Summary

In "Stand Up," during one of Hong's significant periods of depression, she began watching Richard Pryor's stand up. Drawn to his comedy, she then read his books. She found comfort in Pryor's work, particularly his habitation and examination of the African American racial experience. His work was unabashed, brazenly addressing white discrimination, while simultaneously reflecting on his personal insecurities and pain.

Pryor's career, however, did not begin with the same confidence. After attempting to mimic other African American comedians, Pryor eventually found his own voice and approach to comedy. Hong related to Pryor's early feelings of isolation and discrimination in the artistic world. Audience was the issue. Immersing herself in Pryor's work and the history of his career, allowed Hong to realize how much she was tailoring her craft to her perceived majority audience. She was unsure how to break this habit.

Hong...