m on a non-fiction kick right now. I‘ve always been a fan of Steve Martin so this was an interesting read about how he became the Steve Martin we know today.

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DebinHawaii
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#JulyJam

For #JokeDay I thought of the brilliantly funny Steve Martin & this book which, although I read it ages ago, I really enjoyed. 💜

“Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way.”
Steve Martin

Leftcoastzen Love Steve , love this post! 2y
Ruthiella I love that sketch where he thinks his cat has been embezzling from him! 😹 2y
DebinHawaii @Leftcoastzen 💜💜💜 2y
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DebinHawaii @Ruthiella $3000 worth of cat toys & you can‘t return them because there‘s spit all over them! 😹😹😹 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😂😂😂 2y
Eggs Perfect 🤩 2y
46 likes6 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

I've always liked Steven Martin, from his early days guest hosting SNL on through his movies, sadly I never got to see his stand up in person. This mainly covers Martin's years building up his stand up career, from nobody to someone who fills stadiums. I can understand why he eventually quit. 4 🤣🤣🤣🤣
#LitsyAtoZ #LetterB @BookishMarginalia

Cathythoughts That‘s such a great pic of Steve Martin 👌🏻 4y
56 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description or reason for wanting to read the book. Some are old and some will be new. Don't judge me - I have a lot of books.
Day 297

#tbrmountain #bookbuyingdiet

Smrloomis I really liked this when I read it (admittedly a while ago). 4y
AutumnRLS Highly recommend the audiobook for this one. He narrated it and there are banjo interludes between chapters. It's pretty great! 4y
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TheEllieMo
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CaffeineAndCandy Haha 😂💜💜💜 4y
31 likes2 comments
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Macnjen
Pickpick

Audiobook read by Steve Martin. Interesting story about his life and career.

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Dad and I give this #audiobook 👍🏻👍🏻, enthusiastically! Dad was really into comedy and SNL in the 70s, so this was a pleasant trip to his youth. I noticed he was less serious on trips where we listened.

For me, it reminded me of the comedy touchstones of my childhood. “Wild and crazy guys” anyone? Well exxxcuuuse me!

Martin is open and introspective during this look at his years as a stand up comic and narrates the story well. Recommended!

HoneyBeeLee @Megabooks I love this book too! Was so good. 5y
REPollock He spoke French, he‘s dead! 5y
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Megabooks @REPollock 😂😂 5y
Crazeedi OH my SNL in the 70s, lol 5y
Megabooks @Crazeedi it was such a comedy touchstone for my dad and a lot of my friends‘ parents when we were growing up. It filtered down to us. I didn‘t start watching until the early 90s revival with Sandler/Farley/Spade/Carvey, etc. 5y
Crazeedi @Megabooks it was big for me like your dad in the 70s, ask him if he ever watched Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. It was a crazy show that aired then too 5y
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GidgetsTreasures75
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5-20-19: My 41st finished book of 2019! #bornstandingup #stevemartin 👍🏼📖#️⃣4️⃣1️⃣😻😴

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monalyisha
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Pickpick

If you‘re looking for a complete biography of Steve Martin, this isn‘t it. For instance, he refers offhandedly to his divorce, without ever mentioning that he‘d gotten married. Fortunately, I knew little about Martin going in, not having seen much more than his appearance on Jerry Seinfeld‘s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” (I know, I know; I‘m a Philistine 😳🙈).

*review cont‘d below👇🏻

monalyisha 1/3: I had few expectations. So, when what I got was a detailed account of the development of a comedic philosophy, with a few anecdotal & biographical elements thrown in, punctuated by the occasional banjo riff, I wasn‘t remotely disappointed. Steve Martin has a fascinating brain. He‘s incredibly smart & nuanced, & I‘m left wanting more. (edited) 6y
monalyisha 2/3: I‘ll forgive him his unqualified praise of Bill Cosby‘s delivery (this was published in 2007). I‘ll try not to judge him for devising questionable movie premises — again, hindsight is 20/20. And, I‘m a bit wary about his take on gender (women are largely absent from his memoir, except for brief glimpses of his (fashionable yet weak) mother or vague allusions to sexual conquests). (edited) 6y
monalyisha 3/3: I hope that I‘m just being paranoid. It seems *entirely* possible. He seems like a cool guy. He made me laugh, he made me think (about comedy, philosophy, psychology, art, memory, & family). I hope that when I read (one of) his novel(s), I‘ll find that it‘s even more clever, layered, complex, funny, & paradoxically performative & honest as his personal musings. I‘d love to unabashedly love him. (edited) 6y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk Movie rec: L. A. Story. It is not talked about as much but is my favorite of his films. Shopgirl is a good movie too based on his novel. 6y
monalyisha @TobeyTheScavengerMonk Cool! I'll order a copy right now. I *may* have seen Shopgirl way back when (I loved Claire Danes) -- but it was probably before I was really ready to pay attention in any significant way. 6y
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monalyisha
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I love this. 💖

