Vol. 1 Brooklyn

Shooing Away Shrooms Dealers and Other Comedy Lessons: A Conversation With Lizz Winstead

On May 10, 2012 By Abraham Riesman

There are a lot of comedians on tour today who can make fart jokes about the GOP, but very few who have legitimately changed American political discourse. Lizz Winstead is one of that rare handful.

Along with collaborator Madeleine Smithberg, she created The Daily Show. Since leaving the show in 1998 (after alleged clashes with then-host Craig Kilborn), she’s remained a major presence in American comedy and commentary: she co-created Air America Radio, bringing on talents like Rachel Maddow and Marc Maron; she sells out theaters across the country with her live performances; and she’s a prolific and well-followed tweeter.

Her first book, Lizz Free or Die (Riverhead, 2012), hits shelves this week. It’s a collection of autobiographical essays that cover her Minnesota childhood, her early career in the Twin Cities, her time in television, and a host of personal crises along the way. She’s appearing at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble on Thursday and BookCourt on Friday, and I caught up with her to talk about everything from Hüsker Dü to the hallucinogen habits of her Daily Show staff.

Shooing Away Shrooms Dealers and Other Comedy Lessons: A Conversation With Lizz Winstead

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