It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive
Argo-Navis, November 2012
From bold attempts to rekindle his acting career to hapless efforts to run faster around New York's Central Park reservoir, from bizarre Internet dates to twenty-seven breakups (involving only ten women), Handler careens through his against-all-odds existence. Always searching for meaning in his unlikely survival, he shares stories of sadistic junior high school gym teachers, bullying wannabe Hollywood moguls, returned engagement rings, and Europeans' fascination with American bathroom habits.
Picking up ten years after his first book, Time on Fire, Handler again uses what the New York Times calls his "laceratingly funny and revealing" storytelling skills to weave twenty-one new tales into a defiantly unconventional memoir. Consistently witty and insightful, Handler's stories shift effortlessly from the comedic to the profound, musing with equal intensity on the existence of God and his experiences with TV stardom. Then, just when it seems he's failed to make the most of his astonishing second chance, Handler finds his way to miracles even greater than the ones that saved his life. His memoir describes his journey from darkness to light, from yearning to gratitude, and in so doing succeeds as both a stirring love story and a classic coming-of-age tale. It's Only Temporary celebrates the transformation of a boy to man -- even if it took Handler more than forty years to get there.
ebook | ISBN: B00AHGF9BM | Publication Date: November 2012
Reviews:
"In It's Only Temporary, Evan Handler confronts the
ambiguities of life backward, forward, and in between. With
hilarious honesty he reflects on the realization that we can start
over again. It's Only Temporary is a heartfelt book for
all of us who are getting younger and older at the same time."
-- Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, The
Bonesetter's Daughter, and The Kitchen God's Wife
"In a series of wonderful essays, Evan Handler gives himself up
to us - warts and all. To our amusement and bemusement we share in
his emotional growth as he struggles to mature. I not only laughed
along with him but felt that I too had grown a little along the
way. Who could ask for more?"
-- Lewis Black, comedian, "Daily Show" correspondent, and
author of Nothing's Sacred
"Evan Handler's new book is simply wonderful. He pulls you
inside his life, and you come out his very close friend."
-- Neil Simon, Pulitzer Prize winning
playwright/screenwriter of "Lost In Yonkers," "The Odd Couple,"
"Brighton Beach Memoirs," and "The Goodbye Girl"
"In It's Only Temporary, Evan Handler confronts the
subject of mortality the way some non-fiction writers confront,
say baseball: with wonder, irreverence, and a deep and resonant
feel for his subject. His memoir is candid and highly enjoyable."
-- Meg Wolitzer, author of The Ten Year Nap, The Wife,
and The Position
"Evan Handler is not only a fine actor, he's a damn good writer.
It's Only Temporary is wise and funny and as righteously
indignant as it is endearingly self-effacing. In what may be a
literary first, the book actually left me wanting more."
-- Meghan Daum, author of My Misspent Youth and The
Quality of Life Report
"EvanHandler's unsparingly honest stories about life, love, and
his own shortcomings are hilarious to read and oh, so easy (and
fun!) to relate to. By the end you will be left with the
surprising but unmistakable feelings of hope and redemption. IT'S
ONLY TEMPORARY is truly an inspiration, particularly for anyone
who's out there looking for love.
-- Liz Tuccillo, co-author of He's Just Not That Into
You
"Change is good -- that's the credo Evan Handler reinvigorates
with the hard won wisdom of this hard luck story. Handler's prose
style is disarmingly funny and smoothly conversational. He writes
like a guy who's just happy to be here, and a little pissed off at
you if you're not. As he has worked hard to shape himself into a
good actor, life has shaped him into a good man. The cover photo
is worth the price alone."
-- David Duchovny, actor, director, screenwriter
