It Never Ends: A Memoir with Nice Memories!

This is the most relatable book I've ever read.I'm not a man. I'm not from New Jersey. I possess virtually no comedic skill. I can't improvise; I certainly can't speak on the radio. I know precious little about most popular music. I can't voice a cartoon character, I've never been a writer for television or otherwise, and I certainly am not a cult broadcasting legend with thousands of loyal fans and listeners. Phone calls make me nervous. I've never owned a dog.As little as it seems I have in common with Tom Scharpling on the surface, I had to put this book down when I reached page 51. I had pre-ordered it, as a fan of The Best Show and a fan of Tom's work, and had feverishly looked forward to reading it. When it finally arrived, I dove in, finding myself laughing out loud by page 2. (I consume a lot of comedy so it takes something really funny to make me actually LOL.)But page 51 got me. Page 51 brought memories of my childhood depression and traumatic hospitalization for severe anxiety hurtling back to me. I read on a few more pages, and my teenaged nights of staying up all night, staring at the bottles of pills in my parents' bathroom cupboard, came blazing back into memory. Tom dropped out of high school due to his depression and feelings of failure; so did I. Tom eventually collected a high school diploma he didn't really "earn" and went on to go to a local college; so did I. Tom knew what it was like to feel incredible guilt and despair over the strain his mental illness was putting on his family; boy, so did I. The incredibly bravery and bluntness of Tom's words triggered me deeply. I sobbed aloud. I "put the book in the freezer" for a few days (metaphorically; sorry for the "Friends" reference.)I sat with my feelings a few days, cried a bit, got out a pencil and picked up the book again. I began to re-read the parts that had so affected me. I underlined them. I noted on the inside cover of the book the pages where these passages were found. Somehow, this helped. I was indexing my feelings, keeping them contained in the front of the book.Then I tore through the rest of this wonderful book over a matter of a few short days, delighting at Tom's masterful comic prose and his delicious showbiz stories, his world-reknowned sarcasm shining through delightfully on each page. When I reached the end, I felt closer to Tom than I ever had.Tom and I don't know each other personally. We've never met. I've never even called in to The Best Show (see above about me and phones.) But Tom has a gift, rare among most people and even rarer among FPs (Famous People, for the uninitiated) and that is to make you feel as though he's talking to you, as though he sees you and feels your struggle; as though you and he are in the same boat. As though he understands you. Because he understands people. He especially understands underdogs.Tom gets it.We get it. They don't.

Radio comic and television writer Tom Scharpling embodies the spirit of New Jersey as he recovers from depression while learning to write for television in tandem with his weekly comedy improv platform show in his comedic memoir.Tom Scharpling grew up in New Jersey with a family of independent entrepreneurs and access to the New York music scene in the late 1970s through early 90s. His childhood includes great adventures like setting high scores at pinball, a family court battle against arcade bullies, watching a classmate attempt to score a switchblade in Times Square while going to see Billy Joel in 1983 and even auditioning for The New Monkees! He also worried intensely about his mother’s health and nearly succumbed to depression at the end of high school. Luckily his life didn’t end there, and he eventually channeled his music obsessions into radio comedy on his weekly platform program, The Best Show on WFMU. A passion for prank phone calls and rock and roll both indie and hard led to a life changing relationship with punk band Superchunk’s drummer John Wurster and some lively improvised radio comedy like the legendary Rock, Rot, and Rule call about a fake book designed to be the “ultimate argument settler” for music fans. There’s a lot of heart in his statements about creating and his commitment to trusting his creative instincts in the face of an audience that doesn’t initially understand what he’s trying to do. At the same time as the platform show, he learned to write humorous content for both The Onion and the entire run of USA’s hit detective show Monk. There are life lessons on the ethical approach to meeting heroes from encounters with celebrities like Patti Smith, Mickey Dolenz, Adam Sandler, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; some professional weirdness with Papa Roach; and some truly great music videos directed for Yo La Tengo and Aimee Mann by Scharpling himself. His personal growth feels like an uphill struggle through family illness, fear of mental healthcare and its effects on memory recall, and a codependent fixer mentality. In places there are breaks for garbage food and addiction to gaming machines with even an obsessive knowledge of how to feel broken pinball bumpers and dislodge stuck character cards from a coin pusher game. There’s a horrible car crash on the eve of a horrible president. Above all, there is Jersey pride throughout in a music trivia genius who always cheers the little guy and overcomes personal tragedy to summon the courage to make his next show a great party for his culture-savvy listeners.A lively recharge to affirm sense of purpose for underdogs everywhere.

A nicely written, candid and spirited memoir - perhaps even something like a magical mystery tour - that gives the reader a clear picture of how Scharpling became what he has become.

I only got into The Best Show earlier this year but honestly the further and deeper I dig, the more it has enriched my life in ways I never thought possible. Needless to say I have a LOT of catching up to do, but was made aware that Tom wrote a book about his life before it was released. I don't think I have ever made a quicker, more deliberate and necessary purchase of literature in my entire life. The book offers a lot of insight into Toms life, the life of his comedic partner Wurster, and the history of The Best Show; both on WFMU and independent. Even if you are oblivious to The Best Show, Scharpling & Wurster or rudey-poo Jersey life: splash some cold water on your face, get a clue, and buy this book ASAP. Well worth it.

If you are a writer, broadcaster, comedian and are savvy, creative, funny, and from New Jersey, you might be Tom Scharpling. If you aren't, buy this book.

Tom is very open about his personal issues in a way that is very heartwarming. It is written in his voice, so if you like The Best Show you will love this. There's also a lot of funny parts

This is an excellent read. I have been listening to the Best Show for over 10 years now and I have never laughed so hard. Now Tom has written a revealing book that offers insights to his character and laugh out loud stories. Highly recommend this book