Seriously Funny! Finding the Humor in Your Story: A Generative Workshop

Join writer and musician Jon Hébert for a ninety-minute workshop on finding comedy in the stories we tell about our own lives! Drawing from his own memoir, Hear This! A Twisted Tale of Sonic Torment, the work of humorous memoirists Jenny Lawson, Samantha Irby, and Maria Bamford, and other forms of humor such as sketch comedy, sitcoms, and late-night monologues, we'll explore what makes people laugh at life's darkest moments and how those principles can work in memoir. The workshop will also explore the ethical and technical challenges of turning real people and painful experiences into comedy, including when it might be too soon to tell a story, how to avoid exploiting illness or the people experiencing it, and lessons Jon learned along the way. Ahead of the workshop, participants are invited to bring a favorite joke. During a 10-minute generative writing exercise, they'll use that joke as a bridge into the story they want to tell, with the option to share their joke or writing with the group. The workshop welcomes writers at every level, from beginners to advanced. Come by Parleaux for a delicious drink, to peruse some books by Book Banter Books, and to join us for this amazing workshop!