Chris Duffy 9/5/15 Chris Duffy 9/5/15

3 Things: Neil Gaiman, Brooklyn Bar Menus, and Jeff Smith

Hi friends,

1 Thing I Think Is Great:

Neil Gaiman's speech at Philadelphia's University of the Arts is a constant source of inspiration for me. When I'm talking to friends about art, when I'm thinking through decisions about my career, when I'm feeling stuck, I find myself coming back to this speech. Regardless of whether you think of yourself as "an artist" or not, Neil has managed to take so much of the confusion and frustration out of figuring out your path and clarified what matters. I can't recommend this highly enough. And if the speech wasn't enough on its own, graphic designer Chip Kidd just released a stunning hardcover version of the text with his own illustrations. Make Good Art

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

This is so simple, but makes me laugh every time. It's the Brooklyn Bar Menu Generator. "Have you recently purchased a bar in Brooklyn, but are completely bereft of original ideas? Firstly, congratulations on joining the thriving Brooklyn bar scene! Secondly, relax! You can use this handy tool to generate a name and menu for your fine establishment --- absolutely no imagination necessary." Go ahead, give it a spin! Brooklyn Bar Menus (h/t Nick Greene)

1 Interesting Thing:

Jeff Smith is a former Missouri State Senator who was jailed for corruption. He just wrote a memoir about his year in prison. While I've got some reservations about him personally (he seems to really think illegal campaigning is not a big deal and some of his observations seem pretty out of touch), I'm fascinated by his experience. From stealing peppers from the kitchen in his socks to learning where he's allowed to sit at meals, it's definitely worth a read. The Senator Be Embezzling

Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/

Have a great weekend,
Chris

Chris Duffy 8/29/15 Chris Duffy 8/29/15

3 Things: George Saunders, Jim Jefferies, and Les Blank

Hi friends,

If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. If you feel like you haven't gotten these emails in a while, try checking to make sure this email is a trusted address so they aren't getting filtered to spam. For live shows, I've got a bunch featured below and a complete list on my website. Feel free to spread the word about these emails! Anyone can sign up for the mailing list online and/or check out the archive with all past emails here.

SHOW UPDATE:

There's a new episode of You're the Expert out now. On our latest episode, we talk to Boston's official city archaeologist, Joe Bagley, all about his passion for discovering ancient bathrooms and the secrets they hold. Featuring the hilarious Myq Kaplan, Steve Almond, and Bethany Van Delft. Listen online here!

A short play I wrote is debuting on Monday in NYC as part of a new works festival called Cherry Picking. Tickets are sold out but if you didn't snag one, you can put your name on the waitlist here.

On Labor Day, Evan Barden and I are teaming back up for the next edition of the Most Incredible 1-Hour Language School. This month's language is Modern Greek! Come learn how to heckle a comedian, sing a song, and tell a joke over the course of a hilarious hour of games and sketches. Reserve your spot here!

Tickets for the next You're the Expert taping in NYC are going fast! Many of the other shows at the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival have already sold out and we just announced that our panel includes Jo Firestone and 30 Rock's Scott Adsit so don't miss out! Get tickets here

Lots more show dates in Boston, DC, Virginia, and New York up on the website now.

Ok, on to this week's list!

1 Thing I Think Is Great:

George Saunders is more than just a writer and a MacArthur genius. He's also a genuinely good person. That's made abundantly clear in this lovely speech he gave at Syracuse University on the importance of kindness. This really resonated with me this week. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily struggles of work and stress and the future. But Saunders cuts right through all of that. "It's a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I'd say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder." Life Advice from George Saunders

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

Comedy can be a wonderful escape from the seemingly endless onslaught of tragic, heartbreaking news. There's nothing wrong with taking a break for a few minutes to bring some laughter and joy into your life. But the most inspiring comedians are able to confront the darkest topics head on and make them hilarious while also illuminating them. That's exactly what Jim Jefferies does in this standup tour de force from his special taped in Boston. It's so thoughtful, hilarious, and spot on, that it actually stops me from being cynical about the possibility of breaking the cycle of violence. Jim Jefferies: Gun Control

