The Gist

How Stand-Up Got Its Name

Historian Kliph Nesteroff covers 100 years of comedy history.

Listen to Episode 395 of Slate’s The Gist:

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On The Gist, historian Kliph Nesteroff shares a few favorite tales from comedy’s mobster past. He’s the author of The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy. For the Spiel, the ordinary American focus group participant.

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