Book Description

“The book is indispensable.” —Booklist “Detailed, objective, and valuable.” —Kirkus Reviews “Generating a gamut of emotions, the entire package is an important documentation of a revolution in American culture.” —Publishers Weekly 10th Anniversary Edition—Includes a New Preface by the Authors When it first came out in 2002, The Trials of Lenny Bruce quickly established itself as the definitive work on Lenny Bruce’s free speech battles over his provocative comedy. Originally packaged with an audio CD, this 10th Anniversary Enhanced eBook edition includes audio from Lenny Bruce’s most controversial performances, as well as exclusive author interviews with George Carlin, Hugh Hefner, Paul Krassner, Margaret Cho, and the lawyers who defended and prosecuted him. Also included are archival audio clips secretly recorded during Lenny’s New York obscenity trial. The Trials of Lenny Bruce is an important document of the free speech struggles of an icon of American comedy who, by speaking his mind and fighting the good fight, paved the way for every standup comedian, satirist, and social critic who followed him. Not only did The Trials of Lenny Bruce set the record straight on Lenny, being named one of the best books of the year by the L.A. Times, the authors led the successful push for the late comedian’s posthumous pardon in 2003 for his 1964 conviction on obscenity charges in New York.