Interview With Comedian & Author Claire Berger

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

The idea for this book came to me as I swam laps in at my neighborhood YMCA in March 2021 when pandemic safety protocols were still in place. Swimmers were only allowed to swim for thirty minutes, then required to hop out and give another swimmer their lane. Once the rules were lifted, swimmers could swim as long as they wanted, but I remained content to continue to swim for thirty minutes. When I started to question if thirty minutes was indeed enough exercise, I reflected on all the different aspects of life where I questioned how much is enough? I began to discuss the concept of enough with others, and realized this is a question everyone asks themselves multiple times a day about an array of topics without even realizing the self-judgement that accompanies it. I couldn't’ help but wonder if this is a positive, constructive inner dialogue or negative, shaming self-talk.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?

While How Much is Enough? is a question that touches all ages and stages of life, I find that the older we get, the more reflective we are and more willing to explore the concept of Enough in all aspects of our lives. I wrote this book to start a conversation and included many opportunities for group discussion in How Much Is Enough?  I am not afraid to share my own rigorously honest stories and hope they inspire readers to do the same. 

I combined two genres, self-help and memoir because one genre is simply not enough for the topic of ENOUGH. I began writing my memoir and quickly realized that the concept of enough is universal and not unique to my own life experiences. Each of the twenty-two chapters are filled with inspirational questions, ideas and exercises to create my interactive memoir.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

One of the most validating compliments I received was from a woman who approached me at a recent book signing. She told me that she lives across the country from her mom and that they struggled to find a common bond until she bought two copies of my book and sent one to her mom. They started to read my book one chapter at a time, and used the chapter topics to launch conversations. She told me they found the questions I included in each chapter a perfect opportunity to go deeper. 

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

I hope the title “How Much is Enough? Getting More By Living With Less” begins the conversation exploring our own challenges about the concept of ‘Enough’ in all aspects of our lives. The cover design captures my love for the inclusive, infinite nature of circles - how they have no beginning or end.

 

5. As a comedian who used to warm up the audiences for hit TV shows like Seinfeld, Murphy Brown, and Mad About You, who do you think are the funniest comics today? Why?

I am a huge fan of comedy that comes from truth. When comics let their audiences in on their inner thoughts, struggles and foibles, I’m immediately drawn in. One of my favorite comedy specials is Tig Notaro’s “Hello Again” currently streaming on Amazon Prime. She is hilariously self-examined, outrageously courageous and unafraid of poking fun at herself. I was also blown away by Chris Rock’s candor in his last special on Netflix. Sebastian’s unique physicality amps up every one of his punchlines. And Jerry Seinfeld is the most consistently funny comedian I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. He is one of the very few comics who can uproariously entertain an audience filled with everyone from 8-80 years-olds.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

I am a huge fan of hybrid publishing. Working with Dartfrog Publishing gave me wonderful support, expertise and the control I wanted over every detail of my book, from the content and design to the marketing and sales, while retaining 100% of the rights and profits.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

Absolutely! I moved from Los Angeles to Brooklyn in 2021 to help raise my granddaughters. I sold my home, my car and gave away most of my possessions to move into their garden apartment, less than half the size of my LA home. I also left many close friends and a rich social life to start all over in a city I knew very little about. I had to do my own inventory of ‘Enough,’ from space, possessions, friends and familiarity to begin again. I believe I am uniquely qualified to write about the subject of “Enough” because of these bold life choices.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

My writing style is a mash up of confession and comedy. The best compliment I often receive is that reading my book, or listening to my audiobook is like having a conversation with an old friend.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I am most proud of the fact that I wrote consistently and purposefully once I had my outline. I didn’t set unrealistic deadlines and resisted the urge to project too far into the future. One day, one chapter at the time was my process in writing this book.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?  

I wrote “How Much Is Enough? Getting More By Living With Less” as an interactive memoir, to give voice to the ever present conversation we’re all having in our heads. How much is ENOUGH… Exercise? Religion? Health? Shoes? Family? Food? I tackled an array of topics in twenty-two chapters that will engage audiences of every age and stage of life. My innovative mashup of memoir and self-help genres invites readers to join me in the search for Enough in all aspects of our lives. Health, money, family, success, food and sex are just a few of the topics up for discussion in my touching, highly relatable, often hilarious interactive memoir that features thought-provoking questions and creative prompts for deeper personal reflection. Readers leave with a renewed appreciation for all that they are and all that they have, which is often more than enough

 

About The Author: For over four decades, Claire Berger has been earning a living as a comedian, improv actor and writer. She began her career in Chicago with The Second City and in local comedy clubs. She found big laughs in Los Angeles, earning acclaim as a warm-up comedian on over 65 of your favorite sitcoms, including Seinfeld, Murphy Brown and Mad About You. Claire was the first comedian HGTV hired to host a series (Fantasy Open House). She began writing “How Much Is Enough?," her interactive memoir, to give voice to the ever-present conversation we’ve all been having in our heads. How much is enough… Exercise? Religion? Sex? Shoes? Family? Food? Through 22 engaging chapters, readers are invited to explore this universal conversation. For more info, please see: https://claireberger.com/

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.