Politics & Prose at Busboys and Poets 14th & V welcomes Raymond Lambert to discuss his new book "All Jokes Aside: Standup Comedy is a Phunny Business."
Lambert, now an independent producer and adjunct professor at Chicago’s Columbia College, started as a Wall Street banker but always dreamed of getting into the entertainment business. In 1992 he founded a comedy club in Chicago, and though All Jokes Aside opened with just 275 seats and lasted for less than a decade, it helped launch the careers of stars including Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey, and many others. Lambert’s memoir complements his acclaimed documentary, “Phunny Business,” which charts the club’s heyday; Lambert gives a detailed inside look at the comedy business, the performers he worked with, and recounts both the high and low points of his entrepreneurial experience.
Lambert will be in conversation with comedian Tony Woods.