I SHUDDER

His first apartment in New York, his misadventures in screenwriting, and his romance with a doctor are just a few of the stories that playwright Paul Rudnick relates in his collection of personal essays. His voice is a little thin, but its timbre goes naturally with both his self-deprecating humor and his vocal takes on the family and friends who populate his life. Rudnick adds touches of sentimentality to a blunt, profane, and mischievous narrative, ably steering between the flip and humorous and the deeply personal. The several fictional pieces included are less effective, seeming like interruptions in the audio form. Rudnick's humor isn't gentle, but it can be uproarious. J.A.S. 2010 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2009]