Talk about your background before “Late Show.” I graduated from Harvard with a degree in Latin. I thought the church was coming back. I was a standup comic for 12 years; I did every TV show except the ones that help your career. In 1991, I was lucky enough to get hired by [Letterman].
Did you write a book before this one? I wrote a novel, and everyone who read it had one little criticism: “How about a plot?” I always found that “plot” comment a tad nitpicky. By the way, Tad Nitpicky was my sophomore proctor at Deerfield.
So are you working on something new? I’ve got one book on the way, but all I have is the title: “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Synagogue.” Before you go, ask me about the cover. OK. Why does the cover of your book have a picture of a softball resting inside a lady’s shoe? I’m glad you asked. You see, I was with my editor, and all we had was the softball, and we didn’t know what else to do. But then Elmore Leonard walked by in the hall and said, “Why don’t you use one of my red high heels?” That’s where the cover comes from.
