» Click here to read Ray Palen's review.

Review #1 by Ron Kaplan

In 1998, I reviewed DAVE BARRY TURNS 50 for --- gasp! --- another publication. A dozen years later, I reviewed I'LL MATURE WHEN I’M DEAD: Dave Barry's Amazing Tales of Adulthood for --- yay! --- Bookreporter.com. The fact that I’m writing about Barry’s memoir, CLASS CLOWN, 15 years later proves one thing: we’re both old (although he beats me in that department.)

Barry is the epitome of the laugh-out-loud writer. Indeed, there have been times when I was guilty of just that when perusing his latest at the bookstore, to either the amusement or annoyance of fellow patrons. In CLASS CLOWN, we learn that, like many in the profession --- whether a writer or a stand-up comedian --- the road to yuks is paved with episodes of pain. Barry had his share growing up, and he shares that with his audience in a mixture of gentle humor and humility. Certainly all of us have had such moments in our lives. The major difference is that we’re not Pulitzer Prize winners.

"There’s a saying...that you never want to meet your heroes; you’re likely to be disappointed. Judging by what I’ve read in CLASS CLOWN, I don’t think that would be the case."

We learn about Barry’s life before comedy, when he actually was a “real” reporter with the occasional humor column. His steady climb ultimately led to his long-time gig with The Miami Herald, where he earned his prize for commentary in 1988. That humility comes through every now and then throughout the book as he discusses how he’s dealt with his own celebrity status. (“Me? On ‘The Johnny Carson Show’?”

Barry would have us believe that it’s no big deal. “[I]n real life we…don’t go around being wacky all the time, any more than professional magicians go around pulling quarters out of people’s ears. In real life we spend most of our time trying to crank out yet another…column which is not as wacky fun as it sounds. The rest of the time we’re engaged in regular boring human activities such as being with our families or buying tires.”

But there’s also the serious (sort of) side, as when Barry discusses politics in the book’s lengthiest chapter, including his thoughts (very serious, really) on the current administration.

Despite my love of baseball --- as attested to by the dozens of reviews that have appeared on this site over the years --- my heroes have always been those who report on the game. Rather than requesting photos with athletes (except for that one of me with a startled Sandy Koufax, but that’s a story for another time), my wall is covered with pictures of writers I have met along the way. Maybe Barry will do me the honor one day.

There’s a saying (older than Barry and me put together, I’m guessing) that you never want to meet your heroes; you’re likely to be disappointed. Judging by what I’ve read in CLASS CLOWN, I don’t think that would be the case. And to use a phrase that often appears in a Barry column, “I am not making this up.”
 

Review #2 by Ray Palen

Dave Barry has long been my favorite humor writer. I have enjoyed his nonfiction work and his monthly syndicated column in Funny Times. He is often overlooked for his fiction, particularly the masterful Peter and the Starcatchers series that he wrote with Ridley Pearson (the opening installment was turned into a Broadway play).

Now, Barry is spending some time looking back with both a heartfelt and humorous eye in CLASS CLOWN: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up. You got to love both subtitles!

"You got to love both subtitles!... CLASS CLOWN is a delightful read. Be prepared to laugh long and hard."

Barry dedicates the book to his parents, and his depiction of his childhood in Armonk, New York, is eye-opening, as well as shocking. He indicates that his set answer to the frequently asked question “Where do you get your ideas?” is Costco. However, he admits that he got his sense of humor from his mother, which is evident in how he describes their relationship.

Barry humorously reflects on a childhood from the Boomer generation, where they often got into various mischief without any parental involvement and no such things as cell phones or social media to occupy their time. He and his crew learned from being outside in the world, while he was being raised by a father who had been a pastor and a mother who had an active and smart sense of humor to get them through any situation. To find out that Barry’s father suffered from a severe bout of alcoholism prior to his premature death was startling, but not as much as learning that Barry's mother passed away just three years later from a drug overdose.

Nevertheless, Barry's parents formed the foundation for his life, and we travel on a journey with him that starts with his first newspaper job at the Daily Local News in suburban Philadelphia. He tries his hand at serious and later more lighthearted stories, which kicked off his lengthy career as a humorist. His weekly syndicated column ran for 30 years and opened up so many doors for him, paving the way to becoming an established author. This led to a fun stint with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a pick-up rock band made up of other famous writers, including Stephen King and Greg Iles.

We're with Barry as he moves to Florida, where he currently resides, and joins The Miami Herald. It is here where he wins a Pulitzer Prize, an achievement of which he is quite proud. One of the funniest chapters involves stories about his readers. He loves them, but over the years, he has had many bizarre encounters and correspondences with them. There are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments in this section.

It is great to see Barry’s biggest achievements that truly validated his entire life. As a long-time fan of the man and his work, it gave me a good feeling to experience these milestones as he shared them. CLASS CLOWN is a delightful read. Be prepared to laugh long and hard.