Sales of Joan Rivers’ most recent book, Diary Of A Mad Diva, have skyrocketed an incredible 70,750 percent since news of her death broke yesterday afternoon. Published back in July, Diary Of A Mad Diva is a typically barbed Rivers effort where she makes fun of Larry King for being old (he was born six months after her, for the record) and pitches a series called Tiny Stuffers. This postmortem bump has moved Diary Of A Mad Diva from 1,417th place to No. 2 on Amazon’s bestseller list, hopefully producing the extra cash that Rivers’ family is going to need if they’re going to follow her last wishes as laid out in her other newly-minted bestseller, 2013’s I Hate Everyone…Starting With Me:
“When I die (and, yes, Melissa, that day will come; and, yes, Melissa, everything’s in your name), I want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights, cameras, action….I want Craft services, I want paparazzi and I want publicists making a scene! I want it to be Hollywood all the way. I don’t want some rabbi rambling on; I want Meryl Streep crying, in five different accents. I don’t want a eulogy; I want Bobby Vinton to pick up my head and sing “Mr. Lonely.” I want to look gorgeous, better dead than I do alive. I want to be buried in a Valentino gown and I want Harry Winston to make me a toe tag. And I want a wind machine so that even in the casket my hair is blowing just like Beyonce’s.”
Meanwhile, celebrities influenced by Rivers have been paying their own tributes to the legendary comedienne. Sarah Silverman, who considered Rivers a mentor, made fun of Jimmy Kimmel’s shirt in her honor. Julie Klausner, who worked as a joke writer for Rivers, called her “a goddess, a mensch, and a friend” in Vulture. Louis C.K., who featured Rivers on an episode of Louie, released a very respectful statement that referred to Rivers as “a controlled lightning bolt…a prolific and unpredictable, joyful joke writer.” Lena Dunham, who had a somewhat more contentious relationship with Rivers, ended a heartfelt series of tweets by fulfilling the promise she’d made on Marc Maron’s WTF to give her one last zinger:
Meanwhile, all of the late-night talk shows—where Rivers had long been a favorite guest—offered their own tributes, with Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Craig Ferguson, and Seth Meyers all paying their respects.
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And in the Heaven Joan Rivers probably didn’t believe in because she was Jewish, she laughed.