What People are Saying about The Friendliest Place in the Universe
“At once a playful romp and a serious inquiry. Through her observations of the Berlin stand-up scene, Webb discovers life lessons that readers will treasure.”
~ Richard Hoffman, author, Love & Fury: A Memoir
“The Friendliest Place in the Universe offers a ground floor perspective on grassroots stand-up comedy, a struggle for personal discovery, and a love letter to Berlin all wrapped in a thoughtful cultural analysis of the potentially world-changing spark of communal joy that comedy and performance can offer. Come for the free pizza and schnapps—stay for the characters, their stories, and the community.”
~ Matthew R. Meier, PhD, Associate Professor of Communication & Theatre at
DePauw University & co-editor, Standing Up, Speaking Out: Stand-Up Comedy and the Rhetoric of Social Change
“Webb transgresses the conventions of academic writing, exploring what is at the centre of anthropological research on popular culture while also revealing what is elusive—its impact on people’s lives. Her exciting description of what she experienced raises big issues: transnationalism, politics, and knowledge-production.”
~ Cassis Kilian, University of Mainz, author of Attention in Performance: Acting Lessons in Sensory Anthropology
“Webb turns an anthropologist’s eye to the existential search for meaning in this layered look at the microcosm of a multicultural comedy club in the age of Trump. Surprising, insightful, and an excellent read!”
~ Lyralen Kaye, writer/director, Assigned Female at Birth, a Web Series about Some Bodies
“Webb’s ability to capture details is masterful, whether she is describing street scenes in Berlin, the social dynamics of a comedy club, or the swirls and eddies of her own thoughts and emotions. This is a journey readers will want to go on.”
~ Alexis Rizzuto, former Senior Editor, Beacon Press
“Hillary S. Webb invites us to join her quest for meaning and community in a time of great change and competing challenges. With humor and insight, she shares lessons for all of us grappling with contemporary life, drawing upon philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and personal growth. It’s not just a trip; it’s a journey that hints at archetypal experience.”
~ Elayne Clift, editor, A 21st-Century Plague: Poetry from a Pandemic
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