Arsenio by Arsenio Hall

Synopsis: Comedian and talk show host’s testimonies about his career in television.  

Writing Style: TV Script Fashioned and Personalized. 

Pacing: Fast. 

Personal Highlights: Totally felt the opening. “He prefers being home and gets anxious around people.” Who’da ever thunk it? For someone who has the luck-xury of getting to be known by one name, how nice, even as it was no shocker success didn’t just fall into his lap. 

Storytelling style caught my attention at the start. Laxed, composed, not exactly stiff or commercial, but short sentences and shorter words had me guessing… when it dawned on me. Ah-ha! Film/tv script style. Liked it. Made for easy reading, given the flurry of icons webbed in his story; i.e., MJ, Tupac, Prince, MagicJ…

Overall, there was much to appreciate. The magic shows, mom’s friend D’Light, a touching inflection. ‘The crying man in ‘Harlem Nights,’ how I remembered Arsenio …where his story really took off with features he shared of his talk show career. Wow! Tremendous! Never knew! The way he built his circle. His mention of Sammy Davis, Jr. had me shopping for Sammy’s Why, Me? memoir, which while I’m here I might as well mention that one quote I also loved so much. “Give someone in your life a book!” 

Yes! Yes! There is meat in this memoir! I’ve been sharing bits and pieces of surprises with others who were just as surprised. I was constantly Googling folk too; Andrew Dice Clay, Paula video with the cameo of him, to cite two. The Madonna interview, hilarious in the way the story was shared! And the intermittent mentions of controversy, controversial individuals and subjects all over reads like sentiments of a conformist, though there is no doubt Arsenio's sentiments has humbly touched many. His story is all kinds of redemptive. A Must! Read hardback 2026 copyright edition.