Stand-up comic Paula Poundstone has been wrangling jokes for more than 30 years. But her career is much more than a barrage of one-liners.
As the national spokeswoman for the Association of Library Trustees Advocates Friends & Foundations (ALTAFF), she helps promote public libraries. For her upcoming Atlanta show, Poundstone will be partnering with ALTAFF supporters of the Friends of the Stewart-Lakewood Library. They will receive 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of Poundstone’s book (“There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say”) at her show. And the comedian will stick around to sign copies after her performance.
Q.:You’re known for relying on improvisation during your shows.
A.: I do, and that's for a couple of reasons. For one, it's really the magic of the night and what makes it fun and exciting. But, also, I've got no memory. I'm relying on it more and more as the years go by. ... When I first started in clubs, I was really intimidated by the response of the waitresses. There was this one club I worked at in San Francisco, and I dish washed there during the day. So I would always hear the waitresses complaining each day about the other comics on stage and saying that they had to listen to the same jokes over and over again. So I started my life in stand-up with a real consciousness about not always doing the same thing.
Q.: Last year you released your first live comedy CD, “I Heart Jokes.” Why did it take you so long?
A.: I guess I always thought it was more complicated than it turned out to be.
I recorded this album in Maine at this really terrific venue there. And the lady who ran it talked me into doing it. They had a great sound engineer, which made a big difference, because a lot of my show is talking to the crowd. It takes a fair amount of technology to make that sort of magic play out from a CD. I didn’t want the listener to listen to something that has happened. I wanted them to listen to something that sounds like it’s happening. And I think the engineer was so good that it worked out that way.
People write to me and say they really enjoyed it. It’s really nice to hear. But the truth is there may be some people who didn’t like it at all. They just didn’t write to me.
Q.: You not only serve as a spokeswoman for ALTAFF, but you give back at your shows.
A.: I do. Nobody can build a new library with my help, but better than nothing I guess. ... It's a chance for them to promote themselves and possibly get new contributors and volunteers. ... I used to think libraries were all paid for by the government. Some are, but they're not all tax-funded. ALTAFF fundraises in order to expand the reach of the library. And libraries offer so much today. The most exciting thing about going to the library when I was young was taking a path up the side of the building where they said a kid had fallen and cracked his head open on a rock. We would go that way hoping to see the blood. ... Today, libraries are really very lively community centers, and I'm thrilled to be even a little part of helping them.
Event preview
Paula Poundstone. 8 p.m. Oct. 22. $32-$42. The Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-894-9600, www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu .
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