{"product_id":"funnier-a-new-theory-for-the-practice-of-comedy-paperback-softback-9780810149366","title":"Funnier; A New Theory for the Practice of Comedy (Paperback \/ softback) 9780810149366","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eFunnier\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eA New Theory for the Practice of Comedy\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eAnne Libera (Author), Ashley Nicole Black (Foreword by), Chelsea Devantez (Foreword by), Ariel Dumas (Foreword by), Jenny Hagel (Foreword by)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780810149366, Northwestern University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 15 October 2025\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e376 pages\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.486 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e​“I have admired Anne Libera as a teacher and a director for 40 years. This new book proves to me she’s only gotten better.” —Stephen Colbert, American comedian, writer, and television host \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “As a student of Anne's in my early days of comedy, she opened up a world of comedic history that helps me in my writing to this day. With \u003ci\u003eFunnier\u003c\/i\u003e, she continues to demystify and examine comedy for a whole new generation of students.” —Aidy Bryant, American actress and comedian \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “I wish I had written \u003ci\u003eFunnier\u003c\/i\u003e. I might tell people that I did. No, I won’t. I mean, maybe? But I wish I had. But you’re lucky that Anne Libera wrote it because it’s brilliant. \u003ci\u003eFunnier\u003c\/i\u003e will quickly become your go-to book for creating and analyzing comedy. It expertly weaves together comic theory and practical exercises, allowing the reader to both analyze and create comedy. Whether you’re funny or not (and this book will definitely make you funnier), you’re going to love this book.” —Matt Fotis, Albright College\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA roadmap for understanding and creating comedy from the visionary Second City comedy director\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGreat comedy can feel ineffable—and unlearnable. Debunking the myth that “either you are funny, or you aren’t,” Libera breaks the magic of comedy down into an innovative theory and practical toolkit. Developed over the course of thirty years as a director for The Second City and professor of comedy studies in their training center, Libera’s approach is effective across stand-up, sketch, film, and television comedy, as evidenced by her powerhouse students: Jordan Peele, Amy Poehler, Kristen Schaal, Steven Yeun, and many more of your favorites.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis book\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003estarts with a way to think about comedy and then guides you through concrete\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003estrategies for making your work smarter, richer, \u003ci\u003efunnier\u003c\/i\u003e. Libera covers everything from generating material to revising and performing to fostering social connection through comedy. In the book’s final section, Libera draws from her personal life to make a profound case for why future comedy writers should consider the ethics of their art and their responsibility to their fellow human beings in the audience. Readers won’t just be funnier because of this book—they’ll be better people.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eForeword \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Part I: Thinking About Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e A Theory of Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Recognition \u003cbr\u003e Distance \u003cbr\u003e Pain \u003cbr\u003e Comedy is Relative \u003cbr\u003e Comedy Theory Overview (please cut this section, per ACQ notes) \u003cbr\u003e The Five Components of Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Jokes \u003cbr\u003e Physical Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Character \u003cbr\u003e Narrative \u003cbr\u003e Point of View \u003cbr\u003e Thick and Thin Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Taste, Hack, and Watching Comedy as a Comedian \u003cbr\u003e Analyzing Comedy That Someone Else Has Created \u003cbr\u003e Humor Theory For Comedians \u003cbr\u003e Superiority Theory \u003cbr\u003e Incongruity Theory \u003cbr\u003e Tension and Release Theory \u003cbr\u003e Benign Violation Theory \u003cbr\u003e Evolutionary Theories of Humor and Laughter \u003cbr\u003e Not Exactly Humor Theory But As Long As We’\u003cbr\u003ere Here, Let’\u003cbr\u003es Talk About Comedy and Your Brain \u003cbr\u003e Biases and Heuristics \u003cbr\u003e Anchoring Bias \u003cbr\u003e Salience Bias \u003cbr\u003e Story Coherence \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eContext: Physical (Where Are You?) \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eContext: Capitalism (Who is the Customer?) \u003cbr\u003e Putting the Frog Back Together \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Part I: Making It Funny \u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e Generating Comedy Materials and Ideas \u003cbr\u003e Types of Material Generation Prompts \u003cbr\u003e Creating Prompts That Use the Elements of Pain and Distance \u003cbr\u003e Material Generation Prompts \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eTruth \u003cbr\u003e How to Write a Joke \u003cbr\u003e Defining Jokes \u003cbr\u003e How to Write a Joke \u003cbr\u003e How to Write a News Joke \u003cbr\u003e Creating Original Jokes \u003cbr\u003e Joke Filters \u003cbr\u003e How to Rewrite a Joke \u003cbr\u003e Jokes That Use Other Comedy Components \u003cbr\u003e Revising Jokes That Use More Than One Component \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eNovelty and Surprise \u003cbr\u003e Performing Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Defining Comedy in Performance \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eDiscovery \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eExplore and Heighten \u003cbr\u003e Defining Physical Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Making Physical Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Props \u003cbr\u003e Slapstick \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eStatus \u003cbr\u003e Performing Comedy \u003cbr\u003e Creating Comic Characters \u003cbr\u003e Defining Comic Character \u003cbr\u003e Creating Comedic Characters \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eCharacter Space Walk \u003cbr\u003e More Ways to Create or Practice With Embodied Characters \u003cbr\u003e Playing With Character Point of View For Writers \u003cbr\u003e Good Comedy Hygiene: Character \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eUseful Definitions \u003cbr\u003e Persona \u003cbr\u003e Defining Persona \u003cbr\u003e Creating Your Comic Persona \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003ePersona Worksheet \u003cbr\u003e Point of View \u003cbr\u003e Defining a Point of View \u003cbr\u003e Point of View 101: you Already Have a Point of View \u003cbr\u003e Comedic Opinion \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eUseful Definitions (Irony and Sarcasm) \u003cbr\u003e Parody and Satire \u003cbr\u003e Creating Parody \u003cbr\u003e Creating Satire \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eUseful Definitions (Parody and Satire) \u003cbr\u003e Creating Comedic Narratives \u003cbr\u003e Story and Narrative: A Quick Introduction \u003cbr\u003e Defining Comedic Narrative \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eUseful Definitions (Farce) \u003cbr\u003e Comic Premise \u003cbr\u003e Starting With a Comic Idea \u003cbr\u003e Writing a Short Comedy Piece \u003cbr\u003e Sketch \u003cbr\u003e Sitcom \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003ePutting Characters Into Comedic Stories \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eThinking About Structure \u003cbr\u003e Variety Narratives \u003cbr\u003e Defining Variety Narratives \u003cbr\u003e How to Write a Simple Standup Set \u003cbr\u003e Sketch Running Order \u003cbr\u003e Running Order Outlines \u003cbr\u003e Running Order Hierarchy of Needs \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Part III: Making It Funnier \u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eExpectations \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eRisk and Failure \u003cbr\u003e Tool—\u003cbr\u003eTaking a Comedy Class \u003cbr\u003e Next Steps of Revising \u003cbr\u003e Digging Into the Comedy Triad: Recognition, Pain, Distance \u003cbr\u003e Looking at Structure \u003cbr\u003e The Five Comedy Components \u003cbr\u003e The Obvious \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Part IV: Making It Better \u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e Thinking About Comedy Ethics \u003cbr\u003e Making Your Comedy More Ethical \u003cbr\u003e Comedy to Read and Watch \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments \u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Northwestern University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52676611244312,"sku":"9780810149366","price":19.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/funnier-a-new-theory-for-the-practice-of-comedy-paperback-softback-9780810149366","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}