Spero, Wendy 1975(?)-

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Spero, Wendy 1975(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1975; married; husband's name Amos. Education: Graduated from Wesleyan University, 1997.

ADDRESSES:

CAREER:

Actress, comedian, and writer. Comedy performances featured on various television networks, including VH1, National Broadcast Company, Inc. (NBC), and the Food Network.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Best Solo Show, Emerging Comics of New York (ECNY) Awards, for "Microthrills."

WRITINGS:

Microthrills: True Stories from a Life of Small Highs, Hudson Street Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to Esquire, Bar Mitzvah Disco, New York Times and New York Times Magazine.

ADAPTATIONS:

Microthrills: True Stories from a Life of Small Highs was recorded and released by Penguin Audio, 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Wendy Spero was raised in a small Manhattan apartment by her single mother, a sex therapist who was at times encouraging precocious behavior from her daughter and at times overprotective. By her twenties, Spero had become a promising comedian with numerous television appearances and accolades from prominent comedy organizations. Stories of her quirky upbringing and manic adulthood have figured prominently in many of her shows, and ultimately provided the inspiration for her first book, Microthrills: True Stories from a Life of Small Highs. In an interview with Small Spiral Notebook contributor Rachel Kramer Bussel, Spero explained her book's title: "A microthrill is an adventure on a small scale. Because I'm so high maintenance, and slightly neurotic, I can't do bungee jumping or mountain climbing, but I get a kick out of bizarre life moments. I felt like there was no word to define a moment that was bizarre and interesting and compelling but wasn't an adventure." Microthrills is Spero's personal history, including her adult quest to balance grown-up requirements like learning how to drive and planning her wedding with her oft-juvenile compulsions such as stuffed animal collecting. Booklist reviewer Allison Block remarked that the book "possesses a sweetness often lacking in today's comic fare." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews maintained that Spero's strong suit is her "tender but comic portrait of her family."