''I Am a Pole (And So Can You!)'' is a 2012 spoof of inspirational children's books. It was written by

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

and illustrated by Paul Hildebrand. The book tells the story of a fictional pole finding his purpose in life. The title is a play on Colbert's first book, '' I Am America (And So Can You!)''. All proceeds from the audiobook go to the United States Veterans Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to returning troops. The book is notable for a

blurb A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dust jacket of a book. With the development ...

of endorsement on the cover attributed to children's writer

Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Send ...

. During a January 2012 interview of Sendak by Colbert, Colbert shared a draft of the book with Sendak, to which Sendak stated "The sad thing is, I like it!"; the statement was used as the blurb for the cover. Soon afterward, Colbert reportedly secured a publishing deal for the book. Sendak coincidentally died the morning of the book's release, and, in tribute, ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...

'' aired uncensored previously unreleased clips of the interview, with Colbert encouraging those unfamiliar with Sendak's work to "read his books. And for those who don't read, they've got lots of pictures." Reviewers of the book noted that this book, while seemingly targeted to children, contains imagery which may be considered adult in nature, such as a scene of a

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping m ...

performing

striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper", "exotic d ...

on the eponymous pole. Colbert, parodying the marketing of inspirational books, mentioned on his show that the book is "the perfect gift to give a child, or grandchild, for their high school or college graduation. Also, Father's Day. Also, other times." On July 18, 2012, the Rosenbach Museum added the book to its collections, and displayed its manuscript and several artifacts that Colbert claimed were on his desk when the book was written next to the manuscript of ''

Ulysses Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus, a legendary Greek hero recognized for his intelligence and cunning. He is famous for his long, adventurous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, as narrated in Homer's Odyssey. Ulysses may also refer ...

'', along with artifacts from the original interview. Other formats: *Ebook – *Compact Disc –

References

External links

''I Am a Pole''
at Colbert Nation 2012 books The Colbert Report Parody novels Political satire books {{comedy-book-stub

See also

References

External links