Paula Poundsone: Sharp-dressed lady in Fairfield

NORWALK

By A.J. O'CONNELL

Hour Staff Writer


It took 30 years of stand-up, but Paula Poundstone finally allowed herself to be talked into releasing her first comedy album. She released "I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them In Maine" this year.

Poundstone, 49, who will be at Fairfield University's Quick Center on Friday, had resisted putting out an album. Most comedy albums are just hidden in the back of record stores.

"No one knows where they are," she said. "[And] there are these angry guy comics who had albums."

Poundstone, whose comedy is family-friendly and based on her life with her children and her pets, had to be convinced, but was pleased with the results.

"We recorded it at a wonderful place in Maine," she said. "We recorded two shows."

Poundstone's been touring more or less constantly to promote the album this fall, but when she's not touring or tweeting about touring, she is being a mother to her three children. If you call her house, you're greeted by the voice of a toddler on her answering machine.

"That's my daughter," said Poundstone. "But you know what? She's 15 now."

When she's not on the road, Poundstone lives with her two daughters, 18 and 15, and 11-year-old son, and a house full of animals. As of October, the Poundstones have 13 cats.

"People ask me how I got 13 cats," she said. "I had 12 and I got one more."

Her children are always on the look-out for cats to add to the menagerie. Last month, Poundstone returned from her tour to find the house empty. When her kids came home, they told her they'd been looking for new cats at the animal shelter. Poundstone's response: "Let's go back and get them."

The mention of Poundstone's name conjures mixed associations: a self-deprecating woman in suspenders and a tie; a single mother who has adopted and fostered children yet was embattled by charges of child endangerment in 2001; a disembodied voice on a radio news quiz show.

Poundstone became a regular contestant on NPR's news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" Once a month, listeners hear her go head-to-head with other panelists, proving her knowledge of the previous week's news.

"I'm not on nearly as much as I would like," she said.

Poundstone bones up on her news while on the flight out to Chicago, where the show is taped.

"I buy newspapers and try to cram," she said. "I usually lose so I don't cram hard enough."

Poundstone is also enjoying a new familiarity with computer use.

About eight years ago, a total lack of computer prowess prompted a producer to complain that Poundstone was "hard to reach." Poundstone scoffed at the accusation.

"I have a P.O. box. I have a regular address. I have three lines at the house. I have two cell phones, an assistant, a manager and an agent and I was on probation at the time," said the comedian. "They knew where I was every minute of the day!"

Now anyone can see what Poundstone is up to; besides being constantly on tour and NPR, she also has become addicted to Twitter.

"I do goofy Twitters," she said. "There's no way not to be in touch with me as an audience member."

Poundstone shoots jokes out into the Web every few hours, gracefully maintaining proper grammar while staying within the 140-character limit. Those who follow her are treated to one-liners about her pets (a neighbor complained this week that her dog barks when she's not at home; her fans suggested poisoning the neighbor), the hotels she's staying at (the one she stayed at last Friday smelled funky) and her shows (she recently communicated with a tweeting audience member from her dressing room.)

"I have enjoyed my foray into Twitter," said Poundstone, who says she and the micro-blogging Web site "were made for each other."

But she adds that her tweets have made her realize something about herself: "I do the same goddamned things every day."


Paula Poundstone will appear at Fairfield University's Quick Center at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Call 877-ARTS-396 or visit www.quickcenter.com for tickets and information.