Is being funny something that can be taught? Probably not. In fact, the idea of this course is foolhardy and might take several years off the instructor’s life. Here’s why: What people find funny is not universal. What’s considered funny changes across cultures, age groups, eras, and individuals. What’s tragic is much easier to agree upon, including the tragedy of people trying and failing to be funny. People who laugh at their own jokes won’t be barred from this course, but they will be administered horse sedatives. In truth, you don’t have to have any experience making others laugh, as long as you’re not humorless. It should be stressed that this is not a course for people who want to tell jokes. The instructor does not want to hear jokes and will regard jokesters with suspicion and fear. If you want to understand something about what makes a situation funny and why—in fiction, nonfiction, and yes, poetry, then this is the course for you. We will read and discuss humor across the ages, good and bad, in different forms and we will try our hands (limit: two) at being funny through daily exercises dealing with embarrassing memories, moments that went terribly wrong, and other means of making an audience laugh both at and with you. In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts.