About the Author

MARK COHEN is a writer, editor, and journalist specializing in American Jewish culture. His previous books include Missing a Beat: The Rants and Regrets of Seymour Krim, and Last Century of a Sephardic Community. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reviews

"[Allan Sherman] did as much as anyone to bring Jews out of the American pop-culture closet. One can hope that, thanks to Cohen, his legacy is now safe."--Tabletmag.com

"[A] masterful, critical biography."--The Jewish Advocate

"A penetrating biography by a savvy observer of show business.--The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)

"In bringing context to the life of a now largely forgotten one-hit wonder, Cohen adds a valuable chapter to the history of American popular culture."--Booklist

"Lively and meticulously researched."--Chicago Tribune

"Mark Cohen has written a most comprehensive and accessible biography, "Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman" (Brandeis University Press), complete with lyrics of songs recorded and others that were never released. Cohen succeeds in presenting the fullness of Sherman's larger-than-life personality, the family background that led to his original take on Jewish life and the connection of his life's work to the world of American Jewish humor."--New York Jewish Week

"Sherman's story offers a "fascinating encapsulation of a lot of major trends in American life," including "immigration, assimilation, and the ethnic revival of the '60s," as well as Sherman's personal background of a "dysfunctional family and dysfunctional son."--The Examiner

"Writer and journalist Cohen here captures the complex life of musical satirist Allan Sherman. . . . The author delves into the history of Jewish comedy in the 20th century, exploring Sherman's role in this complex story. . . . Highly recommended." --Choice

"[A] masterful, critical biography." The Jewish Advocate"

"Lively and meticulously researched." Chicago Tribune"

A penetrating biography by a savvy observer of show business. The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)"

"[Allan Sherman] did as much as anyone to bring Jews out of the American pop-culture closet. One can hope that, thanks to Cohen, his legacy is now safe."--Tabletmag.com
"[A] masterful, critical biography."--The Jewish Advocate
"A penetrating biography by a savvy observer of show business.--The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)
"In bringing context to the life of a now largely forgotten one-hit wonder, Cohen adds a valuable chapter to the history of American popular culture."--Booklist
"Lively and meticulously researched."--Chicago Tribune
"Mark Cohen has written a most comprehensive and accessible biography, "Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman" (Brandeis University Press), complete with lyrics of songs recorded and others that were never released. Cohen succeeds in presenting the fullness of Sherman's larger-than-life personality, the family background that led to his original take on Jewish life and the connection of his life's work to the world of American Jewish humor."--New York Jewish Week
"Sherman's story offers a "fascinating encapsulation of a lot of major trends in American life," including "immigration, assimilation, and the ethnic revival of the '60s," as well as Sherman's personal background of a "dysfunctional family and dysfunctional son."--The Examiner
"Writer and journalist Cohen here captures the complex life of musical satirist Allan Sherman. . . . The author delves into the history of Jewish comedy in the 20th century, exploring Sherman's role in this complex story. . . . Highly recommended." --Choice
"[A] masterful, critical biography." The Jewish Advocate"
"Lively and meticulously researched." Chicago Tribune"
A penetrating biography by a savvy observer of show business. The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles)"