Andrew Hankinson is a journalist who was born, raised, and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, northern England. He started his career at Arena magazine and is now a freelance feature writer who has contributed to publications including GQ, The Observer, The Guardian, and Wired. His first book, You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat], won the CWA Non-Fiction Prize in 2016.
"A proper creative nonfiction writer who tells true stories with
art, in the fine tradition of The New Journalism. A terrific,
vital, painful subject."
--Richard T Kelly, author of The Knives "A valuable historical
document but also a timely and important investigation into
morality, masculinity, censorship and freedom of speech in the
modern age. It has all the makings of a future cult classic.
There's no book like it."
--Benjamin Myers, author of Male Tears "A demonstration in form and
fact of what a less polarized, more humane, discussion about
comedy, politics, taste and people looks and feels like, and it's
so very necessary."
--Mark Blacklock, author of Hinton "Fantastic... The structure is
superb."
--Adelle Stripe, author of Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile "Done
with such skill that you imbibe stuff by osmosis... Unsettling and
understated, this report from the frontline of live comedy is more
memorable and thought-provoking than any number of polemics on free
speech and offence. Andrew Hankinson is a master of showing, not
telling."
--Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women "An extraordinary insight
into the workings of stand-up--the people, the practicalities, the
politics, the lines that are crossed... original and affecting"
--Dan Davies, author of In Plain Sight "This book is fucking
fantastic... Honestly one that was nearly impossible to stop
reading."
--Doug Stanhope, comedian "A deeply thoughtful and perceptive new
book... [A] truly brilliant voice."
--Jason Hazeley, writer on Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe and
Paddington "It's incredible."
--Bonnie McFarlane, comedian, writer, and co-host of My Wife Hates
Me "Insightful, and brings back amazing memories of the greatest
club in comedy history."
--Colin Quinn, comedian, actor, and writer "Cannot stop thinking
about it. It's the story of an NYC comedy club but it's also about
the culture war, even as it rages all around us. What a fantastic
book."
--Andy Miller, co-host of Backlisted "When someone comes to write
the definitive account of Laughter in the Age of Trump--the cruel
guffaws, the neutered snickers, the strange inversions whereby the
left went into a collective cringe while the authoritarian right
waved the flaming brand of free speech--Andrew Hankinson's superb
oral history of a single New York club, the Comedy Cellar, in
Greenwich Village, will be heavily featured... Hankinson probes the
owners, the comedians, the staff, and the audience."
--The Atlantic, 'Summer Reading Guide 2021' "A surprisingly serious
history of the Comedy Cellar, home base for Jerry Seinfeld, Chris
Rock, Louis C.K., and numerous other stars...[Hankinson] approaches
this story like a mystery: Will stand-up comedy survive? Sure, it's
popular now--boosted by social media and countless specials on
cable TV and streaming services--and the success of the historic
Greenwich Village venue is a significant piece of its history. But
stand-up is under considerable pressure due to the growing battle
between envelope-pushing comics and those complaining about what
they see as racist or misogynistic... A well-crafted tale of comedy
stars and thorny social issues that shows just how hard it is to
make people laugh."
--Kirkus Reviews "A fascinating tour through the history of a
comedy club in a constant state of flux caused by the political and
technological upheavals outside its walls."
--The Telegraph Praise for You Could Do Something Amazing With Your
Life [You Are Raoul Moat]: "Immersing the reader in Moat's
self-justifications, You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life
[You Are Raoul Moat] is both an experiment in empathy and an
exploration of the limits of empathy--holding the reader hostage in
the echo chamber of an angry and confused man's head."
--Louis Theroux Praise for You Could Do Something Amazing With Your
Life [You Are Raoul Moat]: "A claustrophobic true-crime account in
the tradition of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood... [Hankinson's]
purpose is to show Moat as a product of our culture and society...
Moat is presented as an intriguing case study in disintegration,
making bad choices then devoting all his intelligence to justifying
them in his own head."
--Gavin Knight, The Guardian Praise for You Could Do Something
Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat]: "The second-person
voice is a notoriously tricky one to maintain and Hankinson uses it
to great effect... Another strength is the overwhelming sense that
Moat is not in control of his own narrative."
--The Saturday Paper
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