That's What She Said: Humor Writing
Date & Time
Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.
Feb. 25 and Mar. 4
Class Size
10 Students
Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.
Feb. 25 and Mar. 4
10 Students
“Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it,” E.B. White said, inaccurately.
In this seminar/workshop, we’ll analyze the short conceptual humor piece and the ways to write and publish brag-worthy jokes-cum-prose. There are many forms of comedic writing, from sketch to Sedaris, but this workshop will revolve around the 600-1,000-word variety à la McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and The New Yorker’s Shouts & Murmurs. However niche and epigrammatic, we may apply these lessons, virtues, and exercises to all humorous writing and beyond. For writing students, literary humor is the best gateway to comedy writing as a career or hobby. Students will learn (so help me God) the fundamentals of composing and submitting humor (how to: write a perfect pithy cover letter, build a bio, sit in a chair, & hone bookish wit by understanding the form, techniques, and cheap tricks).
In this two-day master class, each student will brainstorm, outline, write, and workshop a successful shortish parody/satire or die trying.
Elissa Bassist is the editor of the column “Funny Women” on The Rumpus and the author of Hysterical, a tragicomic memoir published by Hachette. Her writing appears in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Creative Nonfiction, and more, including the best-seller Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture, ed. by Roxane Gay. She teaches writing nationally and is probably her therapist's favorite.
“Elissa is too good for most anybody.”
“Love your work on The Rumpus! You really do have quite a special, strong, funny voice. I LOVE YOUR WRITING! Have I not made that clear?”
“The editor of The Rumpus’s Funny Women column earns her title there and elsewhere, with spot-on essays with titles like ‘Addicted to Netflix: Teen-Soap-Opera Binge As Psychosis.’ She also has excellent literary taste, the perfect augmentation to any hilarious writer.”
“I really just have a bunch of blubbering accolades to shower on Elissa.”
"Elissa is truly awesome. I loved this class!"
"Thanks for coming back to the New School to teach us all how to be funny. Besides the valuable advice, I found your words about the business aspect of the writing and submissions helpful. I’ve got a funny novel I’m finishing, and I’ll put your advice to use soon."
"I’ve heard several breathless, fawning reviews (no joke) and I know the students were thrilled to have you here. Students were particularly happy that the workshop was focused on specific (achievable, publishable) kinds of humor writing (and not like, 'how to land a spot in the writer’s room of THE BIG BANG THEORY')."
