For September 16-22, 2026

Hello and welcome to A Newsletter of Humorous Writing, a roundup of the week's finest short humor pieces and funny articles, and a celebration of the fantastic writers who wrote them. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Obey in Advance book launch party on Sunday! All the guests were fantastic (thanks Chandler, Taylor, Felipe, and Josh!) and we had a fun time hosting. We hope you we had a good time as well, and thanks so much again to McSweeney’s, Ginny, and Carlos for having us!

What We Enjoyed This Week

Your Parents’ Fall TV Preview by Josh Gondelman (The New Yorker) And speaking of the book launch, here’s a great piece from launch party performer (and pal of the ‘letter), Josh Gondelman. It’s a delightful skewering of both network TV and parents—though we do have to say, “Dr. Shaft, M.D.” actually sounds pretty rad.

The Many Totally Obvious Translations of “Let’s Get Coffee” by Lily Hirsch (Points in Case) Lots of very fun (and very relatable) specifics in this one! We particularly enjoyed the different surprising interpretations of the phrase that Lily comes up with as the piece goes on. This is a great example of taking a premise as far as possible through exploration and challenging yourself to find one more beat. There are more meanings of “get” than you might realize!

On “Derek,” Captain Ahab’s Evil Half Brother by John Hay (The Paris Review) A truly incredible account of the many liberties the first film version of Moby-Dick took in adapting the novel. All the details in this article sound like things you’d make up as part of a satire of Hollywood literary adaptations but, folks, it’s all real.

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Develop Your Comedic Voice at Stella Adler Studio

Led by Comedy Division Director Matt Gehring, upcoming programs:

The Comedy Workshop: An 8-week program on Sundays starting October 18. Focus on solo performance, stand-up, or custom writing projects through weekly feedback, bespoke assignments, and flexible development. Space is limited.

Devised Comedy Winter Immersion: January 4–15, 2027 (30 hrs/week, NYC). A 2-week intensive blending improv, sketch, physical comedy, and solo work for stage and camera.

Please pass this along to anyone in your network looking to enhance their writing/performing chops. Email [email protected] with questions!

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Heidi Lux is teaching Screenplay Structure Made Simple (and Fun!) on Saturday, October 3rd through Writing Workshops! The class breaks down structure in a way that’s process focused, going over the purpose of each beat and how it relates to character arc, so that when you sit down to beat out your screenplay (or other three-act story - novels count, too!), you can think with it. Structure is a tool, not a rigid formula! You can find out more info here.

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An Old Favorite

Suburban Legends by Ann Hodgman (The New Yorker) A series of very funny riffs on some classic urban legends. It very quickly becomes clear what the joke pattern of the piece is, but Ann still finds ways to heighten and surprise the reader, even though we have a pretty good idea of what might be coming.

Do you have an Old Favorite of your own? Let us know by filling out this form and we may run your pick in a future edition of the newsletter.

Updates From Your Editors and Friends of the Newsletter

This Saturday (September 26th), Luke’s moderating a panel called “From Moebius to Marvel: How French Comics Helped Shape American Fantasy” at Villa Albertine (972 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10075) at 11:30AM! The panelists are terrific and it should be a fun and interesting discussion. It’s free with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis, but an RSVP is also required. Hope to see you there!

And on Lit Hub, James wrote about two things—a short film and a novella—to help ease your transition into autumn. They’re both reflective and melancholic, but aren’t complete downers—there’s plenty of humor too.

(There are also still spots left in many of Luke’s October short humor workshops!)