Andy Borowitz: Difference between revisions

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* {{Marriage|[[Susan Borowitz|Susan Stevenson]]|1982|2002|reason=divorced}}

'''Andy Borowitz''' (born January 4, 1958)<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2019/01/04/UPI-Almanac-for-Friday-Jan-4-2019/5471546221584/|title=UPI Almanac for Friday, Jan. 4, 2019|agencywork=[[United Press International]]|date=January 4, 2019|accessdateaccess-date=September 4, 2019|archivedatearchive-date=January 5, 2019 |archiveurlarchive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190105012355/http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2019/01/04/UPI-Almanac-for-Friday-Jan-4-2019/5471546221584/|url-status=live|quote= comedian Andy Borowitz in 1958 (age 61)}}</ref> is an American writer, comedian, satirist, and actor. Borowitz is a ''[[The New York Times]]''-bestselling author who won the first [[National Press Club (USA)|National Press Club]] award for humor. He is known for creating the NBC sitcom ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'' and the satirical column ''The Borowitz Report''.

Borowitz was born to a marginally observant [[Reform Jewish]] family<ref name=Festival>Borowitz, Andy (2005-12-25). [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/fashion/sundaystyles/25BOROWITZ.html?_r=0 "The Festival of Loot"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.]] Retrieved 2013-09-03.</ref> in [[Shaker Heights, Ohio]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fGARAQAAMAAJ&q=andy+borowitz+born+shaker+heights&dq=andy+borowitz+born+shaker+heights&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjoqo2doLjkAhWBZd8KHXm5BXYQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg|title=Current Biography Yearbook 2007|publisher=H. W. Wilson Co.|year= 2007|page =80}}</ref> where heand graduated from [[Shaker Heights High School]].<ref name=harvardmagazine>{{cite news|url= https://harvardmagazine.com/2009/05/andy-borowitz|title=April Fool Every Day|first=Craig|last=Lambert|work=[[Harvard Magazine]]|date=May–June 2009|archivedatearchive-date=March 28, 2019|archiveurlarchive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190328201720/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2009/05/andy-borowitz|url-status=live}}</ref>

After graduating from Harvard, Borowitz moved to [[Los Angeles]] to work for producer [[Bud Yorkin]] at [[Tandem Productions]], the company Yorkin co-founded with producer [[Norman Lear]], the creator of ''[[All in the Family]]''. From 1982 through 1983, he wrote for the television series ''[[Square Pegs]]'', starring [[Sarah Jessica Parker]]. From 1983 through 1984, he wrote for the television series ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]''. He wrote for various television series through the 1980s.

InDuring 1990,his marriage to writer and producer [[Susan Borowitz]] (1982–2005), the two co-created ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]],'',<ref>{{cite web|title=The Fresh Prince of Bel Air: Cast and Crew|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098800/|website=Internet Movie Database|accessdateaccess-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> which ran for six seasons on [[NBC]] and launched the acting career of [[Will Smith]].<ref name="Farhi">{{cite news |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=November 23, 2011 |title=Political satirist Andy Borowitz says he can't resist poking fun at GOP field |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/political-satirist-andy-borowitz-says-he-cant-resist-poking-fun-at-gop-field/2011/11/23/gIQAy0XfpN_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |accessdateaccess-date=January 12, 2014}}</ref> BorowitzThe receivedseries anwon [[NAACP's Image Award]] for theOutstanding seriesComedy Series in 1993.<ref name="Harvard Magazine">{{cite web|last1=Lambert|first1=Craig|title=April Fool Every Day|url=http://harvardmagazine.com/2009/05/andy-borowitz|website=Harvard Magazine}}</ref>

In 2004 Borowitz appeared in [[Woody Allen]]'s ''[[Melinda and Melinda]],'' starring [[Will Ferrell]], and in ''[[Marie and Bruce]]'', starring [[Julianne Moore]] and [[Matthew Broderick]]. ''Marie and Bruce'' was co-written by [[Wallace Shawn]] and director Tom Cairns. In 2007 he appeared in the film ''[[Fired! (2007 film)|Fired!]]''

In the late 1990s, Borowitz began e-mailing humorous news parodies to friends. In 2001, he founded ''The Borowitz Report'', a site that posts one 250-word [[news satire]] every weekday. The site led to greater fame and widespread attention for Borowitz as a political satirist. ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' devoted a page-one story to him and his site in 2003 and readership ultimately grew to the millions. In 2005, the newspaper syndicator [[Creators Syndicate]] began syndicating ''The Borowitz Report'' to dozens of major newspapers, including the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', and ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''. It is also one of the longest-running features at the ''[[Newsweek]]'' website. He has served as a commentator on the [[National Public Radio]] programs ''[[Weekend Edition|Weekend Edition Sunday]]'' and ''[[Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!]]'', the latter on November 12, 2006. Borowitz is also a regular contributor to humor newspaper ''[[Funny Times (newspaper)|Funny Times]]''.

