All Jokes Aside tells Raymond's inspirational story: from his working-class upbringing by teen parents in Wilmington, Del., to becoming a successful investment banker who once worked for world-famous businessman Chris Gardner (whose life was the subject of the blockbuster movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" starring Will Smith) to opening the legendary Chicago comedy club All Jokes Aside.
The club helped launch the careers of many of the Kings and Queens of Comedy, including Oscars host Chris Rock, Oscar winner Mo'Nique, Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Mencia, D.L. Hughley and the late, great Bernie Mac, just to name a few.
The D.C. experience began with a March 1 reception at the law firm Reed Smith. Many of Raymond's friends, family and supporters turned out to wish him well and get their books signed. Raymond's appearance in D.C. was one of those "full circle" experiences because in the '90s when All Jokes Aside was at the peak of its popularity, he tried to open another location of the club in D.C.
One of the highlights of the Reed Smith reception for me was meeting Raymond's younger brother, Nevan, and his lovely wife and two children. I'd heard much about Nevan from Raymond's childhood stories when we were writing the book, and I told Nevan that I'll be interested to hear his feedback on the "All Jokes Aside" book. As is often the case, people who grew up in the same house have different memories and different perspectives on the same events.
The D.C. experience culminated with a March 2 discussion and book signing at Busboys & Poets, a really cool bookstore/restaurant/performance space that has several locations in the nation's capital. The "All Jokes Aside" engagement took place at the store's bustling 14th Street location.
My original purpose in attending the Busboys & Poets event was just to be there for moral support. Raymond was supposed to take part in an onstage discussion about the book with comedian Tony Woods for the bookstore's "Politics and Prose" dialogue series.
As fate would have it, Tony ended up running late because of a miscommunication and Raymond asked me to step in to "pinch-hit" and interview him. I agreed with Raymond that this arrangement made perfect sense since I'm a journalist who interviews folks all the time and the conversation would flow naturally since we spent so many months collaborating on the book.
That's not to say I wasn't a bit nervous, since public speaking can be a bit intimidating in any setting. But the supportive crowd of about 40 or so people who turned out to Busboys & Poets seemed engaged as Raymond and I discussed the process of writing the book and some of the major beats of his story.
My conversation with Raymond took place in Busboys & Poets' cool performance space, in which an intimate stage faces the audience as they sit at candlelit tables munching on food and sipping drinks from the venue's excellent restaurant. Not only was it cool to be able to promote "All Jokes Aside" in a big-city bookstore, it was inspiring to be in a bookstore that is obviously thriving, with every table and chair full on an average weeknight.
After my discussion with Raymond concluded, the stage was converted for the venue's open-mic night, which was also filled to capacity. It's so heartening to see a successful bookstore in this day and age when there are so many reports that bricks-and-mortar outlets are supposedly dying, and that books and other printed publications are becoming extinct in this digital age.
D.C. was a liberating experience (pardon the pun) and I look forward to participating in future "All Jokes Aside" events and helping to get the word out about Raymond's motivational story.
For more information and to order a copy, visit the "All Jokes Aside" page on Amazon.com.
