Week Two: Crying About Jokes

This week the new piece up is "The Funniest Joke Ever Told." The idea behind this one was pretty simple. I just spent awhile thinking about what made people laugh, at the times I'd laughed the hardest, and what laughter could mean for people. I've actually been thinking about this question ever since I took a class on comedy back in university at Marlboro. My time at the school does briefly feature in the piece. It's written in a format I really enjoy. The pseudo essay that becomes more and more story like as it goes. I hope to write more of these in the future.

As this piece is more grounded in the real world and in my actual life then most of what I write I would like to shout out some people who were a huge help in making this piece happen.

Hannah Strand who encouraged me and gave me a roof while I wrote the first draft.

Brett Iselin who gave me a roof while I wrote the massively overhauled second draft (close to the version you can read today) and has been the most significant advocate for this piece.

Ezra Glatt who, to my enduring regret, came up with the family specific joke.

To everyone who has ever made me laugh.