Brooklyn resident (and Russian immigrant) Eugene Mirman is a really great guy and comedian. After escaping the clutches of communism, he grew up in Lexington, MA (where the American revolution began through no fault of Eugene's). He attended Hampshire College and designed his own major of Comedy — doing a onehour standup act as his thesis. People made fun of him for it, because they were majoring in practical things, like playwriting and semiotics. Read on . . .
Wait! He is also an author! Eugene penned The Will To Whatevs, an outlandish self-help guide to modern life for Harper Collins due out in the winter of 2009. Eugene is thrilled he got to use the word outlandish.
No one understands the complexities of modern life better than Eugene Mirman— claims Eugene Mirman—and anyone seeking guidance from a man who has lived through everything (except the Great Depression, the Spanish-American War, and Jerry Lee Lewis's sex scandal) won't resist this charmingly hysterical guidebook. THE WILL TO WHATEVS inspires readers to go forth in the world and achieve their dreams. Mirman advises on many of life's difficult challenges, such as:
— How to become ultra-popular in high school (without "putting out" — whatever that is?)
— Discover somewhere between four and two thousand ways to overcome social anxiety (sadly, closer to four)
— How to start a band, become an artist, or disappoint your parents by getting cast on a reality TV show!
The inspiration for the book originated from Eugene's career as a peer counselor at a teen-crisis hotline in high school. More recently, Eugene has offered advice to thousands through his website, where people write in with all sorts of questions and problems (from the typical to the existential to the silly and often monkey related). Throughout THE WILL TO WHATEVS, Eugene turns to his own personal, and at times humiliating, awesome, and bizarre experiences — from his first real date to his last corporate temp job — to illustrate the trials and triumphs of modern life.
Eugene Mirman has appeared on television, which is still a relevant medium for another few years. Some examples include: his own half hour special on Comedy Central, a recurring role on HBO's Flight of the Conchords, appearances on Conan O'Brien and Carson Daly, MTV, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Home Movies, Lucy, Daughter of the Devil and the new Adult Swim live action series Delocated. He's released two comedy albums: Suicide Squeeze Records' The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman (voted Best of 2004 by Time Out and The Onion) and En Garde, Society! from Sub Pop Records. He recorded a new album Nov 2008 in front of a live audience in Chicago. Mirman tours the US regularly with countless comedians and has also appeared with bands such as Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Cake, Tegan and Sara and many more.
