To paraphrase an old saying, if you remember early Saturday Night Live episodes, then you obviously weren’t there. A handful of behind-the-scenes books revealing the show’s secrets have come out over the years (not that anyone ever bothered hiding the backstage debauchery in the first place). Even so, 39 Years of Short-Term Memory Loss, the new tome from original SNL writer Tom Davis — former comedy partner of Al Franken — combines the unapologetic frankness of a racy memoir with the deadpan reportage of a checklist, recounting to the best of the author’s ability a life of award-winning comedy, drug-induced genius, globe-spanning adventurism, and sweet-and-sour celebrity friendships.
Flavorwire’s Shana Nys Dambrot (and her Dad, who thankfully saw fit to warp his then-eight year old daughter’s mind with “don’t-tell-your-mother” SNL sessions) caught up with him around the time of his Page Six-worthy book launch party in New York City; it featured both an ice sculpture of Lorne Michaels and the actual Lorne Michaels, plus comedy writing legends and cocktails galore. After the jump, Shana speaks to the altered-state master of satire about the people, places, and drugs that have helped shape his life and career.
