Collection: Humor

"A boisterous debut ... the authors are as funny as one would expect ... this is a hoot." ―Publishers Weekly

"Will entice fans of Key & Peele ... a fun and funny primer on the art form." ―Booklist

Authors Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key build on the popularity of their 2022 Webby Award-winning podcast and delve deeper into the world of sketch, helped along with new essays created expressly for the book by comedy greats.

The History of Sketch Comedy will appeal to all kinds of comedy fans as well as fans of Keegan-Michael Key, whether they know him from his Emmy and Peabody-winning work on Key & Peele; his roles in Fargo, The Prom, Schmigadoon!, The Bubble, and the upcoming Wonka; voiceover work in The Lion King; or as President Barack Obama's anger translator, Luther.

With epic personal tangents and hilarious asides, the Keys take you on an illuminating journey through all facets of comedy from the stock characters of commedia del arte in the 16th century, to the rise of vaudeville and burlesque, the golden age of television comedy, the influence of the most well-known comedy schools, and the ascension of comedy films and TV specials--all the way through to a look at the future of sketch on social media platforms. Along the way, we hear tales of Keegan's childhood, his comedy influences, and the vicissitudes of his career path. As the New York Times said in its review of their podcast, "this comedy nerd history is filtered through memoir, with Key relating stories of his budding fandom, training and rise from improv comic to television sketch artist."

Part memoir, part masterclass, and hilariously embellished with priceless commentary, The History of Sketch Comedy highlights the essential building blocks of sketch comedy while interweaving Keegan's personal career journey and the influence of his comedy heroes. The text is complemented by original art by Elle Key and exclusive essays compiled from conversations with influential performers, sketch writers, and uber comedy fans including Mel Brooks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, John Oliver, Tracy Morgan, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Jordan Peele, and many more. This book is as entertaining as it is enlightening--a must-read for fans of comedy and all who aspire to comic greatness.

EXPANDING THE HIT PODCAST: With content from the #1 trending, NAACP-award-nominated and Webby-Award-winning Audible podcast, and featuring new-for-the-book material as well as never-before-heard stories and essays, this book will be a hit for newcomers and avid listeners of the podcast alike.

MASTER OF THE MEDIUM: Keegan-Michael Key is a bona fide maestro of comedy, with the chops, experience, and love for the history of the medium that make him the perfect expert on all things sketch. As co-writer Elle Key likes to say, "If Keegan-Michael Key was a guest lecturer at NYU teaching a course called 'The History of Sketch Comedy, ' it would be a very popular class."

EXCLUSIVE ESSAYS: Keegan and Elle interviewed over a dozen comedy legends exclusively for this book, and got their takes on topics ranging from the influence of Saturday Night Live, to women in comedy, to the mathematics of sketch. Hear, in their own words, from Mel Brooks, Mike Myers, Jordan Peele, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, John Oliver, Tracy Morgan, Stephen Colbert, Carol Burnett, Chris Rock, Bob Odenkirk, Mike Birbiglia, Matt Lucas, Ken Jeong, Christopher Guest, Gary Oldman, Kevin Nealon, Laraine Newman, and Jim Carrey.

GIFTABLE VOLUME OF COMEDY GOLD: Original illustrations and personal photographs throughout make this unique comedy book as visually entertaining as it is enlightening. The perfect gift for comedy fans of all ages as well as anyone aspiring to write, perform, or produce comedic art.

Perfect for:

• Comedy lovers of all kinds
• Fans of Key & Peele
• Fans of improv, sketch, stand-up, and shows like SNL, MadTV, Monty Python, and Mr. Show
• Gift giving or self-purchase for established and aspiring comedians
• Readers of such bestsellers as Bossypants, Yes Please, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Born Standing Up, and Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A GLAMOUR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - A hilarious new essay collection from Samantha Irby "engages readers with her characteristic combination of laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt passages and plenty of awkward experiences.... Quietly Hostile will delight established fans and newcomers alike (Parade).

