"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog," says E. B. White. "Few people are interested and the frog dies of it." White might have reconsidered, had he had access to
How to Write Funny. In the book, 28 humorists discuss the business of writing funny. David Bouchier likens humor to sex; James Finn Garner says it's "mainly channeled aggression"; and Sherman Alexie claims that "jokes are poetry." The authors here--they include Melissa Banks, Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., and Bill Bryson--are less likely to teach humor than to help you find your inner humorist. A very satisfying book, touching on writers that take chances, poke fun at themselves, and draw our attention to the absurdities that we all take for granted. By the way, editor John B. Kachuba wants you to read his book whether you need it or not. As he says, "I could use the money."
--Jane Steinberg
1 A must read for anyone who wants to write humor!
This 228-page trade paperback offers an excellent index and is divided into three sections. Part I covers the basics of writing comedy. Part II discusses writing comedy in the context of numerous genres, including general fiction, literary fiction, science fiction, romance and various non-fiction forms such as columns, articles, fillers and books. Part III includes interviews with multiple humor greats, ranging from Dave Barry to Peg Bracken to Denise Duhamel. The writing in each of the 30 articles of this collection is wonderful. Every contributor--these are humor experts, afterall--writes in a style that is so lively, you can laugh your head off and have a ball while learning absolutely terrific inside tips on comedy.
What a coup for Writer's Digest to add this fabulous book to their lineup of writing-instruction books! It's a gold mine of information for every type of writer, fiction and nonfiction, long and short format. Whether you simply want to occasionally leaven intense drama with humor, or you plan to write all-out, belly-busting comedy, this book is for you.
