First Lady of Laughs

""A spirited biography ... a valuable addition to the history of female comedians and Jewish American entertainers."" – Publishers Weekly ""Long-overdue assessment of a pioneering female comic ... A welcome first step in making a legend among her sister comics better known to a wider audience."" – Kirkus Reviews ""Grace Overbeke's new biog­ra­phy traces the arc of Carroll's career, offer­ing insight into the dis­tinc­tive char­ac­ter of her humor … While any­one inter­est­ed in women's his­to­ry will find this biog­ra­phy eye-open­ing, it also has a lot to say about how com­e­dy – espe­cial­ly eth­nic com­e­dy – works."" – Jewish Book Council """"Get This Book!…If you are a fan of comedy, especially stand-up, it is full of unbelievable information and insights."""" - Judy Gold, Emmy-Award Winning Comedian ""A rollicking reclamation of a standup comedy pioneer, First Lady of Laughs provides a candid and telling history of the performer's career. More than a simple biography, Overbeke's keen analysis calls our attention to the ways that societal assumptions about gender and Jewishness – separately and in combination – helped shape the emergent genre of standup in ways that still resonate today."" - Henry Bial, author of Acting Jewish: Negotiating Ethnicity on the American Stage and Screen ""Shows us the brilliance of Jean Carroll's subversive yet dignified comedy, explaining how she became the 'First Lady of Laughs.' To the admiring women comedians who followed, she was 'the Mother of us all."" - Joyce Antler, author of Jewish Radical Feminism: Voices from the Women's Liberation Movement ""Offers a lively and compelling account of Jean Carroll, who shook up the male-dominated 1950s comedy scene and pioneered the gossipy stand-up style popular today. Comedy lovers will be delighted that Carroll is getting the funny and touching biography she deserves."" - Linda Mizejewski, author of Pretty/Funny: Women Comedians and Body Politics ""Navigates the intersections of gender and ethnic biases in entertainment, offering essential perspectives on the historical and cultural environs shaping Jean Carroll's career. Overbeke's thorough examination of archival materials, televised performances, and personal effects enriches our understanding of the complexities faced by women in the arts and offers a compelling reminder of the relentless spirit required to redefine genres and break glass ceilings. In doing so, she recuperates Carroll's rightful place in comedic history."" - Beck Krefting, author of All Joking Aside: American Humor and its Discontents ""An entertaining, insightful examination of Jean Carroll (1911–2010), the first Jewish American woman to rise to fame as a comedian and her significant impact on stand-up and Jewish performance… First Lady of Laughs is filled with excellent analyses."" - Journal of Modern Jewish Studies