I was not self-destructive, though I almost destroyed myself. I didn't sing, dance, or act, though working around that minor detail made me inventive. I did not strive valiantly against doubters, but took incremental steps studded with a few intuitive leaps. The course was more plodding than heroic. I was seeking comic originality, and fame fell on me as a by-product. Four years were spent refining, and four years were spent in wild success. (Reading) I did stand-up comedy for 18 years. GROSS: I'd like you to open with a reading from the beginning of the book, and we've edited this slightly to make it just a little shorter for the broadcast. He won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2005 and was one of the Kennedy Center honorees last year. Martin is still making movies and in recent years has also written plays, essays, and books. As we'll hear, the fame that brought him huge audiences also eventually made it impossible for him to do the kind of comedy that made him original. Steve Martin became famous from his appearances on "Saturday Night Live" in the '70s, where he was one of the wild and crazy guys. His memoir, "Born Standing Up," looks back on those years, what was going on in his mind and on stage. GROSS: That's Steve Martin from his 1977 album, "Let's Get Small." He did standup comedy for 18 years. So right now, I'm going to suck this piano into my lungs. STEVE MARTIN (Comedian, Actor): To open the show, I always like to do one thing that is impossible.
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