I have thoroughly enjoyed Mike Birbiglia's work for years now, but I realized watching "The New One" and then this special "The Old Man and the Pool" that he isn't a comedian. He is an exquisite storyteller and a talented comedian, for sure. But Mike has become a "humorist". His work, either written or performed live, is imbued with pathos, intelligence, poetry, and insight. A mediation on life, health, and death, his new special is genuinely funny and also moving. I identified with so many of his musings that I recognized myself in his presentation.
Mike Birbiglia is a humorist in the same breath as America's other favorite humorists. Mark Twain, Erma Bombeck, and Garrison Keillor. Watching this special was like sitting down and enjoying a good book. You finish it deeply satisfied and better for the experience.
Mike Birbiglia is a humorist in the same breath as America's other favorite humorists. Mark Twain, Erma Bombeck, and Garrison Keillor. Watching this special was like sitting down and enjoying a good book. You finish it deeply satisfied and better for the experience.