While this one has nothing to do with comedy, it should be required reading for every U.S. Dark Money by Jane Mayer (2016)Ī fascinating, well-researched account of how private money from far-right billionaires - namely, the Koch brothers - has corrupted our democracy. The world has shifted so much in the 23 years since this playfully brash exposé was first published, and while its larger-than-life author is now tragically dead, his writing endures. Bourdain is as fearless as he is amusing, surgically eviscerating fine dining with outrageous and oftentimes unappetizing anecdotes about his years in its trenches. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (2000)įor me, this is an all-time favorite memoir. Tolentino's perspective on society is evocative of that cool, smarter-than-you friend whose mere presence in your life helps justify spending half your paycheck on rent to live in a city where someone like Jia would reside. Hilarious, insightful, and the gold standard in contemporary cultural criticism. I don't think I would have had the confidence to write a 9,000-word essay on dead baby jokes without Gorey as my longtime muse.

His macabre illustrations and morbid stories have influenced a lot of my work.

I've been a fan of Edward Gorey ever since I could read. Her new book, Not Funny, addresses cultural flashpoints, including sexism and dead baby jokes.

Jena Friedman is a comedian and writer whose recent work includes the series True Crime Story: Indefensible and the standup special Ladykiller.

Dark life book 2