Copyright © 2024 by Daniel Stern.
All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio, television, or online reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States by Viva Editions, an imprint of Start Midnight, LLC, 221 River Street, Ninth Floor, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030.
Printed in the United States
Cover design: Jennifer Do
Cover Photo: Laure Stern
Back Cover Photo: Seth Gordon
Text design: Frank Wiedemann
First Edition.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Trade paper ISBN: 978-1-63228-093-0
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63228-121-0
It is with deepest gratitude and love that
I dedicate this book to my parents, my children, my friends, my colleagues, my fans, and most importantly, my wife Laure.
Without each of you, this story doesn’t exist.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Born Free
A Young Jew on the Mason-Dixon Line
Glenn Close Is My Witness
Living a Paul Simon Song
Meeting Laure
Breaking Away aka My First Porno
Cocaine Coupons
Shrevie and Friends
California Here We Come
Driving Robert Redford at 100 Miles Per Hour
Kevin Arnold Teaches Me to Read
Enter Joe Roth
“So What Is Joe Pesci Really Like?”
The Secret of My Success? . . . Getting Fired!
Ride ’em Cowboy!
Sequel Time
Rookie Director—Miracles on Wrigley Field
No-Brainers
On the Parquet with Larry Bird
Barbra Streisand Is Getting Married and I’m Not Invited
Deep Diving into Malibu
Television—Success, Wrapped in Disaster
Too Much of a Good Thing
Papier-Mâché Saves the Day
Iraq and Back
Sugar Tits and Me
President Obama Makes Me Cry
The Play Is the Thing
“What Are the Chances?!”
Acknowledgements
The narrative follows the protagonist as they navigate a period of being alone at home, offering a deep dive into the challenges and revelations that come with isolation.
