The screenwriter, director and author of “Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy,” owns a lot of books. “I have actually convinced myself that buying books is the same as reading.”

What books are currently on your night stand?

“So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed,” by Jon Ronson. So I can avoid being publicly shamed. “The Teenage Brain,” by Frances Jensen, because I am trying to understand why everyone is always crying in my house. “The Places That Scare You,” by Pema Chodron, because I am trying to understand why I am always crying.

Who is your favorite novelist of all time?

F. Scott Fitzgerald. I especially like his book of short stories about a struggling, broken-down screenwriter called “The Pat Hobby Stories.” They are bitter and hilarious. For some reason, people rarely mention how he also was a brilliant writer of comedy.

Whom do you consider the best writers — novelists, essayists, critics, journalists, poets — working today?