"Brilliant and one of the funniest people I've ever read." --Roxane Gay - "The king of sparkling misanthropy and tender, loving dread." --Jia Tolentino

"Absolutely hilarious.... If you are feeling down, or you feel like you haven't read anything you've loved in a long time, all you need is Samantha Irby.... She will make you laugh on every page." --Emma Straub, bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, on The Today Show

Samantha Irby's career has taken her to new heights. She dodges calls from Hollywood and flop sweats on the red carpet at premieres (well, one premiere). But nothing is ever as it seems online, where she can crop out all the ugly parts.

Irby got a lot of weird emails about Carrie Bradshaw, and not only is there diarrhea to avoid, but now--anaphylactic shock. She is turned away from restaurants for being inappropriately dressed and looks for the best ways to cope, i.e., reveling in the offerings of QVC and adopting a deranged pandemic dog. Quietly Hostile makes light as Irby takes us on another outrageously funny tour of all the gory details that make up the true portrait of a life behind the screenshotted depression memes. Relatable, poignant, and uproarious, once again, Irby is the tonic we all need to get by.

A BEST BOOK from Vogue, Esquire, PopSugar, Glamour, The Skimm, and more

* THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Scientific American's #1 Book for 2023 * A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * A Times Best Science and Environment Book of 2023 * A Tor.com Best Book of 2023 *

"Exceptional. . . Forceful, engaging and funny . . . This book will make you happy to live on this planet -- a good thing, because you're not leaving anytime soon." --New York Times Book Review

From the bestselling authors of Soonish, a brilliant and hilarious off-world investigation into space settlement

Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away--no climate change, no war, no Twitter--beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Critically acclaimed, bestselling authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren't so sure it's a good idea. Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn't spark conflict back home. In a world hurtling toward human expansion into space, A City on Mars investigates whether the dream of new worlds won't create nightmares, both for settlers and the people they leave behind. In the process, the Weinersmiths answer every question about space you've ever wondered about, and many you've never considered:

Can you make babies in space? Should corporations govern space settlements? What about space war? Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon's Peaks of Eternal Light--and what happens if you're left in the Craters of Eternal Darkness? Why do astronauts love taco sauce? Speaking of meals, what's the legal status of space cannibalism?

With deep expertise, a winning sense of humor, and art from the beloved creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, the Weinersmiths investigate perhaps the biggest questions humanity will ever ask itself--whether and how to become multiplanetary.

Get in, we're going to Mars.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - More than one million copies sold! A "brilliant" (Lupita Nyong'o, Time), "poignant" (Entertainment Weekly), "soul-nourishing" (USA Today) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid

"Noah's childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa's history that must never be forgotten."--Esquire

Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award - Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist

Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.

The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love.

National bestseller and fan favorite! This humorous look at 50 common North American dumb birds is a perfect book for the birder and anti-birder alike.

For those who have a disdain for birds, or for bird lovers with a sense of humor, this snarky illustrated handbook is equal parts profane, funny, and--let's face it--true. Featuring common North American birds such as the White-Breasted Butt Nugget and the Goddamned Canada Goose (or White-Breasted Nuthatch and Canada Goose for the layperson), Matt Kracht identifies all the idiots in your backyard and details exactly why they suck with humorous yet angry ink drawings. With The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, you won't need to wonder what all that racket is anymore!

ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL: This uproarious guide to all things wings includes migratory maps, tips for birding, musings on the avian population, and lessons on the ethics of birdwatching. Plus, each entry is accompanied by facts about a bird's (annoying) call, its (dumb) migratory pattern, its (downright tacky) markings, and more.

POPULAR AUTHOR: Matt Kracht is an amateur birder, writer, and illustrator who enjoys creating books that celebrate the humor inherent in life's absurdities. Based in Seattle, he enjoys gazing out the window at the beautiful waters of Puget Sound and making fun of birds. Other hilarious titles from Matt include The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole StupidWorld and OMFG, BEES!

