Paul Krassner
Paul Krassner (born April 9, 1932) is an American author, journalist, comedian, and the founder, editor and a frequent contributor to the freethought magazine The Realist, first published in 1958. Krassner became a key figure in the counterculture of the 1960s as a member of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters and a founding member of the Yippies.
Early life
Krassner was a child violin prodigy and was the youngest person ever to play Carnegie Hall, in 1939 at age six. His parents were Jewish, but Krassner is firmly secular, considering religion "organised superstition." He majored in journalism at Baruch College (then a branch of the City College of New York) and began performing as a comedian under the name Paul Maul. He recalled:
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he was active in politically edged humor and satire. Krassner was a founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies) in 1967 and a member of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, famous for prankster activism. He was a close protégé of the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce, and the editor of Bruce's autobiography, How to Talk Dirty and Influence People. With the encouragement of Bruce, Krassner started to perform standup comedy in 1961 at the Village Gate in New York.
Podcasts:
Famous quotes by Paul Krassner:
Paul Krassner
ALBUMS
- 1997 Mercury July Sales Compilation released: 1997
1997 Mercury July Sales Compilation
Released 1997- Breed
- Just a Freak (radio)
- Delicious
- The Yippies (interlude # 1)
- Vicious
- I Need You Badly (The mix)
- Love Bee
- Over the Top
- The Yippies (interlude # 2)
- The Western Lands (A Dangerous Road mix)
- So Complicated
- Supersonic Soul
- The Warrior
- The Yippies (interlude # 3)
- Snake Drive
- Atomsmasher
- Always Till Always
