Running the Light

De: Sam Tallent, Kyle Kinane - foreword

Narrado por: Greg Chaille, Tracy Chaille, Trae Crowder, Tim Dillon, David Gborie, Chris Gethard, Adam Cayton Holland, Jackie Kashian, Rick Kerns, Kyle Kinane, Bert Kreischer, Kristine Levine, Nathan Lund, Nora Lynch, full cast

Debauched, divorced, and courting death, Billy Ray Schafer is a comedian who has forgotten how to laugh. Over the course of seven spun-out days across the American Southwest, he travels from from hell gig to hell gig in search of a reason to keep living in this bleak and violent glimpse into the psyche of a thoroughly ruined man. Ex-inmate, ex-husband, ex-father - comedian is the only title Schafer has left. Trapped in the wreckage of his wasted career, Billy Ray knows the answer to the question: What happens when the opportunity doesn't come - or worse - it comes and goes?

©2018, 2019, 2020 Sam Tallent (P)2021 Tantor

Great story and realistic look at life as a standup

This is a well written story by someone who both knows the world of standup and is a talented author. The audio and editing is often shoddy but it’s read by some of the greatest comics in the business, which was fun enough to give a pass (except Tim Dillon’s chapter, which sounds like he had to take a piss so bad he needed to speed read and the last chapter, which sounds like it was read into a vintage cassette recorder). Great story, expertly told and it pulls no punches.

Read It

Loved the book and was extremely impressed and moved by the story and the vivid settings. The idea of comedians reading it sounds cool and I wouldn’t have found this without Soder — he and Maron were easily the best —and you’ve got a killer cast but half of them can’t read or sound like they recorded on a cell phone.
The book itself was perfect and I hope to read more from this author and will def catch his stand up.

Great Story

As you listen you believe this is an autobiography. knowing it's a novel makes me wonder how close the story is to reality.
Sometimes it seems like the narrators are in a little too much of a hurry but I loved the book.

B.R.S.

you fucking nailed it little nephew! I didn't know you knew all those cool words. You make an Uncle proud!!

Sam Tallent has...

...a way wit de werds. He captures a horrifying society of trash people in the prose of a poet F@c#ing dark, unapologetically crass and too real for some.
I also gave the hardcover version to my Dad whom may or may not be suffering the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's. He said " Good writer....yeah I don't like that stuff, too depressing" lol.
I'd have liked to think a Vietnam war vet could hang. *shrugs*

Fantastic book and odd ball voice acting

The book is a new favorite reminiscent of a Neo-beat. The voice acting was hit or miss. hearing Bert Kreischer struggle to pronounce words like Texas, which came out as Tesex, was endearing because you could always hear the reading disability in his voice and you finally get to hear it in action. Tim Dillon on the other hand barrelled through his chapter seldom even taking time to breathe, just how he would have eaten the summer reading personal pan pizza he probably thought promised to him after vomiting Sam Tallents beautiful prose.

A drunken broken man’s crawl to death.

Love it. Had everything that a fan of true grit down and dirty stand-ups could ask for. It was funny, gross, real as hell, and sad. But not the Lake House sad. Fucking pitifully sad. You want all there is in the world for this poor man to go right. But he spent all of those tokens in the Arcade of life in his early days. All that was life was a spiral and your along for the ride. I enjoyed these absolutely.

a masterpiece of literature

I absolutely loved running the light. Sam tallent brings 20th century prose into the modern Era like one of the long gone masters. this epic novel will be a favorite of comedy fans and bookworms alike. a few of the narrators seemed bored and rushed not taking the time to really chew on the prose but when it's done well it flows epically. I hope to see more from Sam in the future, a absolutely loved this listen.

Great story amazing listen

If you want to know what the dystopian life of a road comic, this is it. Enjoyed every tid bit

The most well written book I’ve ever listened to.

Sam Tallent has been on my radar for the last few years. I started listening to his podcast with Nathan Lund and, after getting caught up on every single few episode and patreon, decided to give this title a try. I finished it in three days. The only setback is unfortunately the wonderfully talented comedians who took turns narrating. Some of them just couldn’t quite get the cadence right. But even that didn’t take away from this amazing book. I have been telling everyone I know to read or listen to this amazing story. I’m very excited to read future books from Sam.