With a stunning set of stories from some of the finest writers toiling away today--including breathtaking new work from Rebecca Curtis, Stuart Dybek, and Jim Shepard, and the Southeast Asian prison novella the world has been waiting for, from Mr. Wells Tower--and an all-hands-on-deck appraisal of one of the most keen-eyed cultural commentators of our time, with contributions from Rachel Cohen, Errol Morris, Geoff Dyer, David Hockney, Jonathan Lethem, Ricky Jay, and many, many more, McSweeney's 44 offers one of our best assemblages yet. We even found some very nice leatherette, to wrap around it. Don't miss this one!

Amy Poehler, Mel Brooks, Adam McKay, George Saunders, Bill Hader, Patton Oswalt, and many more take us deep inside the mysterious world of comedy in this fascinating, laugh-out-loud-funny book. Packed with behind-the-scenes stories--from a day in the writers' room at "The""Onion "to why a sketch does or doesn't make it onto "Saturday Night Live "to how the BBC nearly erased the entire first season of "Monty Python's Flying Circus--Poking a Dead Frog "is a must-read for comedy buffs, writers and pop culture junkies alike.
"No one generates more interesting, revealing, or entertaining interviews than Mike Sacks. "Poking a Dead Frog" is a classic."
--Bob Odenkirk
"This book is what I really look forward to in a book about humor: rich with words and humor, and funny stories with words. Thank you for your time."
--Will Ferrell
"These interviews go to dark depths and offer useful, applicable insight into how excellent comedy is written. If you read it, you're going to be better at writing comedy and may even wind up in a position where you can take jobs away from the younger interviewees. I specify the younger interview subjects because some of the older ones will die soon."
--Rob Delaney
"I wish I'd had a book like this when I was trying to break in. Also, a book on personal hygiene."
--Jack Handey