For Tig Notaro, an Album and Book Deal Based on a Memorable Set

September 24, 2012, 2:27 pm

By JULIE BOSMAN and JASON ZINOMAN

2:25 p.m. | Updated For the comedian Tig Notaro, 2012 has been her “annus horribilis,” the year in which her mother died unexpectedly and Ms. Notaro was diagnosed with breast cancer. But she turned the events into material for a stand-up routine last month in Los Angeles that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments in the comedy world. Louis C.K. tweeted: “In 27 years doing this, I've seen a handful of truly great, masterful sets. One was Tig Notaro last night at Largo.” Now the set will live on in two forms: as an album online and as the basis of a book.

Louis C.K. himself asked her to release the set, Ms. Notaro said, but initially she didn't want to do it. “It felt like a 30-minute open mike,” she said in an interview. But she changed her mind after consulting with friends, who encouraged her to take him up on his offer. The album will be available on Louis C.K.'s site beginning Oct. 5.

As for the publishing deal, Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, said on Monday that the book, a collection of autobiographical essays, is tentatively scheduled for publication in 2015. Ms. Notaro said by e-mail, “Living my normal life, I already had plenty to write about. Now after experiencing the highest of highs and lowest of lows of a lifetime, crammed into a four-month period, I have a lot more to say and it's got to go somewhere. A book seems like the most reasonable place for it all.”