Hinsdale Central grad makes a living writing laughs for Letterman Considering his 3-foot commute, a work day that's finished by 10:30 a.m. and the fact that he can report to duty in his pajamas, there's not much that Kevin McCaffrey doesn't love about his job. It's noon and I haven't showered yet, the 25-year-old Hinsdale native said in a phone interview from his New York home. A 2000 graduate of Hinsdale Central High School, McCaffrey has worked as a monologue writer for the Late Show With David Letterman since his last days as a student at Ball State University in Indiana (Letterman's alma mater). McCaffrey starts his day at his computer, where he searches for headlines, stories and happenings that lend themselves to laughs. Plenty of things make McCaffrey smile, but when submitting jokes for the nightly monologue, he has to think like Letterman. It has to be what Dave would say. It has to be his kind of funny, McCaffrey said. Thinking like the boss has its advantages, as McCaffrey and the rest of the monologue writers work as freelancers. They get paid only when Letterman chooses their jokes for his show. Two of McCaffrey's jokes that were used in last couple months in Letterman's monologue are: A man is suing Jet Blue after being forced to sit in the bathroom for the entire flight. To be fair, on Jet Blue, that's an upgrade. Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary. She might be getting cocky: during the celebration, she admitted that if the White House phone rings at 3 a.m., she'd probably let it go to voicemail. Some days are easier than others, McCaffrey said, but life as a comedy writer for an Emmy-award winning show is never all that bad. In addition to submitting jokes for the nightly monologue, McCaffrey has helped to write Letterman's famous Top 10 lists and occasionally appears on camera. McCaffrey's career with Letterman began four years ago, even before he graduated from college. My last college credit was as a writer's intern for Letterman's show, he said. McCaffrey's road to late night began in a television studio on the Ball State campus, where he and some fellow students developed BSU Late Night, a talk show that still appears on Indiana Public Television. McCaffrey's brother Joe has served as its host for the last two years. I went to college to work in comedic television, McCaffrey said. It's what I've wanted to do since fifth grade. He was reminded of just how unusual his job is when he met up with a few of his former fifth-grade classmates last month. He was back in town for his first Chicago performance of his stand-up routine, but also found time to visit Mom in Elmhurst, and to take in a 15-year Monroe School class reunion. Most of my classmates have grown-up jobs, said McCaffrey, who made his Chicago debut at The Edge Comedy Club May 23. His show, he said, takes a simple approach. I just try to say stuff that's funny, McCaffrey said. He approaches the microphone with just enough prepared material to drive the show along. But exactly where the act will go depends on the audience. McCaffrey's job as stand-up comedian and television writer work well together, he said. Even if I'm traveling, I can still send the monologue in from anywhere, he said. McCaffrey also hosts a radio show once a week and does some freelance writing, with hopes that one day, all of these jobs will merge together into a full-time job in front of the camera. But whether his job is at a computer or on a stage, McCaffrey will be doing something that pays not only in dollars, but also in laughs. http://www.pioneerlocal.com/hinsdale/entertainment/1009756,do-dimccaf...

McCaffrey's job as stand-up comedian and television writer work well together, he said. Gee, a writer for the Late Show who also does Stand up? He says they work well together, too. Eat crow, Don Giller.

McCaffrey's job as stand-up comedian and television writer work well together, he said. Gee, a writer for the Late Show who also does Stand up? He says they work well together, too. Eat crow, Don Giller. I'm still working on the whings. That McCaffrey both writes monologue jokes for the show and also does stand-up doesn't negate the fact that the vast majority of LS (and LNwDL) writers were and are not career stand-up comics. Rather, they tuned their skills for television writing.

McCaffrey's job as stand-up comedian and television writer work well together, he said. Gee, a writer for the Late Show who also does Stand up? He says they work well together, too. Eat crow, Don Giller. I'm still working on the whings. That McCaffrey both writes monologue jokes for the show and also does stand-up doesn't negate the fact that the vast majority of LS (and LNwDL) writers were and are not career stand-up comics. Rather, they tuned their skills for television writing. ....and Bob Borden falls into which category?

McCaffrey's job as stand-up comedian and television writer work well together, he said. Gee, a writer for the Late Show who also does Stand up? He says they work well together, too. Eat crow, Don Giller. I'm still working on the whings. That McCaffrey both writes monologue jokes for the show and also does stand-up doesn't negate the fact that the vast majority of LS (and LNwDL) writers were and are not career stand-up comics. Rather, they tuned their skills for television writing. ....and Bob Borden falls into which category? Bob Borden falls into the Crash Campaign Against Bob Borden category.