IRA SPIRO: Before Covid by Dan Naturman
Ira Spiro is a stand-up comic and screenwriter who, a short time after winning an Oscar for “Best Original Screenplay” for his hit romantic comedy Jackson Taylor’s Christmas Party, slides back into near obscurity as his anxieties and complexes overwhelm his ability to capitalize on his new found fame. After a particularly disastrous stand-up performance leaves Ira wondering if he’ll ever be able to get on stage again, he is unexpectedly presented with a lucrative contract to write a memoir. Working with a ghostwriter, Ira reflects on his life as he puts his traumatic childhood experiences and complicated personal relationships into prose. As the Covid-19 pandemic sends the world into lockdown, Ira comes to understand why he has unconsciously sabotaged his career and, while he was at it, pushed away the love of his life.
“How annoyingly good is this book. The always funny Dan Naturman wrote a great novel full of surprises.”
- Jim Gaffigan
“For Dan Naturman to take on a novel about a neurotic comedian and his fear of success is so out of his wheelhouse it’s mind blowing. I’m kind of torn. I think this book could sell millions of copies, but the potential adverse effect on Dan may not be worth it.”
- Howie Mandel
“Dan brings his uniquely hilarious point of view to every page in this novel. I didn’t want it to end.”
- Ophira Eisenberg, host of NPR’s Ask Me Another.
Dan Naturman is a stand-up comedian who has appeared on America’s Got Talent, Late Show with David Letterman, and The Conan O’Brien Show and was also a regular on the HBO series Crashing. Dan has an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from the Fordham University School of Law, though he has never practiced. In his spare time he enjoys studying French and trying to acquire a moderate level of competence on guitar. He lives alone and has issues with close relationships.