I’m not going to have much time to post in length before Pesach hits next week, but I’m going to try to share something small every day to make up for it.
(throat-clearing)
You cleansed the windows of mud
And you scrubbed all the toys in your tub
But you still won’t be through
When Pesach is due
If you don’t clean chometz off the rug.
Even hyenas know when not to laugh.
A couple days ago, I read this post on the Florida Writers Conference Blog (I know I’m not from Florida, but I happen to really like this blog) about humor. And there’s a fun overview of contemporary religious Jews in comedy right now on Aish.com. So I was already contemplating the subject when I spotted an interview with Ruth Wisse on Tablet about her new book, No Joke.
Ten minutes in, Wisse talks about secular Jewish vs religious humor. If you’re a Jewish writer, it’s worth listening just for that bit.
The conversation as a whole gives a really interesting spin on Jewish comedy, but the most fascinating part is the end of the interview Continue reading
If you play your cards right, you’ll have them laughing like hyenas!
It’s been a week and a half since Purim, so I’ve gotten lots of feedback about this year’s Klempner family Purim Spiel. My husband and sister (fellow contributors) agreed with me that this year’s was less funny than last year’s, but we seem to be in a minority. As I mentioned last year, since I began writing professionally, my little hobby now feels like work, and I avoided cranking out a complete rough draft until the week before Purim.
And then, I deleted several stories at almost the last minute. They just weren’t funny enough. So, I prayed–yes, that’s what this professional writer with a Master’s Degree and a generally pragmatic outlook on life did–I prayed for new ideas. And G-d sent some!
Besides relying on Heavenly Intervention, there are other ways to be funny. Without further ado:
5 Ways To Be Funny Continue reading
Rebecca Klempner 