Louis C.K. on Writing His First Novel and Returning to Stage | 2 Bears, 1 Cave

2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer

2 Bears 1 Cave

Society & Culture, Comedy

4.8 • 23.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 November 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

SPONSORS: - Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get your free quote at https://ethos.com/bears - Eat smart at https://FactorMeals.com/bears50off and use code bears50off to get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year. - Don’t miss out on all the action this week at DraftKings! Download the DraftKings app today! Sign-up using https://dkng.co/bears or through my promo code BEARS. - Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://shopify.com/bears. ‌ In this powerful and surprisingly emotional episode of 2 Bears 1 Cave, Tom Segura sits down with Louis C.K. to discuss his new novel Ingram, the creative process behind writing fiction, and the brutal emotional reality of loneliness and childhood struggle. Louis explains why he quit stand-up for over a year, how stepping away from the stage changed his life, and what ultimately pulled him back into comedy. The conversation dives deep into fear, pain, trauma, comedy philosophy, empathy, war stories, emotional burnout, and why the darkest moments in life can shape the most powerful art. Tom reveals that reading Ingram made him cry, and Louis talks about the deeply disturbing next book he’s finishing—including a scene that shocked even him while writing it. They also explore the controversial idea of “punching down” in comedy, the ethics of humor, and why Louis believes the funniest material comes from the messy truth of being human. 2 Bears, 1 Cave Ep. 316 https://tomsegura.com/tour https://www.bertbertbert.com/tour https://store.ymhstudios.com Gambling problem? Call one eight hundred Gambler. In New York, call 8778-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling. Call eight eight eight seven eight nine seven seven seven seven or visit https://ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (Kansas). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in Illinois. Twenty-one plus age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Restrictions apply. Bet must win to receive Bonus Bets which expire in 7 days. Minimum odds required. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see https://dkng.co/audio. Limited time offer. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:00 - Becoming A Novelist, Eastern Europe, & Russian Literature 00:05:12 - Quitting Stand Up & Daily Rituals 00:08:47 - Writing Ingram & Why Tom Teared Up 00:19:38 - Loneliness, Street Kids, & the Human Threshold for Empathy 00:34:27 - Trauma, War & Emotional Damage 00:39:17 - Coming Back to Stand-Up & Rebuilding Material 00:46:22 - Upsetting Audiences, Articulating Thoughts, & Punching Down 00:59:59 - Touring Burnout & The Future of Live Comedy 01:06:42 - Final Thoughts & Tom Praises Ingram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Alabama and South Carolina. What's up? This December, I'll be bringing my come-together tour to Huntsville on the 4th,
0:06.0	and on Friday, December 5th, I'll be performing at the Alabama Theater in Birmingham. After that, on Saturday, December 6th, I'll be in Columbia, South Carolina, at the Township Auditorium. I can't wait to see you there. Get your tickets now at tomseguro.com slash tour.
0:21.6	100%
0:22.6	I'm scared.
0:23.6	Welcome to a special episode of Two Bears One Cave live, not live, recorded from New York City with our special guest, Louis C.K.
0:36.6	Who has a new book called Ingram.
0:39.2	Lewis, welcome to the program.
0:41.6	Thank you.
0:42.0	Oh, by the way, I have another copy of that to give you because I signed it.
0:47.7	Oh, fuck yeah.
0:48.5	So that one's for you.
0:49.7	Oh, thank you.
0:50.7	Dedicated to you.
0:51.7	Thank you so much.
0:52.6	That copy is not the book itself. Okay, great.
0:55.0	Appreciate this very much.
0:57.0	Yeah.
0:58.0	I very much enjoyed reading this.
1:00.0	I actually visited you.
1:02.0	I was in your office.
1:05.0	Yeah.
1:06.0	I think you had already written this.
	...

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