Course Details

Ever read a satire on the Times op-ed page and think, "Why didn't I think of that?" (Or "Why did I think of that, but not do it?") Is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart your chief source for news? Do you want to be David Sedaris, Fran Leibowitz, Calvin Trillin, or Cynthia Heimel when you grow up? Have the feeling that your life is funny, and not just to you? Funny we should ask! This course may be for you.

Being funny, especially published funny, is not all in the delivery. It's mostly in the writing-and, when it comes to news and trends, the timing. So if you're a journalist with a nose for news and an ear for the funny - or if your inner essayist/parodist is just looking for a way out - you're on your way to writing and publishing humorous non-fiction.

Part discussion, part workshop, part guest lecture, this course will take you from the philosophical (What is the essence of humor?) to the practical (What are the mechanics of joke structure?) to the procedural (To whom should you offer your firstborn to get into the New Yorker?). You'll see why good humor writing is like other good writing, only funny. You'll learn to turn facts into riffs, the personal into the universal, the tragic - sensitively - into the comic, the finished into the published. 

In this class, you can expect to learn:

• The two broad types of non-fiction humor - personal essay and topical satire/parody - along with their overlaps and sub-genres
• How to sharpen your Spider-sense of humor and your ability to make people both laugh and think with in-class writing exercises
• Which magazines are easiest to break into and identify which sections are most "freelancer-friendly"
• How to edit yourself
• How to manage tight deadlines
• How to negotiate your contracts
• How to make tough sales in an even tougher market
• How to work under the toughest deadlines

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
Completed versions of at least one personal essay and satire, plus ideas for (or drafts of) many more; the experience of reading your work in public; a sharper eye for ideas, ear for comedy, and feel for how to turn your funny into business.

Admission requirements:
To be considered for this class, you must submit a writing sample (up to 2,000 words; sample does not need to have been published to be considered) and a letter of interest (hint: Funny letters of interest get an edge).

• Your instructor's lectures are posted once a week: you can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience. Supplemental material - readings, examples, or handouts - may also be available.
• Students post completed assignments on the course bulletin board, where the class gives feedback. Students ask questions, share resources, and support each other, creating a conversation that continues all week.
• A regular chat time allows your class to converse as a group via instant message. Transcripts are available when you can't attend, or if you want to review the discussion. 
• Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Instructor Bio

Neal Pollack's Courses

Neal Pollack is the author of three hard-hitting books of satirical fiction, the editor of the crime-fiction anthology Chicago Noir, the keeper of his popular website, "The Maelstrom," at www.nealpollack.com. His freelance writing has appeared in every English-language publication except The New Yorker. His memoir, Alternadad, will appear in the fall of 2006. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, son, two cats, a dog, and Kanye West.