Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today's Top Comedy Writers

"Humor can be dissected like a frog—but it dies in the process… You can’t poke around in humor for long. It slips away from you with ease."

Elwyn Brooks White

The author of this book, Mike Sacks, doesn’t try to “slice up” comedy “to death” like a poor frog. No—he just carefully walks through all its components, respecting this fragile art.

Here you’ll find 15 exclusive interviews with the best representatives of the industry. The creators behind projects such as “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Monty Python,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The New Yorker,” and more share their stories and secrets. You’ll learn not only how they manage to make completely unfamiliar people laugh, but—most importantly—why they do it. These people have broken the canons of humor so many times that, in the end, they themselves became role models.

Direct advice that may come in handy for comedy writers is organized into separate sections for convenience. They’re written concisely and clearly, without any fluff, and will help not only beginners, but also those who want to improve their skills.