A Literary Life

By Kate Jonuska

Remembering her childhood, Paula Poundstone reminisces about her family’s regular dinners at the neighbor’s house, or more specifically, she remembers what happened after dinner at the neighbor’s: The adults would retire for coffee and conversation, and the kids were “forced” downstairs.

“But we would just have the best time down there,” says Poundstone. “I want (my performances) to feel like the being in that basement, where all the adults are upstairs somewhere and we’re dodging them.”

While she’s certainly moved on to larger venues than that basement ― Paula Poundstone plays the Pike Peak Center on Thursday, Oct. 8 ― she’s still improvising her fun as she goes along, never taking herself too seriously. Famous for her stand up as well as her role as a panelist on NPR’s weekly news quiz show, “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” the comedian is known for her vibrant spontaneity and audience interaction, as if she and her audience together are weaving an evening of laughs.

“Generally speaking, there is just a magic that emanates from a group of people that come out to laugh for the evening,” says Poundstone. “My favorite part of the night is just talking to the audience. I find really great stuff unfolds. I can almost predict that it will anymore.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the GO! section on Oct. 2, 2009.