Hear Doug Stanhope help plan his mom’s suicide in this audio exclusive
Doug Stanhope has earned a lot of adjectives over the years—brash, funny, outspoken, rude, daring—but “sentimental” has never really been on the list. Turns out, there’s a good reason: A pronounced lack of mawkish emotion runs in the family. Digging Up Mother, Stanhope’s memoir and account of his mother’s decline and eventual death by intentional morphine overdose, is a fascinating and odd recounting of growing up with a mom who happened to be a troubled addict, but also her son’s fiercest supporter and ally in his comedy career. It’s easy to imagine, as you read it, hearing Stanhope’s distinctive bark of a voice in your ear, telling these stories in an intimate, unhurried manner.