by Ashley Grashaw

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Listen to this 'Talk of the Nation' topic

I stumbled upon a paperweight in a used book shop once that read, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Simple question, jam-packed with implication. I can answer it in several ways — climb Half Dome, get hitched, play the Lottery. But in terms of occupational endeavors, my answer would have to be stand-up comedy. Laughter. Adrenaline. Attention. What more could you ask for? But, eventually, I came down from my paperweight high, and the skeptic in me took hold — Late nights. Seedy clubs. Annoying hecklers. Instability.

Well, today we'll find out just how hard — and fun — the profession of stand-up comedy really is. Comedians Richard Lewis and Esther Ku join us to talk about the biz. And if you've ever dabbled in stand-up, let us know what it's like.

Tags: Esther Ku, Richard Lewis