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Confessions of a Late Night Talk Show Hostwas published by Simon & Schuster in late 1998.
In May of that year,The Larry Sanders Showended its six-season run on HBO.
But if Shandling was creatively exhausted, it does not show within the pages of the book.
The book moves to Larrys upbringing in the 1950s in Mound, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
His father loved welding so much that sometimes, to relax, he would clean his blowtorch after dinner.
We also learn that Larry lost his virginity as a teenager to a waitress at Dennys named Edna.
We follow Larry on his journey to Los Angeles, which happened in 1979 or 1992.
Larry gives us brief descriptions of some of our favorite members ofThe Larry Sanders Show.
Shes been with me twelve years and I just recently discovered that shes black.
The book also covers Larrys burnout from the show and eventual decision to walk away.
But it concludes with an interview that Larry imagines will happen between God and himself upon his death.
(Larry describes his death as a sad day for show business and the entire Muslim world.)
It concludes with God saying Larrys catchphrase, No flipping.
The book even goes so far as to list all the women Larry slept with.
Since the books publication, just a few other examples of pop-culture autobiographies have emerged.
In 2007,Stephen Colbert publishedI Am America (And So Can You!
), a book of essays and thoughts on specific topics in the voice of hisColbert Reportalter-ego.
Whether or not Shandling intended to follow in this tradition isnt clear, but the similarities are there.
I wouldnt do it, Artie says of Larrys decision to write his autobiography.
Id have to tell the truth and I cant.
Larry responds, I thought you always told me the truth.
To which Artie replies, Of course I do.