Rick Moranis once referred to Steve Martin‘s act as “anti-comedy.” How perfect is that?

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monalyisha
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“And my closer: 'Well, we've had a good time tonight considering we're all going to die someday.'“

Lindy 🙃 6y
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monalyisha
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“At the print shop, I learned my first life lesson. One day, I was particularly gloomy & Jim asked me what the matter was. I told him my high-school girlfriend (for all of two weeks) had broken up with me. He said, “Oh, that‘ll happen a lot.” The knowledge that this horrid grief was simply a part of life‘s routine cheered me up almost instantly.”

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CogsOfEncouragement
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Pickpick

My daughter and I adore the Cheaper by the Dozen movies. Martin does an entertaining and touching job of explaining how he eventually ended up with his film career. #audiomemoir

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chuckstar158
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Pickpick

I am never surprised to learn about the serious sides of comics but Steve Martin's memoir is beautifully written and concise. Not one to over inflate himself or his achievements. I found him deep and funny and highly philosophical.

Note: I listened to the author's narration on Audible and he's just a delight. Some one liners never get old.

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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyMay18 #comic
I read this memoir, subtitled "A Comic's Life" several years ago and it still has a place on my shelves.

I can't remember if the above quote is in the book or not, but it's one of my favorites. With his books, comedy, acting, and music, Steve Martin a way has of words certainly! ?

SuperPunkNinja Love this book! 6y
LauraBeth I love his writing ❤️ 6y
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Emily92Bibliophile
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Didnt get to take a picture last night, but for the last 4-ish hours of our road trip to Amarillo to see family for Labor Day, me& my family ended up listening to my audio of Born Standing up 💙From 8 pm - Midnight we listened,& even my younger brother & sister (college freshmen) turned off their show on iTunes to listen and laugh along. I don't know- I just really love moments like this,& how we all l sat to listen to this story 🎧🌕cont.👇🏻

Emily92Bibliophile In the early 2000s, before we took a laptop with us on road trips, we would listen to audiobooks together. The Secret Garden, the Harry Potter Series, Squanto, you name it. Those are some of my fondest memories in growing up. 💚 7y
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TobeyTheScavengerMonk
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Going super literal for #ThatJokeIsntFunnyAnymore

Steve Martin was the Beatles of stand-up in the 70s, selling out stadiums to screaming crowds. In 1981, he packed up and walked away.

I have always been in awe of Martin's balance of no-holds-barred goofiness and scathing perceptiveness. This memoir is thoughtful, quiet, and occasionally melancholy. It made me love him more than I already did, which was a lot. #JuneTunz

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Jerry Seinfeld talked him into one night of stand-up in 2016, long after this book was published. A great read if you care: http://www.vulture.com/2016/02/steve-martin-performed-stand-up-last-night.html 7y
minkyb Nice blurb! 7y
Andrea4 I've been in love with Steve Martin since I was a kid- I may actually have to read a memoir for the 2nd time in my life! 7y
Dragon You convinced me , onto the stack it goes 😀📚 7y
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Linds
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katedensen
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I had trouble deciding which memoir to post about for #GIVEAWAYTHETRUTH, but then I remembered this quote from Steve Martin's book about his early days as a comedian. I'm currently exploring this path, and Martin's statement rings true.

Coping with and using my own pain, trauma, and struggles as fodder for something that makes people laugh has been a revelation. There is no comedy without truth. There is no comedy without pain. Laughter is key.

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Geekubed
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Pickpick

I have been a fan of Steve Martin for as long as I can remember. This is not a salacious tell all. It is a thoughtful well constructed memoir. I enjoyed hearing about his development process as a comedian. Revisiting his comedic height had me remembering pieces of his routines I loved and how much I miss his voice.

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kyraleseberg
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"Thankfully, perseverance is a great substitute for talent."

