Real

True Narratives

General histories:

• Arthur Power Dudden, ed., American Humor (Oxford University Press, 1987).
• Constance Rourke, ed., American Humor: A Study of Our National Character (NYRB Classics, 2004).
• Nancy A. Walker, A Very Serious Thing: Women's Humor and American Culture (University of Minnesota Press, 1988).
• Edward J. Piacentino, The Enduring Legacy of Old Southwest Humor (Louisiana State University Press, 2006).
• Neil Schmitz, Of Huck and Alice: Humorous Writing in American Literature (University of Minnesota Press, 1983).
• Mel Watkins, On the Real Side: A History of African American Comedy (Lawrence Hill Books, 1999).
• Mel Watkins, African American Humor: The Best Black Comedy from Slavery to Today (Lawrence Hill Books, 2002).
• Paul Beatty, Hokum: An Anthology of African-American Humor (Bloomsbury USA, 2006).
• Paul Johnson, Humorists: From Hogarth to Noël Coward (Harper/HarperCollins, 2010).

Histories of the comic arts:

• William Knoedelseder, I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era (Public Affairs, 2009).
• Steve Allen, The Funny Men (Simon & Schuster, 1956).
• Janet Coleman, The Compass: The Improvisational Theatre That Revolutionized American Comedy (University of Chicago Press, 1991).
• Jeffrey Sweet, Something Wonderful Right Away: An Oral History of The Second City & The Compass Players (Limelight Editions, 2004).
• Mary Scruggs and Michael J. Gellman, Process: An Improviser's Journey (Northwestern University Press, 2007).

Personal histories:

• David Bianculli, Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (Touchstone, 2009).
• George Carlin, Last Words: A Memoir (Free Press, 2009).
• Randy Skretvelt and Jordan R. Young, Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies (Past Times Publishing, 1994).
• Simon Louvish, Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy: The Double Life of Laurel and Hardy (Thomas Dunn Books, 2002).
• W.C. Fields and Ronald J. Fields, W.C. Fields By Himself: His Intended Autobiography (Prentice Hall, 1973).
• Charles Chaplin, My Autobiography (Simon & Schuster, 1978).
• Jeffrey Vance, Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema (Harry N. Abrams, 2003).
• Stephen Weissman, Chaplin: A Life (Arcade Publishing, 2008).
• Andy Dougan, Robin Williams (Thunder's Mouth Press, 1998).
• Steve Martin, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life (Scribner, 2007).
• Richard Pryor, Convictions and Other Life Sentences (Pantheon, 1995).
• Bill Cosby, Time Flies (Doubleday, 1987).
• David Sedaris, Naked (Little, Brown and Company, 1997): “Every Funny Family Is Funny In Its Own Way”.

Technical and Analytical Readings

General readings:

• Mike Sacks, And Here's the Kicker: Conversations With 25 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft (Writer's Digest Books, 2009).
• Larry Wilde, Great Comedians Talk About Comedy (Executive Books, 2000).
• Franklyn Ajaye, Comic Insights: The Art of Stand-Up Comedy (Silman;James Press, 2002).
• Gene Perret, The New Comedy Writing Step By Step (Quill Driver Press, 2007).

Instruction manuals:

• Viola Spolin, Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques (Northwestern University Press, 1999).
• Keith Johnstone, Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre (Routledge, 1987).