In 2007, he started blogging for the ''[[Huffington Post]]''. His posts were featured on the home page of the blog and quickly became one of its most popular features. His popularity surged during the 2008 campaign, leading ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' to call him "America's [[satire]] king".<ref>Staff (October 12, 2008). [http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2008/10/12/mccain-auditions-for-angry-mob.html\ "McCain Auditions for Angry Mob"]. ''Cheat Sheets{{spaced ndash}}Must Reads from All Over'' (blog of [[The Daily Beast]]). Retrieved August 20, 2012.</ref>

In 2009, The Borowitz Report began a [[Twitter]] feed, which was voted the number-one Twitter account in the world in a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine poll in 2011. Eventually, he abandoned the feed.<ref>{{cite journalmagazine|last=Lepore|first=Jill|date=26 January 2015|title=The Cobweb|journalmagazine=[[The New Yorker]]|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/cobweb}}</ref>

Borowitz's success as a television performer led to his becoming a strong draw as a stand-up comedian, and he started headlining at major comedy clubs across the country, including [[Carolines on Broadway]], where he hosts a monthly show called ''[[Next Week's News]]''. Other major comedians who have appeared with him in that show include [[Amy Sedaris]] and [[Susie Essman]] of [[HBO]]'s ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''.

In September 2007, he headlined an edition of Next Week's News at the [[Bumbershoot]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bumbershoot.org/lineup/history/ |title=Bumbershoot: History – 2007 |accessdateaccess-date=24 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126014534/http://bumbershoot.org/lineup/history/ |archivedatearchive-date=26 January 2015 }}</ref> festival in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], performing to standing-room-only audiences and critical acclaim in the press, including the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''. He also performed to a sold-out house at the 2007 [[New York Comedy Festival]], which featured other prominent comedians including [[Denis Leary]], [[Bill Maher]], and [[Sarah Silverman]].

In 2008, he hosted a series of sold-out shows at New York City's [[92nd Street Y]] called "Countdown to the Election". The show earned rave reviews and featured such guests as [[Arianna Huffington]], [[Mo Rocca]], [[Jonathan Alter]], [[Joy Behar]], and [[Jeffrey Toobin]].

In 1998, Borowitz began contributing humor to ''[[The New Yorker]]'' magazine. He quickly became one of the magazine's most prolific humor contributors, writing dozens of essays including "Emily Dickinson, Jerk of Amherst",<ref>{{cite webmagazine|last1=Borowitz|first1=Andy|title=Emily Dickinson, Jerk of Amherst|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/11/16/emily-dickinson-jerk-of-amherst|websitemagazine=The New Yorker|accessdateaccess-date=24 January 2015}}</ref> selected as one of the funniest humor pieces in the magazine's history and included in ''The New Yorker'''s humor collection entitled ''Fierce Pajamas''. Two more humor pieces of his appeared in the magazine's 2008 collection entitled "''Disquiet, Please!"'' He has also performed at The New Yorker Festival's humor revues at [[The Town Hall (New York City)|The Town Hall]] in New York City with such other ''New Yorker'' contributors as [[Woody Allen]], [[Steve Martin]], and [[Calvin Trillin]]. Additionally, he has joined ''The New Yorker'' College Tour, where he has performed with improv group [[The Second City]] and [[David Sedaris]].

In 2011, [[Library of America]] chose Borowitz to edit an anthology of American humor entitled, ''The 50 Funniest American Writers''. Encompassing American humor from [[Mark Twain]] to ''[[The Onion]]'', the book was set to be released on October 13, 2011. The bookIt became a best seller on the day of its publication, reaching number eight on [[Amazon.com]] and becoming the number-one humor book in the United States. It also became the first book in the 32-year history of the Library of America to become a ''New York Times'' and ''Wall Street Journal'' bestseller. Both [[Barnes & Noble]] and Amazon.com named it a Best Book of 2011, and Amazon.com named it the number-one Entertainment Book of the Year. In a feature about the book, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' noted the book'sits popular success, calling Borowitz "America's finest fake-news creator and sharpest political satirist".<ref>Paul Farhi (November 23, 2011).[https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/political-satirist-andy-borowitz-says-he-cant-resist-poking-fun-at-gop-field/2011/11/23/gIQAy0XfpN_story.html\ "Political Satirist Andy Borowitz Says He Can't Resist Poking Fun at GOP Field"] ''[[The Washington Post]]'' Retrieved September 9, 2012</ref>

In 2012, Borowitz wrote his first autobiographical work, ''An Unexpected Twist''{{spaced ndash}}, an [[Amazon Kindle]] single. The essay recounts Borowitz's near-death experience in 2008 while undergoing emergency abdominal surgery in New York City. A mixture of dark comedy, hospital drama and love story, the book became a bestseller on its first day of release, placing number one on Amazon's Kindle Single chart. It became the first nonfiction Kindle Single to make ''The Wall Street Journal'' bestseller list, debuting at number six.<ref>{{cite webmagazine|last1=Dorment|first1=Lauren|title=Not Funny: Andy Borowitz's Hospital Nightmare|url=http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/not-funny-andy-borowitzs-hospital-nightmare|websitemagazine=The New Yorker|accessdateaccess-date=24 January 2015}}</ref>

