Notes from Jeanette Winterson’s Reading at McNally Jackson
Jeanette Winterson has the best-named memoir: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? She spoke about the story behind the title during her reading at McNally Jackson bookstore in NYC:…
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Elissa Bassist
115 posts
Elissa Bassist edits the Funny Women column and teaches humor writing. Her next class is "How to Write a Comedic Memoir" on 3/30. She wrote Hysterical, a semi-finalist for The Thurber Prize for American humor, and is co-writing Inside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers with Caitlin Kunkel (out in 2026). Her newsletter is Tragedy Plus Time.
Link Roundup of F*ed Reproduction Regulations
The last few months have been like a post-apocalyptic dystopian young adult novel re: women’s health. First there was Nancy Pelosi’s GOP Oversight hearing photo showing five men testifying on women’s health. “What…
Welcome to the Girls’ Club
“We’re secretaries fully versed in Derrida, receptionists who have read Proust in French. This is a land of girls. There are always at least ten of ‘us’ for every one of…
Notes from Treasure Island!!!
Author Sara Levine read a few chapters from her novel Treasure Island!!! (a Rumpus Book Club selection) at WORD bookstore in Brooklyn and said wonderfully interesting things during the Q &…
FUNNY WOMEN #73: How to Write Like a Funny Woman
Recently, I started taking improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York (founded by the high priestess of funny, Amy Poehler). During each class exercise, I’d think, “This…
Write Like a Motherfucker (on Facebook)
Are you trying to write today but feeling distracted/unmotivated/lonely? If so, perfect. We’re taking “Write Like a Motherfucker,” Dear Sugar’s #48 column one step beyond…
My Interview with Susie Bright, Sex-Positive Feminist
Susie Bright, sex-positive feminist, writer, revolutionary, and my first tongue-kiss with a woman recently released her memoir Big Sex Little Death.
Hold for Laughs
The AFI Directing Workshop for Women has been dedicated to developing the talent of the next generation of film and TV female directors since 1974. Amy French, one of last…
Poor Yorick Entertainment
Upon finishing Infinite Jest (doing so is like a sacrament, which I say even though I’m Jewish), Chris Ayers created a shining visual memorial/appendage to Infinite Jest. The website Poor…
Unsolicited Writing Advice You Want
Some advice for writers from our own Elissa Bassist: [Some of this is stolen. But I won’t tell you what because I want to impress you.]
OMG and LOL are inducted into the OED
“It’s wonderful to experience the ongoing corruption and evolution of the English language.”