Coming in January 2025:
Jackie Jester
a new novel by Joel Samberg
Published by BearManor Media.
To order from Amazon, click here.
To order from the publisher, click here.
See Joel's interview on WFSB's "Great Day Connecticut" with Scot Haney.
Jackie Jester is the story of a fascinating career that is fraught with the most miserable lows, a few enormous highs, a touch of anger, a lot of humor—and a couple of perplexing crossroads.
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Reviews:
Even if I wasn’t engrossed in the story and the realistic characters, I’d still have enjoyed Jackie Jester because of Joel Samberg’s talent. He keeps a great pace, knows what to tell his readers and what to withhold, and manages a balance between comedy, sweetness, and drama. Inspired by his grandfather’s journey in show business, Samberg has created a songwriter who tries to balance family life, work pressures, and the fact that he’s constantly beaten down by the headache of the music business. The novel will keep you laughing and completely involved in the three generations of the Aronson family. When a book inspires discussion and questions long after you’ve read the last page, you know it’s high quality. — E. H. NolanJackie Jester is a funny, flavorful, touching novel of an unusual New York family with the backdrop of novelty songs, corporate intrigue, and knishes. Samberg has captured the ambiance of the Lower East Side in an era when anything seemed possible for a mensch who wouldn’t let setbacks and betrayals rob him of his dream. — David J. Weiner, music journalist, historian, and producer
“Masterful storytelling. What an unexpectedly fresh New York City tale. I loved it.” —Karina Costantino
"I knew entertainers like Jackie really existed, but it wasn't until I read Jackie Jester that I realized how much passion, devotion, compromise, humor, pathos, love and longing were part of their lives. And I know it's accurate because Jackie is loosely based on the author's real-life grandpa, a man named Benny Bell who had a bunch of popular comedy songs many decades ago." — Jason Byrnes
"Joel Samberg is a talented writer with insight into his characters’ minds and emotions which he weaves into a
compelling story. Jackie Jester takes us into the life and times of a man struggling and somehow,
unbelievably surviving life’s ups and downs, with an unexpected catch which keeps the reader glued to
the story until the very last page." — I.L.
I loved Jackie Jester. I mainly read it because I was familiar with the story of Benny Bell, whose life story inspired Jackie Jester. My interest was piqued and maintained by the fact that, according to my musician's perspective, Jester's songs weave a definite pattern through the book. I am nothing short of amazed how Samberg came up with so many song titles and lyrics and wove them into the story. That ain't an easy thing to do. Great story. Every character likable (except that jerk Ed, who we're supposed to hate). I highly recommend this book. — Gary A.
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As a teenager in depression-era lower Manhattan, Jack Aronson makes a name for
himself writing songs based on things that he actually sees or hears. They have
titles like One Big Pile of Ship and If You See Kay,
and become very popular at his school. That’s partially why he decides to
devote his life to making records. Even before he turns 20, Jack becomes the
comic yet troubled driving force behind Jester Records.
Jackie’s first hit record is called Izzy (Who Gives Me a Smile),
and it leads to a hookup with a shady character named Ed Zelnick. Ed takes over
Jester Records, which is when Jackie starts to lose his heart and soul. He
eventually gets them back—but it is too late? Will his loyal wife Ellie remain
devoted? Will his hero-worshiping son David continue to adore him?
Jackie’s journey through the narrative includes infuriating conferences with record company executives, chance meetings with Harpo Marx, Frank Sinatra, and Irving Berlin, and a couple of decisions that could be said to alter the course of his family's future.
But Jack's dubious decisions, like all secrets, can be found out. And when they
are, the discoverer--in this case his son David--can decide either to sing the
blues for the rest of time, or get on with life.
Or quite possibly both.
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Some images from the story...
In Joel Samberg's new novel, many people laugh at Jackie Jester songs like “One Big Pile of Ship” and “I Love My Cockatiel.” Why, then, wasn’t Jackie more famous?
Jackie Jester, a seriocomic novel inspired by the author's one-hit-wonder grandfather
Benny Bell, the real-life novelty songwriter and singer whose discography includes Shaving Cream, Everybody Wants My Fanny, Take a Ship, Home Again (Without Pants), Pincus the Peddler and many others, was the inspiration for the fictional Jack Aronson in Joel Samberg’s new novel, Jackie Jester.
Bell, the author’s paternal grandfather, had a career that, despite reaching for the stars with his decisive talent, found him scraping the bottom of the music industry bottom. In the 1940s, the stubborn, distrustful, and sometimes simply unlucky entrepreneur had a nervous breakdown based on his inability to succeed; but when Shaving Cream resurfaced in the early 1970s, he was suddenly in demand nationwide.
Jackie Jester is the story of a fascinating career fraught with the most miserable lows, a few enormous highs, a touch of anger, a lot of humor—and a couple of perplexing personal crossroads.
As a teenager in depression-era lower Manhattan, Jack Aronson makes a name for himself writing songs based on things that he actually sees or hears. That’s partially why he decides to devote his life to making records. Even before he turns 20, Jack becomes the comic yet troubled driving force behind Jester Records.
Jackie’s first hit record is called Izzy (Who Gives Me a Smile), and it leads to a hookup with a shady character named Ed Zelnick. Ed takes over Jester Records, which is when Jackie starts to lose his heart and soul. He eventually gets them back—but it is too late? Will his loyal wife Ellie remain devoted? Will his hero-worshiping son David continue to adore him?
Jackie’s journey through the narrative includes infuriating conferences with record company executives, chance meetings with Harpo Marx, Frank Sinatra, and Irving Berlin, and a couple of impetuous decisions that could be said to permanently alter the course of his family's future.
David J. Weiner, a music journalist, historian, and producer, wrote that “Jackie Jester is a funny, flavorful, touching novel of an unusual New York family with the backdrop of novelty songs, corporate intrigue, and knishes. Samberg has captured the ambiance of the Lower East Side in an era when anything seemed possible for a mensch not to let setbacks and betrayals rob him of his dream.”
Noted Manhattan psychoanalyst and author Gibbs Williams, who reviews novels to assess the inner truths of their characters, said, “I found Jackie Jester both a mirror of some difficult times in this county and a modern reiteration of Ibsen's iconic play, Ghosts. Samberg’s story deftly illuminates how one's choice to deny the essential facts of one's life can result in a life-altering event.”
“I have wanted to write a book about the record industry for a long time,” says Samberg, whose previous works include the novels Blowin’ in the Wind and Almost Like Praying, as well as nonfiction book on the late singer Karen Carpenter. “But I also always wanted to write a book about what the industry was like for my grandfather. So I combined the two. The result is Jackie Jester.”
Jackie Jester is being published by BearManor Media, one of the biggest independent publishers of books about showbusiness personalities and back-stories. Recent top sellers include The Gunsmoke Chronicles: A New History of Television's Greatest Western, by David R. Greenland, and Above & Below: A 25th Anniversary Beauty and the Beast Companion, by Edward Gross.
Joel Samberg began in journalism at age 17 as a stringer for his hometown newspaper on Long Island. His first position after college was as an assistant editor on a trade magazine. He then moved into marketing communications for several firms. As a journalist his work has appeared in many magazines, and he also writes the monthly “Off Ramp” column for Connecticut Magazine, for which he won second place in the regional humor category from the Society of Professional Journalists in their award competition.
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Other books by Joel Samberg:
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