Tripping Over Myself: A Memoir of a Life in Comedy

(Paperback)

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From Shaun Micallef, beloved host of ABC TVs news satire Mad as Hell, comes Tripping Over Myself an insightful and funny memoir about comedy and life that takes us through uncharted waters to unexpected places.

Comedy has been Shauns escape, his guiding light, his refuge, his passport, his lifebuoy, his drug, his mask, his means, his end, his lingua franca, his Self. But its not everything.

From his early years as a gangly, bespectacled nerd in suburban Adelaide to the giddy heights of national TV stardom, Shaun regales us with his experiences and his continuous reinvention through humour with well,humour. He writes with candour about his successes and failures, loves and losses, along with tales of wine, women, song, and eccentric dancing. Behind the persona of one of Australias best-loved comedians lurks, as you will discover, an idiot.

Despite Shauns best efforts, Tripping Over Myself is sprinkled with thoughtful insights and observations and shows us how to persist in the face of adversity or even good fortune. You will laugh, you will dog-ear pages, you will wonder, you will Google Jerry Lewis, you may book a trip to India, and you will come away from this book reflecting on your own life in new and remarkable ways.

Reviews

As I was reading Tripping over Myself this morning I felt something funny was happening to my mouth. I touched it with my fingers. It was smiling. BARRY HUMPHRIES

I had to teach this flog the absolute basics. Embarrassing. KATE McCARTNEY

Shaun Micallef is an enigma, wrapped in a nerd, inside a truly brilliant comedian. ANDREW DENTON

Working with Shaun was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life. DENISE SCOTT

Shaun Micallef is the most uniquely talented comedic performer Australia has ever seen. His unseen humility also means he would never use this quote to grotesquely self-promote himself. ROVE McMANUS

I am forever grateful that Shaun Micallef hasnt let being a complete genius get in the way of also being so stupid. CELIA PACQUOLA

Everyone talks about Shauns washboard abs and pert buttocks, but hes also very funny. MARK HUMPHRIES

Who else, in this country, could possibly make a career that's lasted well over 30 years doing weirdo stuff on network television We love Shaun and we couldn't be here without him. Also, he owes us 20 bucks. AUNTY DONNA

PRAISE FOR SHAUN MICALLEFS PREVIOUS BOOKS

Shaun is a genius. In fact the worst written part of this entire book is this quote. WIL ANDERSON

One of the greatest comic voices of our time. MATT LUCAS

Shaun has a gift for the surreal. The English language is a sunlit garden. Shaun has a Harley-Davidson and a cast-iron alibi. He will be home by nightfall. You may hear some noise. It will be made by you. You will feel much better afterwards. JOHN CLARKE

Hes a wonderful hybrid of Peter Cook and Stephen Fry with a touch of Graham Kennedys subversiveness. THE AUSTRALIAN

Author Bio

Shaun Micallef is an Australian comedian, writer, actor, producer, author and bon vivant. After a decade of practising law, Micallef threw it all away for a life in comedy. Since 1994 he has graced Australian TV screens in shows such as Full Frontal and Sea Change, then on to his own gigs on the Micallef P(r)ogram(me), Micallef Tonight and Newstopia, as well as other peoples shows like Thank God Youre Here and Talkin Bout Your Generation. His crowning glory has been hosting beloved TV news satire Shaun Micallefs Mad as Hell for the last fourteen seasons. For his efforts, he has been showered with Logies, AFIs, AACTAs and even an Aria. Somehow he also found time to host a radio show, appear in films and take to the legitimate stage. Hes also written six books, including his memoir Tripping Over Myself.