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TobeyTheScavengerMonk
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I can count the number of memoirs I've read on one hand, but these two mean a lot to me. #17booklove @jess.how #memoirlove

readinginthedark I've been meaning to read these! 8y
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kyraleseberg
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New library pick 📚
My reading goal this year is more auto/biographies/memoirs!

M-D I read this one this year and enjoyed it. My #litsyatoz is all biographies and memoirs. Using the last name of the subject. 8y
kyraleseberg @M-D What a great idea, I need to set up a challenge like that soon. I'm enjoying it, too! Steve Martin is a great writer and I've learned so much about him in the first 100 pages of this book. He just exudes charm and he's so clever. 8y
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katedensen
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I don't think I'll finish either of the books I'm currently reading by the end of today (Scrappy Little Nobody and Today Will Be Different), so here are my January 2017 #readingstats. Yay.

Update: After seeing the positive response to this graphic (which is really just mindless doodles), I've decided I'd be happy to make similar ones for any Littens who may be interested! Just email me at katedensen@gmail.com with what you want on yours!

britt_brooke Love this! And great month. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 8y
Leniverse Great stats and great chart! Makes me want to pick up one of my pretty notebooks and attempt bullet journaling or some such. But I know I always end up with a list that looks like alphabetised chopped liver. 8y
Karkar I need to hire you to draw mine up! Too cute😍😍 8y
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Gayan This is a great graphic. Love it. 8y
katedensen @britt_brooke @Leniverse @Karkar @Gayan Aw, thanks! I was honestly just doodling while watching TV with my brother, I don't have a reading journal or anything. And I'm happy to doodle similar ones for any of you (looking at you @Karkar)! 8y
Bibliogeekery Adorable list! 8y
moranadatter Love this! 8y
Karkar Ahhhhh sweet!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤ 8y
katedensen @Bibliogeekery @kmdartist Thanks! @Karkar Email me specifics of what you want! katedensen@gmail.com 8y
mcipher It's gorgeous! Mud doodles love much... doodlier. 😂 8y
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GoneFishing

Despite a lack of natural ability, I did have the one element necessary to all early creativity: naïveté, that fabulous quality that keeps you from knowing just how unsuited you are for what you are about to do.

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katedensen
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Pickpick

When I first read Steve Martin's fiction, I was in awe of what a talented writer he is. This autobiography is not exempt from his ability to expertly wield a pen, and listening to it on audio was amazing.

This memoir about Martin's entry to the world of entertainment through stand-up and his eventual eschewal of the form is raw, honest, and deeply relatable despite his iconic status.

(Also, "B" for #LitsyAtoZ!)

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katedensen
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Getting in some #audiobook time while working on the next episode of #MyWeekInTinder.

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katedensen
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One of my favorite things is listening to audiobooks while I do my hair and makeup. Do you think I have enough products?

CoffeeBooksRepeat My bathroom looks the same! 👌🏼 8y
Hobbinol OMG😮 8y
katedensen @GeraldineReads Glad to know I'm not the only one! @Hobbinol Tip of the iceberg. 8y
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LauraBeth It's like Sephora exploded in your bathroom 😀💕 8y
katedensen @LauraBeth That is so very accurate. 8y
LauraBeth @katedensen well you can never have too many beauty products - especially NARS 8y
katedensen @LauraBeth Agreed! There's a reason I'm VIB Rouge... 8y
MyNamesParadise That's a good idea!! Multitasking! 8y
katedensen @MyNamesParadise Multitasking is my jam. I don't even know how to monotask anymore. 8y
Ruri_kaichou If I wasn't married, my vanity would probably look like this as well. My husband hates clutter on counters. 8y
Gayan I listen to audio books and podcasts while i get ready also. 8y
LeahBergen 😂😂 (and now I'm checking out all your products!) 8y
katedensen @Ruri_kaichou That makes me feel better about being irrevocably single. @Gayan It's such a good use of time! (Listen to my podcast too!) @LeahBergen I wish this were a complete picture. It's more like...an eighth of my arsenal. 8y
Ruri_kaichou 😂😂 there are definitely perks to being single! 8y
Jenni_Capps It's. So. BEAUTIFULLLLL 😍😭😍 8y
katedensen @Ruri_kaichou I can't think of any others currently. Especially because so many Littens post pictures of the awesome breakfasts their significant others make them. Where's my breakfast-making boyfriend? I could be convinced to declutter my bathroom...depending, of course, on the quality of the breakfast. @Jenni_Capps 😂 Glad you think so too. 8y
Ruri_kaichou My husband does not make breakfast either, so I don't get that perk either. Maybe that's why I'm reluctant to declutter.... 8y
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katedensen
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Inspiring for those of us who strive to turn our tragedy into comedy.

