Driscoll wrings mirth from misery

Here's a joke that will ring a bell with divorced people. Palace Station comedian Ed Driscoll says he lives up the street from his ex-wife in Los Angeles:

"We see each other every day. It's like we're still married but without sex. So actually, it's like we're still married."

Driscoll is a funny guy, which is fortunate since he's a comedian (performing tonight through Saturday). He boasts a varied career.

He has written jokes for Dennis Miller's old TV show; Louie Anderson's act; "The Drew Carey Show"; "Comic Relief"; Barry Manilow's show at the former Las Vegas Hilton; and five Oscars hosted by Billy Crystal.

"I've written for Morgan Freeman. I get into some crazy situations," Driscoll says.

Wait, what? So yeah, Freeman was hosting the ESPY Awards. Driscoll helped him find punch lines.

"We sat down for the first meeting. He (Freeman) goes, 'Ed, I gotta tell you. I'm not funny.'

"I said, 'Neither am I, so we gotta problem.' He sorta looked at me for a second like, 'Huh?' I said, 'No, no, I'm teasing.' "

In his own stand-up act, Driscoll used to joke about marriage. Now he jokes more about being a divorced father of a 5-year-old daughter, and dating.

"We broke up because I needed the material, quite honestly," he jokes.

On that topic, he has written his second book, an upcoming novelty title called "Looking To Click" about the frustrations of meeting only psychos through Internet dating.

His previous book, "Spilled Gravy," was a memoir detailing his slog toward sobriety years ago.

"I did all my drinking in the first 30 years of my life, so I just got it out of the way instead of spreading it out like you're doing it," he says to me.

Driscoll gets emails from readers who say they feel connected to "Still Gravy" for its observations on sobriety, self-esteem issues and neuroses.

But he hasn't gotten a lot of money out of it.

"My relatives are like, 'We loved your book. I gave it to Aunt Judy. She leant it to Aunt Phyllis.'

"I'm like, 'Can you guys buy a copy? It's 12 bucks!' And my relatives are passing around one dog-eared copy. I have a kid. Do you mind? It's not that expensive."

He has a third book coming out later this year.

"The next one," he says, "is about taking care of my parents as they passed away - I know, another laugh riot."

That book is titled "Unmoved Chess Pieces." The publisher isn't thrilled with the name, so Driscoll is considering calling it "Harry Potter 5."

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.