WELL REVIEWED: Critics recommend this laugh-out-loud funny spoof guide:

"There are loads of books out there for bird lovers, but until now, nothing for those that love to hate birds. The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America fills the void, packed with snarky illustrations that chastise the flying animals in a funny, profane way."--Uncrate

"There are a lot of great bird field identification guides, but after a day afield with The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, you will never look at birds or birdwatching the same again...You need this book if you want to lighten up your birdwatching."--Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Perfect for:

• Birdwatching and nature enthusiasts
• People who think birds are creepy or annoying (and people who love birds but also enjoy a good laugh)
• Anyone looking for the ultimate coffee table book or bar-top conversation starter
• Gift givers seeking a fun Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthday, or retirement gift

Welcome to Running in Slippers, a humorous memoir about how Angie plummeted into despair after a failed relationship and the death of her father, taking you through the totally raw and vulnerable rollercoaster of severely misguided attempts to fill the voids, reading like a train wreck that you can't look away from.

Between social masks, social media facades, and the COVID pandemic, our society has become increasingly disconnected. Much of what we see in-person and online is profoundly filtered and edited. What we don't see are the everyday struggles and imperfections of real life.

We don't connect by being perfect. We connect by being real. It feels terrifying to allow our deepest, authentic selves to be seen, and possibly rejected, but that is exactly why she is doing it: to break out of the masks and encourage connection through vulnerability.

Big, brainy science for the littlest listeners

Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this book explores the basics of flight - from birds, to planes and rockets - and ties it all to baby's world. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby's sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two, as well!

With tongue firmly in cheek, the Baby Loves Science series introduces highly intellectual science concepts to the littlest learners.

Shel Silverstein, the New York Times bestselling author of The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and Every Thing On It, has created a poetry collection that is outrageously funny and deeply profound. Come in...for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. This special edition contains 12 extra poems.

You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings stretches the bounds of imagination and will be cherished by readers of all ages. This is a collection that belongs on everyone's bookshelf. Makes a great gift for special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, and graduation.

And don't miss Runny Babbit Returns, the new book by Shel Silverstein!

In the 50s, gays took on stereotypical roles David Vass did not embrace. "I wasn't a top, bottom, butch or fem - I scared the shit out of all the homos I met!" Entertaining, humorous, and shocking, he reveals secrets of the record labels (how he became a mafia money runner), juicy, never-before-told anecdotes about legendary celebrities - Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe and Tony award winners that he technical directed. Over 100 World Class difficult personalities were kept in line by Vass. Many shared their secrets with him.

"At seven, I stopped talking for two years because of a speech impediment and started writing. Diaries were the first of my addictions. I wrote down everything that happened to me for seven decades. These outrageous experiences are the bones of my book; I hope none of the mobsters I knew will leave a horse's head in my bed!"

David's story is still relevant, given today's political backpedaling of our civil liberties. His life is raunchy, hilarious, twisted, and brutally honest. A laugh-out-loud page-turner: gay little boy of the 50s, stumbles into the dangerous world of strip clubs in the 60s where he learned his talent as a technical director. Working the hottest clubs and iconic theatres, record labels lined up to contract him for his 'celebrity-whisperer' talents and his connections to the mob in the 70s.

The fun he had in prison; "best sex of my life", thrills with pills, robbing his mother in drag thinking she wouldn't recognize him. She did. His salacious adventures in a pre-AIDs world. A homo-hobo, Vass's mash-up is brutally honest and a cautionary tale laced with inspiration.

A new essay collection by adored comedian and NYT bestseller Randy Rainbow

Randy Rainbow has a few things on his mind that he wants to talk about. As a savvy social commentator tuned into the public discourse, his unfailing intuition tells him that the perspective everyone in America is clamoring for is that of a privileged white male complaining about a bunch of shit. While writing his NYT bestseller Playing With Myself, Randy saw an America in crisis. He knew that what the country needed to get back on its high heels was a hard-hitting gay agenda and here it is - Low Hanging Fruit - a book filled with sparkling whines, a few flutes of champagne problems and a Birkin bag of the most pressing issues facing the US, from dancing TikTok grandmas, to Elon Musk, the GOP, and Donald Jessica Trump.

