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Krefting's new book examines stand-up comedy

November 18, 2014
Beck Krefting's book

Beck Krefting, assistant professor of American Studies, is the author of a new book, All Joking Aside鈥擜merican Humor and Its Discontents, published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

According to the publisher鈥檚 web site, Krefting鈥檚 examination of stand-up comedy 鈥渆stablishes a new genre of comedic production, 鈥榗harged humor,鈥 and charts its pathways from production to consumption.鈥

Stand-up comics have used charged humor 鈥渢o reveal social, political and economic stratifications,鈥 according to the publisher. Krefting鈥檚 history of charged comedy over the past nearly 70 years highlights the work of a number of comics, including Dick Gregory, Robin Tyler, Moz Jobrani, and Hari Kondabolu.

In an interview with Tracy Wuster of the blog Humor in America, Krefting鈥攈erself a comic who has done stand-up and improve鈥攖ries to determine 鈥淲hat words would create the greatest comedic effect and in what order?鈥 With 爱污传媒 serving as host each year to the National College Comedy Festival, Krefting said she 鈥済ets to teach, mentor, and debate with students who are comedyphiles just like me.鈥

Click to read the Humor in America interview. Visit the publisher鈥檚 web site .

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