God Said, ""Ha!""

Known for her characterization of the androgynous ""Pat"" on Saturday Night Live, Sweeney reached a deeper, more profound mix of pain and humor in her much-praised one-woman show, God Said ""Ha."" This book presents a slightly amended version of that show, and because it is unlike the theatrical memoir truly fleshed out for print (e.g., Evan Handler's Time on Fire), it helps if readers can conjure up Sweeney's bemused voice in the face of horror. Her story is indeed tragicomic. In 1995, fresh from an amicable divorce, she looked forward to a happy solo life in Hollywood when her beloved younger brother, Mike, was diagnosed with cancer and moved in with her. Then her parents decided to relocate from Spokane, Wash., chez Julia. Her parents are quirky, lovable, insufferable: Mom still can't cope with elevators; Dad is addicted to National Public Radio. As Julia struggles to find hope for her brother, she falls in love and has to ""sneak around"" for privacy. Finally, she herself is diagnosed with cervical cancer--""sympathy cancer,"" she quips. She survives but Mike doesn't. With wisdom and wit, she emerges with a sense of acceptance for her future childlessness, and, yes, love for her parents. Photos. (June)