In his book review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Dwight Garner (critic)|Dwight Garner]] wrote, "Andy Borowitz is the funniest human on Twitter, and that's not mean praise. His first original e-book{{spaced ndash}} thebook—the current best-selling Single {{spaced ndash}} isSingle—is a seriocomic memoir calledcall''ed "An Unexpected Twist"'', about a blockage in his colon that nearly killed him. This funny book has a sneaky emotional gravity. As the time of his illness, he'd been married only a few months, and his small book becomes a rather large love story." <ref name= "nytimes">Dwight Garner. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/books/kindle-singles-genre-between-magazine-articles-and-books.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www "Miniature E-Books Let Journalists Stretch Legs"] "[[The New York Times]]" Retrieved September 9, 2012</ref>

In his review of the book, journalist [[Seth Mnookin]] wrote, "Borowitz has become one of the most lauded satirists in the country – thinkcountry—think of him as a literary Jon Stewart. His name graces the cover of one of the most successful Library of America volumes ever (The 50 Funniest American Writers* (*According to Andy Borowitz)). He was voted by Time magazine readers as having the #1 Twitter feed in the world. He even hosted the National Book Awards – twice…Awards—twice… It's no surprise that Borowitz is able to mine his situation for humor. What makes "''An Unexpected Twist"'' even more satisfying is his ability to highlight some of the surreal and infuriating aspects of modern American medical care without hitting the reader over the head with them." <ref>{{cite web|title=An overstuffed colon and a perfectly sized Kindle Single|url=http://www.downloadtheuniverse.com/dtu/2012/07/unexpected-twist.html|website=Download the Universe}}</ref>

On June 25, 2012, Amazon named "''An Unexpected Twist"'' the Best Kindle Single of 2012.

Since 1999, Borowitz has been the primary host of ''[[The Moth]]'', a New York-based storytelling group. He sings with the literary rock band [[Rock Bottom Remainders]], a group with a rotating cast of players including [[Dave Barry]], [[Matt Groening]], [[Roy Blount Jr.]], [[Stephen King]], [[Amy Tan]], [[Robert Fulghum]], [[Barbara Kingsolver]], and [[Scott Turow]], among others. He has taught [[screenwriting]] in the United States and Europe and is on the guest faculty of the [[Maurits Binger Film Institute]] in [[Amsterdam]].

He was married to [[Susan Borowitz]], the co-creator of ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''. After their divorce he married [[Olivia Gentile]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Kompanek |first=Christopher |date=October 14, 2010 |title=Funny Side of the Street |url=https://nypost.com/2010/10/14/funny-side-of-the-street/ |newspaper=New York Post |accessdateaccess-date=January 12, 2014}}</ref> the author of ''Life List: A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds''. He has three children and lives in Hanover, New YorkHampshire.<ref>{{Cite Cityweb |last=Hanson |first=Alex |date=2022-10-06 |title=Art Notes: Satirist Andy Borowitz sets sights on politics' cult of ignorant personality |url=https://www.vnews.com/Art-Notes-Andy-Borowitz-performs-in-his-adopted-hometown-48294942 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013145035/https://www.vnews.com/Art-Notes-Andy-Borowitz-performs-in-his-adopted-hometown-48294942 |archive-date=2022-10-13 |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=Valley News}}</ref>

* 2000{{spaced ndash}} ''The Trillionaire Next Door{{spaced ndash}} The Greedy Investor's Guide to Day Trading''. New York City, New York: [[HarperBusiness]]. {{ISBN|978-0-06-662076-3}}.

* 2003{{spaced ndash}} ''Who Moved My Soap?{{spaced ndash}} The CEO's Guide to Surviving in Prison''. New York City, New York: [[Simon & Schuster]]. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-5142-6}}.

* 2004{{spaced ndash}} ''[[Governor Arnold]]{{spaced ndash}} A Photodiary of His First 100 Days in Office''. New York City, New York: [[Simon & Schuster]]. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-6266-8}}.

* 2004{{spaced ndash}} ''The Borowitz Report{{spaced ndash}} The Big Book of Shockers''. New York City, New York: [[Simon & Schuster|Simon & Schuster Paperbacks]]. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-6277-4}}.

* 2006{{spaced ndash}} ''The Republican Playbook''. New York City, New York: [[Hachette Books#Hyperion Books|Hyperion Books]]. {{ISBN|978-1-4013-0290-0}}.

* 2009{{spaced ndash}} ''Who Moved My Soap?{{spaced ndash}} The CEO's Guide to Surviving in Prison{{spaced ndash}} The [[Bernie Madoff]] Edition''. New York City, New York: [[Simon & Schuster]]. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-5142-6}}.

* 2011{{spaced ndash}} ''The 50 Funniest American Writers* (*accordingAccording to Andy Borowitz){{spaced ndash}} An Anthology of Humor from [[Mark Twain]] to [[The Onion]]''. New York City, New York: [[Library of America]]. {{ISBN|978-1-59853-107-7}}.

* 2012{{spaced ndash}} "''An Unexpected Twist"''. Seattle, Washington: [[Amazon Digital Services]]. {{ASIN|B007A4V33M}} ([[Amazon Kindle|Amazon Kindle Single]]).

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