When the Humor Is Gone

In the spring of 2004, James Bean faced a failed marriage, the death of his father, and a floundering career in comedy-with no one to talk to. He began visualizing a world without him and planned the details of his suicide. The world would go on, and he would become a statistic, particularly in Las Vegas, where the suicide rate is uncommonly high. Minutes before taking his life, however, Bean realized his life had been an incredible journey, and he thought seriously of his love for his five...