3 Things: Darius Clark Monroe, Amber Ruffin, and Larry Krasner

Happy Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting.

Upcoming Shows

EVERYWHERE:
Don't forget to vote! You can find your polling place, check your registration, preview your ballot, and get reminders at Vote.org

The newest episode of You're the Expert features Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin, a neuroscientist who studies how the physical structure of children's brains are affected by their parents' lived experiences. Our panelists Josh Gondelman, Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Dylan Marron learn why they are the way they are. Link

Pre-order the very funny, interesting, and great book "No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work" now! It's written by my wife, Mollie. Link

NYC:
Saturday, November 3nd at 9:30 p.m. at the Brick Theater. I'm hoping I'll win over the sharks on Bit Tank tonight. It's a parody of Shark Tank where comedians try to sell jokes for an investment stake and cold hard cash. Link

Sunday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m. at Caveat. It's the final You're the Expert live taping of the year! Featuring Wyatt Cenac, Maeve Higgins, and NYU's Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Link

As always, you can find my schedule with all upcoming dates online here.

This week’s list

GREAT:
Darius Clark Monroe is a documentary filmmaker who looks at structural injustice, activism, and the possibility of redemption. His newest short, Black 14, is about a group of college athletes protesting in 1969. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a reminder that we have been pushing back against injustice in this country for many years and it's a long, slow process. At the same time, Darius' films are not cynical. He clearly believes in the possibility of change, both as individuals and as a society. That level of nuance and masterful storytelling is probably what attracted Spike Lee to be an executive producer of Darius' work. Black 14

(You have to pay to watch it online, but I cannot recommend his feature length doc,Evolution of a Criminal, enough. It's one of the most moving and beautiful films I've ever seen. Here's a link to iTunes but it's also on Google Play and paid YouTube) 


FUNNY:
Amber Ruffin is so funny and charming that she can deliver extremely dark jokes while staying completely likable. A perfect example is this very timely and hilarious song about why you need to vote (and I mean REALLY need to vote). I'm so glad that Seth Meyers sees Amber's comic genius and uses her so frequently on his show. It's only a matter of time before she has a television show of her own. In the meantime: Amber Ruffin Wants You to Vote or Else


INTERESTING:
And last, but not least, a reminder about the power that voting can have (especially for less-covered elected positions). Larry Krasner was an activist and public defender who won an election in Philadelphia and now is the district attorney. District attorneys have incredible power to shape criminal justice in America and decide how and why citizens are charged with crimes. Krasner is using that power to try and transform Philadelphia's office into a more just and equitable system. It's a fascinating and inspiring story and a powerful reminder that our votes really can make a difference. In Philadelphia, a Progressive D.A. Tests The Power— and Learns the Limits— of His Office


Thanks for reading! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If you're reading this for the first time (maybe someone forwarded you this email?), you can subscribe here.

Have a great weekend,
Chris

3 Things: Wendy MacNaughton, David Sedaris, and Robin Williams

Happy Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting.

Upcoming Shows

EVERYWHERE:
The most recent episode of You're the Expert features Jess Phoenix, a volcanologist. Our panelists Aparna Nancherla, Max Silvestri, and Caitlin Durante learn all about her research on fiery molten rock. Link

My wife Mollie co-wrote a book with Liz Fosslien, an incredibly talented illustrator. It's called "No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work." I'm biased, but I think it is great, funny, and interesting (a true "3 Things" of a book). Available for pre-order now! Link

NYC:
Friday, November 2nd at 10:00 p.m. at Union Hall. I'm telling a story/jokes as part of the Re:Imagine festival on Die Laughing! It's a comedy show that explores mortality, grief, and loss. Read more about it here and get tickets here:  Link

Sunday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m. at Caveat. It's the final You're the Expert live taping of the year! Featuring Hari Kondabolu and two celebrity guests who I'm extremely excited about but can't announce quite yet. Get your tickets now! Link

As always, you can find my schedule with all upcoming dates online here.