LauraBeth Never let a bad childhood hold you hostage as an adult 😀 8y
katedensen @LauraBeth Amen, and well said! 8y
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katedensen
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Has everyone recovered from #24in48? Starting this morning with a new audiobook that was recommended by my Sketch teacher at UCB. Also, it's the "B" in my #LitsyAtoZ challenge.

(For the record, I crossed off letters "K" and "O" during #24in48 with Mindy Kaling's "Why Not Me?" and Alain de Botton's "On Love," respectively.)

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rach_simone
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Pickpick

An enjoyable listen. There were banjo tunes in between chapters that Steve Martin wrote! He is a great narrator. It wasn't as laugh out loud funny as I thought it would be. He was very honest about the beginning of his career, his anxiety and dealing with fame. #24in48

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M-D
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Knocking another one off of my #litsyatoz. This should be a good one.

Smrloomis Picked this up on a whim and loved it! Hope you enjoy it too. 8y
M-D @Smrloomis just finished, it was most enjoyable 😃 8y
Smrloomis @M-D 👍🏽glad to hear it! 8y
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M-D
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#litsyatoz reading challenge all biographies starting with last name. Should be a good time.

Marchpane Cool take on this challenge 👍 8y
M-D @Marchpane, thanks, going to learn a lot about some people I don't know much about as if yet 😁😁 8y
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AmandaL
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Pickpick

This was an interesting memoir that chronicled Steve Martin's rise to fame as a comic performer. I found the reasoning behind his act surprising.

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TheBookDream
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Sorry for the "meh" lighting Littens, but I had to share my excitement. Signed book! I love author signed books ?? Edit: If any of you get a chance to see his new play Meteor Shower is it quite hysterical, even if I know a good bit of the overarching meaning went over my head (if there's a peach, I see a peach. I'm not good at symbolism,ok?) :P #signedsundays (somewhat early)

MrBook 😳😱😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻👍🏻👌🏻!!! 8y
27 likes1 comment
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Emily92Bibliophile
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Pickpick

5⭐️👍🏻🎉 What a wonderful audio! I am glad I chose to listen instead of reading this particular book- hearing Mr Steve Martin read ( and sing parts of!) his book, and give emotion and depth to his words is something more than the experience of just reading it. He is a very gifted and talented man, and I am thankful for his tireless work.

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Emily92Bibliophile
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Just bought my first daily deal for $3.99! I want to get in the habit of listening to audio books- I don't have a membership anymore because I don't listen to enough audiobooks to balance the monthly payment, but maybe if I start buying the daily deals I'll get in to #AudioBookPractice and get back to the membership!👍🏻📚

BarbaraTheBibliophage Also check out the Channels feature, especially if you have Amazon Prime. There's some interesting listening there. 8y
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jessberk13
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Audible daily deal!

Emily92Bibliophile Just bought it!! Aaahhhh!😎 8y
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RebL
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My favorite wild and crazy guy and Steve Martin. After reading Martin's memoir, it's clear why I have an affinity for him. My dad shared Martin's intellectual ability and goofiness. I also admire Martin's work ethic.

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pitterpainter
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Pickpick

Born Standing Up could be named Born Writing, Born Painting, Born Creative. With his classic smart, yet, modest charm, Mr. Martin's book is a guide on how to be creative, laid out from first magic trick to onscreen success. The passages about his parents are endearing and memorable. #stacked #augustphotochallenge

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pitterpainter
Pickpick

Born Standing Up could be named Born Writing, Born Painting, Born Creative. With his classic smart, yet, modest charm, Mr. Martin's book is a guide on how to be creative, laid out from first magic trick to onscreen success. His passages about his parents are endearing and memorable. #stacked

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Elliott.rachel1

Reading this for my book club at work. I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it, but I'm really digging his voice so far!

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nikirtehsuxlol
Pickpick

Candid and heartfelt!

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nikirtehsuxlol
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We've had a good time tonight , considering we're all going to die someday.

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nikirtehsuxlol
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nikirtehsuxlol
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