Bob Smith (born December 24, 1958)

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Bob Smith (born 24 dicembre 1958) is an American comedian and author. Smith, born in Buffalo, New York, was the first openly gay comedian to appear on The Tonight Show and the first openly gay comedian to have his own HBO half-hour comedy special. Smith, along with fellow comedians Jaffe Cohen and Danny McWilliams, formed the comedy troupe Funny Gay Males in 1988. He is currently in a relationship with Michael Zam, a screenwriter, script doctor, and writing coach. For five years he ran NYU's adult creative writing department, where he created and developed the program's very successful screenplay certificate program. "My moral guide is my partner Michael Zam. He’s stuck with me even though I have one of the most depressing illnesses."

With Funny Gay Males, Smith is the co-author of Growing Up Gay: From Left Out to Coming Out (1995). Smith is also the author of two books of biographical essays. Openly Bob (1997) received a Lambda Literary Award for best humor book. Way to Go, Smith! (1999) was nominated for a 2000 Lambda Literary Award in the same category. Smith published his first novel, Selfish and Perverse, in 2007, and Remembrance of Things I Forgot in 2011.

While taping a 2007 comedy special for Logo, Smith disclosed that he is suffering from a neurological disorder. He described his symptoms at that time as slurred speech, making him sound inebriated. In response to an August 2012 New York Times article on openly gay male standup comedians, Smith posted a comment stating he has ALS.

While competing on Chopped, comedienne Judy Gold mentioned she was playing for an ALS charity in honor of a friend of hers who has ALS and can no longer speak. Further research shows that Gold has recently done a benefit in honor of Smith.


@Jay Corcoran. Bob Smith and Michael Zam at lunch
Bob Smith is an American comedian and author. Smith, born in Buffalo, was the first openly gay comedian to appear on The Tonight Show and the first openly gay comedian to have his own HBO half-hour comedy special. Smith, along with fellow comedians Jaffe Cohen and Danny McWilliams, formed the comedy troupe Funny Gay Males in 1988. He is currently in a relationship with Michael Zam, a screenwriter, script doctor, and writing coach. For five years he ran NYU's adult creative writing department.

Selfish and Perverse (2007) is included in my Best XXI century Gay Novels (2000-2009).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Smith_%28comedian%29

Further Readings:

Selfish and Perverse by Bob Smith
Paperback: 370 pages
Publisher: Alyson Books (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1593501498
ISBN-13: 978-1593501495
Amazon: Selfish and Perverse

When a burned-out Hollywood sketch show writer named Nelson Kunker meets and falls for Roy Briggs, a part-time salmon fisherman/full-time archaeology student who's visiting from Alaska, hilarity, love, and debauchery ensue.

Bob Smith has the distinction of being the first openly gay comedian to appear on The Tonight Show and also have his own episode of HBO Comedy Half-Hour. He lives in New York.

More Spotlights at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Lists/Gay Novels