Agony is at the root of comedy, and for Mr. Simon it was the agony of an unhappy Depression childhood that inspired much of his finest work. When the family was intact, the mood was darkened by constant battles between the parents. “The fact is, I probably never would have been a writer if it were not for Danny,” Mr. Simon wrote. “Once, when I was 15 years old, he said to me, ‘You’re going to be the funniest comedy writer in America.’ Why? He continued his studies at the University of Denver while assigned to a base nearby.

Source: New York Times August 26, 2018 15:56 UTC