1 Interesting Thing:

I love the films of Les Blank for how idiosyncratic and positive they are. Blank made movies about things that he personally loved. Who else makes a documentary about the deliciousness of garlic or how beautiful women with a gap in their front teeth are? His films are all infused with a palpable sense of joy and excitement. They almost all have a scene where a crowd eats some tasty food and they always have great music. When I read a nonfiction piece by John McPhee or watch a documentary by Les Blank, I'm struck by how broad their interests are and how vividly they're able to make a story out of the smallest topics.

Here's a taste of a film Blank made about a tea importer named David Lee Hoffman, who is obsessed with finding the world's best tea. "During his youth he spent four years with Tibetan monks in Nepal, which included a friendship with the Dalai Lama, and was introduced to some of the finest of teas. Unable to find anything but insipid tea bags in the U.S., Hoffman began traveling to China, the homeland of tea. There, he struggles against language barriers and Byzantine business codes to convince the Chinese that the farmers make better tea than the factories and their craft should be honored and preserved." All in This Tea

Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online at www.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/

Have a great weekend,
Chris

Chris Duffy 8/22/15 Chris Duffy 8/22/15

3 Things: Stephen Colbert, Trump in History, and Lawrence Wright

Hi friends,

1 Thing I Think Is Great:

Stephen Colbert is amazing. This is not a bold stance to take. The man is widely beloved. But I don't know that I'd fully appreciated how thoughtful and vulnerable he can be. Joel Lovell interviewed him for GQ and it's one of the best celebrities profiles I've ever read. Comedy, mortality, fame, family... they talk about it all. Colbert also breaks down his creative process and how he's able to maintain focus while doing so many things at once. Read it and be inspired. The Late, Great Stephen Colbert

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

As Trump continues to dominate the airwaves, comedians have rejoiced. He provides no shortage of material. The take that I thought was the smartest and that made me laugh the hardest is this one, by John Flowers in McSweeney's. "The ancestry of Donald Trump stretches back to the Ancient World. Listen, as several of Trump's forebears recount some of the most famous moments in history." The concept is hilarious and the execution is even better. On the death of Julius Caesar: "So this is, maybe, a week after the Ides of March. I'm in Rome. I got a new coliseum there. Great coliseum. I build a lot of them. Make a lot of money. Very successful." Donald Trump, Through the Ages

1 Interesting Thing:

Lawrence Wright is without a doubt one of the finest living journalists today. His topics run the gamut from Scientology to Al Qaeda, but they share the same meticulous attention to detail and gripping narrative. I couldn't put down his latest piece in the New Yorker, a profile of five American families whose children were kidnapped by terrorists. Idealistic young people, a wealthy benefactor trying to save their lives, clandestine meetings with the President: it's almost hard to believe the story is real. But it is and it's an illuminating look into what it really means when we say the United States does not negotiate with terrorists.The Families Who Negotiated With ISIS

Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/

Have a great weekend,
Chris

Every year, our tradition is to bring a giant deranged looking turkey piñata to our friends’ house for Thanksgiving. We change what it’s filled with each year. One time it was just a single can of cranberry sauce. This year, it’s essentials to survive as a parent / as a person in your late 30s / early 40s: dozens of packets of sleep time tea, a Costco sized bag of medicated cough drops, saline rinse for nasal passages, a Tide pen, hand sanitizer, and several low sugar snacks to keep in your car.

3 Things: Neil Gaiman, Brooklyn Bar Menus, and Jeff Smith

Hi friends,

1 Thing I Think Is Great:

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

1 Interesting Thing:

3 Things: George Saunders, Jim Jefferies, and Les Blank

Hi friends,

1 Thing I Think Is Great:

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

1 Interesting Thing:

3 Things: Stephen Colbert, Trump in History, and Lawrence Wright

Hi friends,

1 Thing I Think Is Great:

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

1 Interesting Thing:

Follow me on Instagram: @chrisiduffy

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