Dana Gould is a standup comedian and television writer.Von Swank
When we asked the American standup comedian and television writer Dana Gould what was turning his crank these days, he brought up a strange screening of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, which involved a projection onto the wall of a mausoleum in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. "I'm not good enough to make that up," Gould says. Actually he is good enough to make that up, as indicated by a successful seven-year stint as a writer on The Simpsons. Here's what else Gould, in town for the star-studded comedy festival JFL42, is into.
What he's watching: "Like everyone, I binged on the supernatural thriller Stranger Things, and I highly recommend Maria Bamford's excellent meta-sitcom Lady Dynamite. Also, I'm a big fan of horror shows, so I've been following the U.S. election pretty closely."
What he's reading: "The Devil's Chessboard, by David Talbot, is about Allen Dulles and the rise of the CIA in the United States during the Cold War. Why? Because the babes love it."
What he's tuned into: "I am addicted to Karina Longworth's You Must Remember This podcast about forgotten Hollywood history. Devin Faraci and Amy Nicholson's The Canon is required listening, when it comes to conversation about the greatest films of all time. Also I hear The Dana Gould Hour is a good podcast, too."
Dana Gould performs five shows at JFL42: Sept. 22, 7 p.m., Garrison; Sept. 22, 11 p.m., Rivoli; Sept. 23, 9 p.m., Revival; Sept. 24, 12:45, Second City; Sept. 24, 9 p.m., Comedy Bar. Ticket info at jfl42.com
Brad Wheeler