NORTHAMPTON - On Friday, Nov. 21, Massachusetts native Paula Poundstone will be presenting her offbeat, topical humor to Iron Horse Music Hall.
"Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas," comments the comedienne and author during her recent Bravo special, "Look What the Cat Dragged In."
Poundstone, however, has had no such trouble with the conundrum of life purpose. From her kindergarten years, Poundstone has had a knack for making people laugh with her sharp commentary and sarcastic wit.
Her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bump, also proved to be one of her greatest influences, remarking in a letter to Poundstone's parents that, "I have enjoyed many of Paula's humorous comments on our activities."
Poundstone took this positive reinforcement to heart and ran. At only 19 years old, she began touring the nation via Greyhound bus in the hopes of earning various stand up gigs.
Since then, she has relocated to various comedy capitals, moving from Boston to Los Angeles and San Francisco to spread the laughs beyond the east coast.
After features on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live", Poundstone accrued various awards for her hilarious commentary, particularly during Leno's Presidential election special. She acquired her own television program, "The Paula Poundstone Show" in 1992.
Poundstone is currently one of the weekly panelists on NPR's "Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me," a weekly quiz show that simultaneously tests participant's knowledge of current events and satirizes the typical media perspective.
Life was not always easy for Poundstone, however. After facing various alcohol related charges, she made some serious life changes and has since found success in the literary world.
Ever developing as a creative individual, Poundstone wrote her first book in 2006. Entitled "There is Nothing In This Book That I Meant to Say," the publication served the dual purpose of profiling famous historical figures and providing the reader insight into her own life.
"I was court-ordered to Alcoholics Anonymous on television. Pretty much blows the hell out of the second A, wouldn't you say?"
Inevitably, Poundstone's experiences have been infinitely influential towards her stand up material, which makes no secret of her struggle. The comedienne's often self-depreciating humor comes as a direct result of them.
One of Poundstone's current passions is the promotion of reading and literacy in today's American youth. She is a fervent supporter and national spokesman of Friends For Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA). The organization promotes literacy by providing monetary support to libraries across the country to fund summer reading programs and expand book collections.
Further promoting her cause, Poundstone herself has penned several children's textbooks, including "The Sticky Problem of Parallelogram Pancakes."
Her standup, however, is a dish best kept for the adult diner, since her routines are both controversial and sharp witted.
Poundstone's live performances are an entirely new species of comedic animal. According to reviewers at The Boston Globe she, "improvises with the crowd like a Jazz musician … swinging in unexpected directions without a plan, without a net."
Before she even takes the stage, her personality announces its arrival. Her enthusiastic speech and attention to the audience makes clear her passion for comedy.
Poundstone's signature style of dress sets her apart as an individual in every sense. Her stage garb generally consists of a modern take on menswear, complete with colorful tie and dress shoes. Appearing as a sort of wayward political figure, her suits fit her comedic persona to a T.
"I have terrible short-term memory loss, which I like to think of as Presidential eligibility," quipped Poundstone on one of her infamous television specials.
The national tour that she is currently promoting has consisted of two hour comedy routines that wander everywhere from the nation's political climate to her past experiences with alcohol abuse, taking a sharp detour to discuss her precious cats. Nothing is taboo for the veteran performer.
Her penchant for crowd interaction is well suited to small venues such as Iron Horse, and the performance comes at a time when the currents of political affairs are rich in comedic material.
Between her fiercely original style and a lifetime of experience, there is no stage Poundstone cannot conquer.
Poundstone will be performing at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on Friday Nov. 21 at 7 and 10 p.m. Limited tickets are available for $28 at the door.
Angela Stasiowski can be reached at astasiow@student.umass.edu.
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