As a comedian, filmmaker, actor, and author, Bob Odenkirk has lived even more lives than his most infamous character, Saul Goodman.
Odenkirk, who is currently nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul, is set to release his third book, Zilot & Other Important Rhymes, next month.
Zilot is a collection of poems that Odenkirk wrote alongside his two children, Nate and Erin Odenkirk, when they were young. Erin Odenkirk also provided all the illustrations for the new book. The idea of writing poetry alongside his kids occurred to the comedian while creating a bedtime ritual for his son and daughter.
“I really wanted them to be a part of it. So I would write a line, they would write a line, then we’d finish it together. Or I’d let them start the poem, and then we’d try to find a way through it,” Odenkirk told People.
“They’re pretty silly and a lot of them are kind of crazy. But I kept them because some of them weren’t just gibberish. Some of them had ideas and I thought, there’s a great little book of poems in this,” he continued.
Odenkirk is already a New York Times-bestselling author, from his autobiography, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir, released in 2022. Previously, Odenkirk wrote A Load of Hooey, a collection of short comedy stories, as well as Hollywood Said No!: Orphaned Film Scripts, Bastard Scenes, and Abandoned Darlings from the Creators of Mr. Show, a collection of scripts of deleted scenes from Mr. Show, the sketch series he co-created with fellow comedian David Cross.
Bob, alongside daughter and co-author Erin Odenkirk, are embarking on a book tour across various the U.S. Each stop on the tour will have a special guest conversation partner at the event. While most of the guests are yet to be announced, the Los Angeles live talk will feature a conversation with Odenkirk’s Better Call Saul co-star Rhea Seehorn, who portrayed Kim Wexler in the series.
Pit stops on the tour include:
- October 8, 2023 – Bookends Bookstore (Ridgewood, NJ)
- October 9, 2023 – McNally Jackson (NYC, Seaport location)
- October 10, 2023 – Barnes & Noble, Eastchester (Scarsdale, NY)
- October 11, 2023 – Brookline Booksmith at The Crystal Ballroom (Somerville, MA)
- October 13, 2023 – Anderson’s Bookshop (Naperville, IL)
- October 14, 2023 – Exclusive Union League Event Union League of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
- October 14, 2023 – Bob & Erin Odenkirk in Conversation with Peter Sagal, Chicago Humanities with Seminary Coop (Chicago, IL)
- October 15, 2023 – Book Passage (Corte Madera, CA)
- October 16, 2023 – Skylight Books at Dynasty Typewriter Theater (Los Angeles, LA)
- October 17, 2023 – Bob & Erin Odenkirk in Conversation with Rhea Seehorn, Robert Frost Auditorium (Culver City, CA)
- October 20, 2023 – Barnes & Noble, The Arboretum (Charlotte, NC)