Amber Books

Amber Ruffin, born in 1979, is an American comedian, writer, and actress. She gained prominence as a writer for "Late Night with Seth Meyers" starting in 2014, becoming the first Black woman to hold such a position on a network late-night talk show in the U.S. From 2020 to 2022, she hosted her own show, "The Amber Ruffin Show," on Peacock, which focused on topical sketches. Ruffin has also co-authored two books with her sister Lacey Lamar: "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism" (2021), a New York Times Best Seller, and "The World Record Book of Racist Stories" (2022). She began her career in improv and theater in Omaha, later moving to Chicago and Amsterdam to hone her comedic skills. Ruffin also co-founded a production company, Straight to Cards, with her writing partner Jenny Hagel. She has also been involved in other television writing and performance projects, and her work has earned her nominations for Writers Guild of America awards and a Tony Award nomination for her work on a Broadway musical adaptation.

Amber Ruffin's journey into comedy began in Omaha, Nebraska, where she was born in 1979. She started performing in local theater and improv groups in 2001. Her talent was recognized by Charna Halpern, owner of Chicago's iO Theater, who encouraged Ruffin to move to the city, predicting a full-time comedy career within a year. After completing her training at iO, Ruffin moved to Amsterdam in 2008 to work with the improv troupe Boom Chicago Amsterdam as a writer and performer. Upon returning to the United States, she joined The Second City in both Denver and Chicago, where she met Jenny Hagel, who would become a frequent collaborator.

Ruffin's career took a significant turn in 2014 when she became a writer for "Late Night with Seth Meyers." This role marked her as the first Black woman to write for a network late-night talk show in the United States. She also became a recurring on-air personality on the show, participating in segments like "Amber Says What?" and "Jokes Seth Can't Tell." Her work on "Late Night" led to nominations for Writers Guild of America awards. In addition to her work with Meyers, Ruffin also contributed to "Detroiters" and narrated for "Drunk History."

In September 2020, Ruffin launched her own late-night talk show, "The Amber Ruffin Show," on the streaming service Peacock. The program distinguished itself by focusing on sketches rather than traditional interviews. The show received critical acclaim and nominations, including a Writers Guild of America award and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Beyond television, Ruffin has achieved success as an author. In January 2021, she and her sister Lacey Lamar released "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism," which became a New York Times Best Seller. Their second book, "The World Record Book of Racist Stories," was published in 2022.

“I thought when people take away your rights, erase your history and deport your friends, you’re supposed to call it out. But I was wrong.”