Bruce Handy (Spy Magazine writer / editor, SNL writer 1993)

Bruce Handy joined me to discuss how to write picture books; children's literature; his book on the subject Wild Things; Goodnight Moon, Judy Blume, Willy Wonka; his first TV memories of the JFK assassination and Romper Room; reading Mad Magazine and starting his own at 10 years old; writing for the Stanford Chaparral; All the President's Men; National Lampoon; college humor mags; starting at Vogue; his Spy articles on Yuppie porn, Eric Breindel and the Playboy Mansion; Spy Magazine's 1990 tv special; most likeable Americans in 1990; Harry Shearer; The Day the Clown Cried; Jerry Seinfeld; Paul Simms; working on a Spy Prank show with Kevin Nealon; Nealon gets him an interview with Lorne Michaels to help write Update; not knowing he was hired until seeing his name in the credits; writing Mr. Subliminal for Kevin; writing jokes and a Looney Tunes desk piece for Rob Schneider; did not understand how SNL works and it leading to that piece not working; a cut bit where Kevin Nealon shows a clip of him doing Weekend Update in the 50's; Herb Sargent; Weekend Update bagel breakfasts; his affection for Norm MacDonald, Michael Che, and Colin Jost; meeting Luke Perry as a host; his wife being excited by seeing Mick Jagger perform; writing the promo for Alec Baldwin / Paul Mccartney episode; Paul's legendary Thursday rehearsal; being in the read through for Matt Foley and Unfrozen Cave Man Lawyer; how he loved to use his imagination on read through; COVID vs. WWII rationing