Ham: Slices of a Life (Essays and Stories)
Sam Harris, 2014
Gallery Books
304 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781476733418
Summary
ham (noun) [hæm]
1 the hind leg of a hog, salted, smoked, and cured
2 second son of Noah
3 somebody who performs in an exaggerated showy style
—always hamming it up
Just when you thought you knew everything about ham, you discover that ham is also:
4 a reason to laugh about everyday life, and 5 an irresistible collection of humorous essays from a man who was born to entertain us.
In sixteen brilliantly observed true stories, Sam Harris emerges as a natural humorist in league with David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Carrie Fisher, and Steve Martin, but with a voice uniquely his own. Praised by the Chicago Sun-Times for his "manic, witty commentary," and with a storytelling talent the New York Times calls "New Yorker– worthy," he puts a comedic spin on full-disclosure episodes from his own colorful life.
What better place to find painfully funny material than in growing up gay, gifted, and ambitious in the heart of the Bible belt? And that’s just the first cut: From partying to parenting, from Sunday school to getting sober, these slices of Ham will have you laughing and wiping away salty tears in equal measure with their universal and down-to-earth appeal. After all, there’s a little ham in all of us. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—June 4, 1961
• Where—Sand Springs, Oklahoma, USA
• Education—attended University of California-Los Angeles
• Currently—lives in Los Angeles, California
Samuel Kent Harris is an American pop and musical theatre recording artist, as well as a television, stage and film actor. In 2014 he published a collection of stories and essays entitled Ham: Slices of a Life.
Early years
Born in Oklahoma, Sam left home at the age of 15 to pursue a career, performing in regional and repertory theatre. He finished high school through correspondence courses and then attended UCLA in Los Angeles. Winning the Frank Sinatra Pop Singing Award—and praised by Sinatra himself ("This kid's got it!")—gave Harris the encouragement he needed to leave school.
For two years, according to his website, he "played every dump and dive in LA for a measly $25 a set," eventually soloing in Out of Control. Singing "God Bless the Child" in a straitjacket, he caught the attention of talent scouts for Star Search, which was scheduled for its first season in 1983.
Singing
On Star Search, with 25 million viewers tuning in week after week, Sam won the first season's grand prize. He became famous for his winning rendition of "Over the Rainbow," which has since become his signature song. His win on Star Search led to a contract with Motown Records, where his first single, "Sugar Don't Bite," became a Top 40 hit, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984.
Today, he is a multi-million selling recording artist with nine studio albums to his credit. He can also be heard on numerous concert, guest artist and cast recordings. He has toured extensively in concert and has played to sold-out audiences at major venues including New York's Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheater and London's West End.
He has appeared with the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra, at the White House and has sung on a variety of television specials and live productions. In 2008, he released a new single, "War on War," which became an internet phenom with music videos made by the general public. The song became a part of his album, "Free," released that summer. The single "Change Is On The Way" was written to support the Obama campaign and was heard on numerous television shows and behind internet videos around the time of the election. In 2010, Sam wrote and released "My Reclamation," which has become the anthem for marriage equality.
Stage
On Broadway, he received a Drama Desk nomination for his role in the Tommy Tune directed revival of Grease, and a Drama League Award as well as Tony, Outer Critic's Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations for his work in Cy Coleman's Tony nominated musical The Life. He's also appeared on Broadway in Mel Brooks' Tony Award winning musical The Producers, in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and in the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Hair, and Pippin. He also starred in the self-penned shows Hardcopy, Different Hats, Revival and the critically acclaimed SAM. Harris' most recent theatrical outing was the film-to-musical adaptation of The First Wives Club seen in a limited run at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre in the summer of 2009.
Films
Harris has appeared in three feature films to date: In the Weeds (2000, as Jonathan), the documentary Little Man (2005, as himself) and Elena Undone (2010, as Tyler).
Television
Harris co-created the television series Down to Earth (1984, which ran for 4 years and 104 episodes). He was a series regular on The Class (2006-2007 - Perry Pearl). Harris is also credited on Rules of Engagement, (Jackie, recurring, 2009), The Wayne Brady Show (2003 - Actor, 1 episode) and the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (2001, music supervisor). He has also appeared on numerous talk shows including The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997 and 2000 - 3 episodes), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1994 - 1 episode), Brunch as a co-host (2006 - 1 episode), The Oprah Winfrey Show (1997 and 2001 - two episodes), Dr. Phil's 500th episode (2005), The View (2007 - 1 episode), The Tyra Banks Show (2010), The Dr. Drew Show (2011).
Personal life
Harris and Danny Jacobsen, a director and presentation coach for numerous blue-chip companies and also a film producer, have been together since 1994. They adopted a son, Cooper Atticus Harris-Jacobsen, in 2008. The couple married on November 1, 2008. (Adapted from the author's website and Wikipedia. Retrieved 1/24/2014.)
Book Reviews
The essays in Ham are both rip-roaringly funny and sentimental, drawing natural (and justified) comparisons to David Sedaris and David Rakoff.
Esquire
Reading singer-actor Harris’s essays is like having your smartest gay BFF propped up on your pillow sipping cosmos, regaling you with gossip and his keen wit.
People
[V]ividly crafted series of essays.... Harris, the first-season champion of Star Search in 1983, explores his youth in Sand Springs, Okla.; he felt he was “odd and bizarre and deviant,” an unathletic kid whose father, the high school band leader, was embarrassed by but resigned to Harris’s obsession with theater... “Liver” is the most hilarious piece of this charmingly candid collection.
Publishers Weekly
It turns out that the pop singer has the writing chops to tell a good tale, but be prepared for a slew of name-dropping.... There's melancholy aplenty, but most of the stories are uplifted by Harris' quirky sense of humor.... Entertaining and occasionally moving tales from the wilds of showbiz.
Kirkus Reviews
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