My writing partner Jonathan Schwarz said this as I was reading him this blurb: “When I read Perelman today, he doesn’t seem pre-TV; he seems pre-radio. No, pre-electric lights.”
But if one is serious about comic writing, familiarity with S.J. Perelman is essential. Start with one of his travelogues; Perelman was an indefatigable traveler, and the world outside his word-cluttered mind, as well as the elegant drawings of his frequent travel companion Al Hirshfeld, do much to lighten the tone. Then, if you want more, dip into a collection of his casuals and see what you think. He was a top-notch stylist of the classic era and, if you’re going to steal, steal from the best. And in the case of Perelman, there’s little danger of anyone finding out.—Michael Gerber
SJ Perelman TV interview (1974)
SJ Perelman Interview from The Paris Review
A lovely, if long, examination of SJ Perelman that manages to refute much of what IÂ just wrote
SJ Perelman at 100: An Appreciation by Richard Corliss
Somebody’s put up a Facebook page
..and here’s SJ Perelman’s unfinished autobiography on eBay. The link will break almost immediately, but I had to include it. Anybody got $9,500 I can borrow?
As ever, if you find something that should be included, put it in a comment!Â
