Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy

What makes funny FUNNY? An esteemed anthologist interviews thirteen favorite children’s authors — and asks them to share their trade secrets.

"A joke isn’t a joke if you need to explain it," notes Leonard S. Marcus. "Even so, the hidden clockwork of comedy . . . has long been considered one of the great riddles of life." There are many kinds of humor, but capturing their essence on paper is a remarkably difficult (and often undervalued) skill. So how do authors create books that not only sta...