On the down low, Randy dishes up some sex talk about life on the dating apps, Craigslist hookups and more. ("Gurl, wait till you hear the story about the fireman and the goggles...") Randy's longtime companion, the glamorous Chinchilla Silver Persian cat Tippi, makes an appearance as she dishes about her life Chez Randy. And, in the most highly anticipated sequel since Top Gun: Maverick, Randy continues the conversation with his mother, Gwen, because who knows better than the Jewish mother of a gay man about how to solve America's problems? Randy Rainbow's Low Hanging Fruit - a bold manifesto for a nation desperately in need of a makeover.

This "hilarious and honest" bestselling memoir from a rising comedy star tackles issues of gender, sexuality, feminism, and the Catholic childhood that prepared her for a career as an outspoken lesbian comedian (Abby Wambach).
Cameron Esposito wanted to be a priest and ended up a stand-up comic. Now she would like to tell the whole queer as hell story. Her story. Not the sidebar to a straight person's rebirth-she doesn't give a makeover or plan a wedding or get a couple back together. This isn't a queer tragedy. She doesn't die at the end of this book, having finally decided to kiss the girl. It's the sexy, honest, bumpy, and triumphant dyke's tale her younger, wasn't-allowed-to-watch-Ellen self needed to read. Because there was a long time when she thought she wouldn't make it. Not as a comic, but as a human.

SAVE YOURSELF is full of funny and insightful recollections about everything from coming out (at a Catholic college where sexual orientation wasn't in the nondiscrimination policy) to how joining the circus can help you become a better comic (so much nudity) to accepting yourself for who you are-even if you're, say, a bowl cut-sporting, bespectacled, gender-nonconforming child with an eye patch (which Cameron was). Packed with heart, humor, and cringeworthy stories anyone who has gone through puberty, fallen in love, started a career, or had period sex in Rome can relate to, Cameron's memoir is for that timid, fenced-in kid in all of us-and the fearless stand-up yearning to break free.

INDIE BESTSELLERWASHINGTON POST BESTSELLERSEATTLE TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF BUSTLE'S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF MARCH

In her warm and witty debut about living with intrusive thoughts and anxiety, bestselling author Hayley Morris shows--with her signature sparkling humor and unflinching honesty--that being an overthinker is both a blessing and a curse. She confronts the funny (if painful) moments that arise when your brain and body refuse to cooperate and your inner voice won't shut up. No subject is too taboo for Hayley, whether that's forgetting how to walk when people are watching or the frustrations of dating. Me vs. Brain is for any reader hoping to befriend their brain, even when it's "scatty, annoying, and wrong about basically everything."

This illustrated book of advice on love, dating, and friendship--written by and for queer women and people of marginalized genders-is the new go-to queer relationship handbook.

Fix yourself a cup of non-caffeinated herbal tea and prepare to laugh, cry, reminisce, and feel your feelings as you read through these quintessentially queer dating dilemmas.

In The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend Is My Girlfriend, advice columnist Maddy Court (a.k.a. Xena Worrier Princess) answers anonymous queries from lesbian, bisexual, and queer women and people of marginalized genders.

Illustrated by comics artist Kelsey Wroten and based on Court's viral zine of the same name, this book features never-before-published letters and responses about first loves, heartbreak, coming out, and queer friendship--all answered with the warmth and honesty of the gay big sister you wish you had.

- BY QUEERS, FOR QUEERS: This book was written by and for queer women and people of marginalized genders. The questions reflect real experiences that aren't often represented in the media, and the answers offer an important reminder that loving ourselves takes patience, effort, and the support of our friends and communities.
- EXCITING DEBUT AUTHOR: In 2018, Maddy Court made the leap from creating niche lesbian memes on Instagram to writing and distributing a series of zines. Never preachy or dismissive, Court offers advice that is sympathetic and straightforward--it's equal parts refreshing vulnerability and remarkable wisdom.
- GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATION: Kelsey Wroten's art brings the letters to life, immersing the reader in all the joys and disappointments of the contributors who wrote in from all over the world. In addition to the traditional illustrations, each chapter features a paneled mini-comic that speaks to the different themes.
- AMAZING GUEST EXPERTS: Because one queer cannot possible hold all the answers, The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend Is My Girlfriend also includes advice from an incredible roster of guest experts. Author and comedian Samantha Irby; musicians JD Samson and Ellen Kempner; and writers and activists Tyler Ford, Kalyn Heffernan, Lola Pellegrino, and Mey Rude all tackle questions on long-distance breakups, jealousy, love triangles, making friends, and more.

