Everybody Loves Adam Lorenzo: debut book offers advice for college students

Writer Adam Lorenzo, with previous experience working on "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Late Show with David Letterman," proves he can take his writing from the screen to the page with the release of debut book, “All I Need To Know I Learned From My College Bar.” Photo courtesy of Adam Lorenzo

During his time working at a college bar near Syracuse University, writer Adam Lorenzo would scribble half-baked ideas and overheard conversations down on napkins and stuff them into 64 ounce fish bowl cups. Despite the napkins being stained and yellowed, Lorenzo held onto them.

“For some reason, in the back of my head, I was like, ‘Someday these experiences will be great material,’ and I wrote ideas down on napkins,” Lorenzo said. 

During the pandemic, he wrote his first book, “All I Need To Know I Learned From My College Bar” using the contents on those same crumpled napkins as inspiration. The book, which was published in March, is filled with pieces of advice that Lorenzo learned at Maggie’s Tavern, his college bar in Syracuse. 

Lorenzo said releasing his book in the spring was no accident, hoping it can serve as a nice graduation gift for college students in upcoming months.

“I love being relatable and hopefully the book is, I feel like it really is,” Lorenzo said. “People from all walks of life, who would not ordinarily mix (are) all packed in a college bar, from different countries, and they're all there for the same reason, to kind of have a little fun. Maybe forget about the schoolwork or their futures for that minute.”

Not only is the book reminiscent of our time here at college, but it features life advice that can be applicable to people of any age. 

“(The book has) good lessons, things that I use, tools that college kids can use and valuable life lessons that they can apply,” Lorenzo said. “And it's not a novel. You can read the whole book in 15 to 20 minutes. And you can keep going back to it. (It has) a lot of heart. I think everybody needs some laughter and heart right now socially.”

Lorenzo was hired at Maggie’s Tavern while in college, became a manager and then when the owner needed someone to take over, Lorenzo volunteered. Through payments he took ownership of the bar, which was unusual for someone his age.

“I was attending college in Syracuse, and I was the manager (of the bar),” Lorenzo said. “I'd sneak out of a class early to get some beer deliveries, and I'd have to write my papers at the bar because I'd have to be at class the next morning so early.”

Despite the fun nature of the book, Lorenzo told The Panther that the process didn’t come without its fair share of challenges, but he still found ways to get his creative juices flowing.

“The hardest part was finding the right publisher and the illustration process,” Lorenzo said. “(The book's illustrator) Antonio Pinna is wildly talented, and it was a blast." 

Now, Lorenzo has worked for companies such as The Walt Disney Company, Dreamworks Animation and Paramount Pictures, to name a few. Additionally, Lorenzo was a writer for “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Everybody Hates Chris," one of the only people to have both credits under their belt.

“I loved 'Everybody Hates Chris,'” Lorenzo said. “What I was attracted to was how it appealed to everybody. You know, there's really great relatable stories. It was a real gift to be included.”

Lorenzo's passion for writing started at a young age, even though he didn't know any writers and didn't know that writing could be a viable career. He said he remembers telling his dad that he wanted to be a writer when he grew up, which elicited a mere laugh.

But the desire to write was ingrained in him and he kept writing, eventually landing his first job by sending jokes to David Letterman. This kickstarted his journey into the world of writing in late-night television where hosts like Letterman and Jimmy Fallon reigned supreme. 

“I got really lucky, and they bought a lot of my jokes,” Lorenzo said. ”They would say them in the monologue, and that's how I got put on staff. My first staff writing job was on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ and then they moved me to Los Angeles.”

Despite his lack of knowledge about the Hollywood industry — since growing up in a farm town in upstate New York — Lorenzo had a passion for joking around. 

Due to growing up with extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Lorenzo used to get made fun of for touching his food to his chin before each bite. Years later, when Lorenzo was trying his hand at becoming a writer, this very memory would come back to be bittersweet.

He recalled some words of wisdom from a nun when deciding to try his hand at a career in writing.

“When I started to think about writing, I was dating a girl and her family was friends with a nun, Sister Virginia,” Lorenzo said. “And she said to me, ‘Oh, life is so precious. You know if you want to be a writer, you should be a writer.’”

Once Lorenzo got his first job with Letterman, he was at his barber one day who knew a producer on the hit sitcom series "Everybody Loves Raymond." Lorenzo gave him a business card, pleading to hand it off to the famous producer.

Through a chain of events, Lorenzo found himself in a meeting with the producers, although they informed him there was no availability for him at the time. But due to a lucky cannoli and Sister Virginia, his luck changed.

“Before the (comedy) show, (Ray Romano) went into a bakery (and) got some cannoli,” Lorenzo said. “He thought the cannoli he had was good luck. So the baker from New York starts to FedEx cannoli to Ray on tape nights. Then one day with the cannoli, there's a note from the owner, Bobby Malone. And it's from a nun, and she says, ‘Hey, I know a guy who just moved to Los Angeles named Adam Lorenzo. And if you ever run into him, please give him an interview for a job.’”

After being invited into the writers room to pitch ideas, the episode that was purchased from Lorenzo’s pitch was called “Crazy Chin,” which was based on Lorenzo’s experience as a child with OCD.

Despite the non-traditional route and challenges, he persevered and eventually became a member of the Writers Guild in 1999, a proud accomplishment for someone who had no prior knowledge of the business and didn't have an agent — which he thanks to his "fire under his belly."

“I think I learned that I just had to do what I had to do,” Lorenzo said. “I learned to work really hard. There wasn't another option. I didn't have a safety net. When you have that fire in your belly, which I had, which was to accomplish my dream. That's what I learned. I also learned I don't like snow.”

Lorenzo, even while growing up 3,000 miles away from the industry he yearned to be a part of, did everything he could to get there and his biggest advice is that others do the same.

“If I can achieve my dreams, then they can achieve their dreams too, because I literally knew nothing about achieving my dream,” Lorenzo said. “Don't quit ever. Work harder than anybody else. I still do that today.”

“All I Need To Know I Learned From My College Bar” is available online on Amazon and directly from the publisher at Fayetteville Mafia Press, as well as in stores at Barnes & Noble and most bookstores.