This week’s list

GREAT:
Wendy MacNaughton is a "graphic journalist," best-selling author, and the back page columnist for California Sunday Magazine. Her illustrations are beautiful, informative, and most of all, they tell a story. Here's a great video she made for PBS's Brief but Spectacular series about how drawing opens up new stories for her to document. But words really don't do her drawings justice. Check it out for yourself on her website: Wendy MacNaughton


FUNNY:
David Sedaris has been so funny for so long that I sometimes forget what a pleasure it is to read his writing. I recently rediscovered this piece he wrote about getting a Fitbit. He started to walk 25+ miles a day just to please his "robot master" and ended up collecting so much roadside trash that the town he lives in named a garbage truck after him. Stepping Out by David Sedaris


INTERESTING:
I flew cross-country this weekend to be at a friend's wedding and on the plane, I finally got around to watching the Robin Williams documentary Come Inside My Mind. Robin Williams was not only hilarious, he was also remarkably open and vulnerable onstage. But this documentary does a great job of showing the man behind the act. You see his kindness, you see his hard work and meticulousness, and you see the ways in which he sought out quiet and peace in order to sustain the high energy persona that he was known for. It's definitely worth a watch. The full doc is streaming on HBO Go/Now, but here's the trailer: Come Inside My Mind


Thanks for reading! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If you're reading this for the first time (maybe someone forwarded you this email?), you can subscribe here.

Take care of yourselves,
Chris

3 Things: Bo Burnham, Eliza Cossio, and Madelyn Linsenmeir

Happy Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting.

Upcoming Shows

EVERYWHERE:
This week's episode of You're the Expert features Jess Phoenix, an expert on volcanoes. She talks lava, magma, and her run for Congress with Aparna Nancherla, Max Silvestri, and Caitlin Durante. Link

WASHINGTON, D.C.:
TODAY! Saturday, October 20th at 7:30 p.m. at National Geographic. Come see You're the Expert live with panelists Jo Firestone, Josh Sharp, and Bowen Yang. 40% off last minute tickets with code "YTE40" Link

NYC:
Tuesday, October 23rd at 7:30 p.m. at UCB East Village. I'm telling a story on David Martin's long-running Nights of Our Lives show. It's always a fun night.  Link

Friday, November 2nd at 10:00 p.m. at Union Hall. I'm telling a story/jokes as part of the Re:Imagine festival on Die Laughing! It's a comedy show that explores mortality, grief, and loss. Read more about it here and get tickets here:  Link

Sunday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m. at Caveat. It's the final You're the Expert live taping of the year! If you've been meaning to come see one, this is your final shot.  Link

As always, you can find my schedule with all upcoming dates online here.

This week’s list

GREAT:
I've been a fan of Bo Burnham for several years now. I find him to be one of the most inventive and insightful comedians working today. Sometimes he'll do something that appears to be a very silly physical gag about dropping a water bottle, but it turns out to be a meditation on the artificiality of performance. Other times, he writes a parody country song that's about hypocrisy. Or sometimes he just writes from the perspective of God. Recently, he's stepped back from performing to direct and write. I finally saw his feature film debut, Eighth Grade, and I loved it. If you haven't seen it yet, it's out on iTunes and lots of other places. It's a beautiful movie. Here's a feature about the film and Bo's process: Bo Burnham's Age of Anxiety


FUNNY:
Eliza Cossio was the senior Latina correspondent on The Daily Show, she hosts the excellent live show Pulitzer Surprises, and we currently write together on Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas. She is one of my favorite people and makes me laugh so hard every day. For a taste, check out her comedy poetry.  This summer, Eliza wrote and directed a hilarious short film called "La Bruja." You can see the first scene here and help support the post-production, if you feel so inclined. La Bruja


INTERESTING:
It can be easy to forget about the people behind the headlines. I feel like that happens to me especially with the opioid crisis, where the sheer scale of the issue masks the fact that each statistic is about a real person. This obituary from Vermont brought the humanity back into focus for me. It's beautiful and it knocked me out. Madelyn Linsenmeir (h/t Emma Carmichael)


Thanks for reading! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If you're reading this for the first time (maybe someone forwarded you this email?), you can subscribe here.

Have a great week,
Chris