Perfect for:

- Lesbian, bisexual, and queer women and people of marginalized genders with questions about dating, friendship, and life
- Fans of the Ex-Girlfriend zine series and followers of @Xenaworrierprincess
- Fans of Kelsey Wroten's graphic novels and art

One of NPR's Best Books of 2020
One of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2020

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Can't Date Jesus, which Vogue called "a piece of personal and cultural storytelling that is as fun as it is illuminating," comes a wry and insightful essay collection that explores the financial and emotional cost of chasing your dreams.

Ever since Oprah Winfrey told the 2007 graduating class of Howard University, "Don't be afraid," Michael Arceneaux has been scared to death. You should never do the opposite of what Oprah instructs you to do, but when you don't have her pocket change, how can you not be terrified of the consequences of pursuing your dreams?

Michael has never shied away from discussing his struggles with debt, but in I Don't Want to Die Poor, he reveals the extent to which it has an impact on every facet of his life--how he dates; how he seeks medical care (or in some cases, is unable to); how he wrestles with the question of whether or not he should have chosen a more financially secure path; and finally, how he has dealt with his "dream" turning into an ongoing nightmare as he realizes one bad decision could unravel all that he's earned. You know, actual "economic anxiety."

I Don't Want to Die Poor is an unforgettable and relatable examination about what it's like leading a life that often feels out of your control. But in Michael's voice that's "as joyful as he is shrewd" (BuzzFeed), these razor-sharp essays will still manage to make you laugh and remind you that you're not alone in this often intimidating journey.

In I'm Never Fine, a collage memoir of essays and poetry, Joseph Lezza shouts in the dark from the backseat of a stranger's car, a ditch on the Italian coast, a forest outside the arctic, and from the bottom of a shaving cream can.

When Joseph caught himself wishing necrotizing skin infections upon unhurried retirees in the self checkout lane, and fantasized about loud-talking commuters making quick friends with the underside of a steamroller, he began to wonder if he was fine.

Of all the things Joseph Lezza could have been, he certainly wasn't fine.

The "fine" he'd adopted watching his father succumb to cancer was beginning to wane. It could no longer be used as a shield to melt the face off of anyone who dared inquire. All the "fines" prophesized in every article, every book, and every inspirational meme-courtesy of every armchair expert with a pulse and internet connection-had lost their value.

When Joseph realized he was facing a future that would find him standing over the carcass of an overzealous Costco greeter, one thing became clear: moving on required looking back.

This memoir is an autopsy of perceived missteps, a conclusion to unfinished conversations, and a reframing of flawed judgments through the eyes of a young man in search of a feeling. Search for that feeling with Joseph Lezza in I'm Never Fine.

Get ready to dive into this must-read compilation of honest and hilariously encouraging messages designed to make you giggle your way into believing you're already enough-- just the way you are!

Anna Przy, the viral role model of boundary-setting and self-acceptance, shares relatable realness for anybody who feels burnt out from a lifetime of hustle culture. Often concluding with her iconic "Keep it up, cutie. I'm so frickin' proud of you," these videos have exploded on TikTok and Instagram, garnering more "likes" than there are cups of coffee at a tech startup (More than 24 million . . .but who's counting).

Whether you're in desperate need of a pick-me-up on those rough days, a break during the never-ending ones, or a pep talk that can lift your spirits, Anna Przy is your girl. And because stickers are like the fairy dust of adulthood, there is a sticker sheet featuring her most cherished catchphrases and little reminders to treat yourself like the rockstar you are.

Relatable, hilarious, and always on point, Keep It Up, Cutie! gives you permission to reject society's expectations and ask yourself, "What the heck do I truly want out of life?" With whimsical illustrations by Nic Farrell, this book is your go-to gift for anyone searching for a happier way forward.