Page 7 - Jewish News_January 2022

FEDERATION NEWS January 2022 7A

People of the Book author/lecture series continues People of the Book...continued from previous page Dave. If you ask him, he will tell you In two weeks, my wife Robin and I will
News Sunday Morning. At 60 Min-
the Ticking Clock in our relationship.
with focus on humor and media utes, he was catapulted to the heights He was the Picasso of interviewers, a I approached him and begged him to have been married 42 years. Robin and
I met when I was a writer on Saturday
be friends. If you ask me, I’ll tell you
of TV journalism, helping to break
television genius. But he was also very
some of the most important stories in abusive to me and other producers, that Dave was sitting by himself and I Night Live, and she was a production
TV news. In his fascinating memoir, something at the end of his tenure he took pity on him. We made each other assistant. We now have three children
Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 readily admitted to and regretted. laugh, and we liked each other’s work. and five grandchildren. Carl was an ex-
Minutes, Rosen reveals the intimate, What is it that sets 60 Minutes As we became ample for me that you could have both
apart from other news-magazine friends, I told family and a career. I have been very
shows? him we should lucky that I have become friends with
Don Hewitt said that the secret of write a novel most of my idols. My best friends are
60 Minutes is “tell me a story.” The together, so we Larry David, Billy Crystal and Martin
segments that are on the show that wrote a book Short. We were all friends first, be-
work the best do exactly that. The oth- called Lunatics, fore working together. Personally, my
er trick of the show is to present a story which did quite mom and dad went to Lake Tahoe in
with two distinct points and have the well. We wrote 1972 and saw a show with Engelbert
viewers at home argue which view is more books to- Humperdinck and there was a stand-
correct. I will speak more about the se- gether, all of up comedian, Morty Gunty, who was
crets to 60 Minutes’ success and take which did very well. At some point the opening act. My mother ran into
a look back at some of those stories Dave asked me if I would want to join him at a coffee shop the next morning
when I speak in Florida. the Rock Bottom Remainders. I told and she told him her son wanted to be
An Evening with Dave Barry him I couldn’t sing or play an instru- a writer. He gave her his phone num-
& Alan Zweibel ment, and he said I would fit in just ber and I started writing for him, and
Alan Zweibel: fine, which I did. it snowballed from there. So my mom
Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny Do you believe humor is a trait also gets a big assist when it comes to
People Be Funnier you are born with or something that my career.
Ira Rosen Alan Zweibel is an Emmy and Tony can be taught? Tickets
untold stories of his decades at Ameri- award-winning television writer, au- I don’t think humor can be taught. I Tickets for the Ira Rosen event are
ca’s most iconic news show, including thor, playwright and screenwriter, think it’s a mindset or a way of looking $18 per person in advance, $25 at the
an authoritative account of the people at the world. Now I do think it can be door and $10 per household on Zoom.
who battled for the prestige, credit honed, but if somebody doesn’t have a Tickets for the Alan Zweibel and Dave
and desire to scoop everybody else in sense of humor, or a sense of irony, I Barry event are $25 per person in ad-
the game. A former Nieman Fellow at don’t think you can be taught to look at vance, $30 at the door and $10 per
Harvard University, Rosen has won 24 life that way. household on Zoom. Tickets for James
national Emmy Awards for his work. A What person (or people) had the McAuley’s Zoom event are $10 per
master class in how TV news is made, most influence on you and your ca- household. For reservations to these
Rosen’s book is a 60 Minutes story on reer and why? and all remaining People of the Book
60 Minutes itself. Carl Reiner. Carl became a good events, please visit jfedsrq.org/books.
You must have innumerable friend. I grew up watching The Dick For more information on the Peo-
memorable moments from your Van Dyke Show, plus all of the plays ple of the Book series of events, please
years with 60 Minutes. Can you Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel and movies he directed, plus he had a contact Jeremy Lisitza at jlisitza@jfed
continued on next page share one of your favorite behind- whom The New York Times says has family. That was what I wanted to do. srq.org or at 941.343.2113.
the-scenes moments? “earned a place in the pantheon of
I was profiling then New England American pop culture.” An original
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He Saturday Night Live writer, Zweibel HotWorks.org
had just lost a game to the San Diego has won five Emmys for his work in
Chargers and we met afterwards on the television, which includes It’s Gar- Sarasota Fine Art Show ™
field. I brought my oldest son to the ry Shandling’s Show and Curb Your
game. And even Enthusiasm. In all, he has written 11 January 15 & 16, 2022
though his fam- books, including his 2020 cultural
ily was waiting memoir, Laugh Lines: My Life Helping At Phillippi Estate Park, Sarasota
for him and we Funny People be Funnier, and the nov-
were preparing el Lunatics, which he co-wrote with
to shoot a short Dave Barry. Barry is a professional
interview, Tom humorist, who, for many years, wrote
went directly a newspaper column that appeared in
to my son and more than 500 newspapers. Barry won
spoke to him the Pulitzer Prize for commentary and
for a few min- has written more than 30 books.
utes about how special I was and how When and on what did you and
much he could learn from me.… He is Dave Barry first collaborate? How
a real mensch. have you helped this incredibly fun-
How was the intro with the stop- ny man become even funnier?
watch and the ticking clock devel- Many years ago, Steve Martin,
oped? who is a mutual friend, was honored
It was developed by 60 Minutes with the Mark Twain Award (a come-
creator Don Hewitt and Artie Bloom, dy lifetime achievement award). Steve
the show’s director, who realized that asked Dave Barry to be one of the peo-
they needed to do something before ple who spoke about him at the Kenne-
introducing each week’s segments. dy Center. The reason I was there was
It literally has stood the test of time, that my friend Larry David was also
opening the show for 53 years. asked to speak. I helped Larry with his
Describe your experience work- speech, and he asked if I would accom- www.hotworks.org Facebook.com/HotWorksArtShows Instagram @HotWorksArtShows Su Griggs Allen, Mixed Media
ing with Mike Wallace. pany him, which I did. After the cere- COVID safety guidelines in place: Social distancing, all booths spread apart, face coverings recommended and more
Mike Wallace was the spine of mony, there was a party where I met Professionally Juried Fine Art & Fine Craft Show
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