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Writing for Laughs
WHY THE JOKE'S ON US
» Thursday 25 February 2010 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing ideas
and people in the Okanagan creative economy. Join us as comics and satirists David Crawford,
Darren Handschuh and Jarrod Thalheimer share their writing practice, tickle our funny-bones with stories, and shake our preconceptions.
» $2 at the door. Refreshments are available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Writers Expose Their Funny Bones to Public Scrutiny
Humour is a great social leveller, bridge, trapeze - choose your metaphor - and it undeniably helps humans connect across their differences. At a fundamental level the humour bug touches us all to some degree. If it doesn't, it can be a valuable early warning that your speed date should be cut short. If it's true that personal impressions are settled in the first fifteen seconds, no wonder so many try a joke for an ice breaker.
Readers are a tough audience, not least because there's no yukking audience members or televised laugh tracks. Written humour, which has to reach an individual cerebellum cradled comfortably in a living room recliner, may be the biggest challenge of all. In technical writing, one must research the facts, get them in proper order and put them down on paper in a readable manner. On the other hand, while writing humour tends to be more of an art form, it still must be set to a pattern which is just as precise as writing an article about the structural mechanics of bridges.
In the storied tradition of Stephen Leacock, Arthur Black, Stuart McLean and other Canadian humourists and satirists, the Okanagan is home to a number of surprising writers who toil in this difficult - and sometimes rewarding - soil. Put three or more of them in a room together, and fireworks are likely to break out.
On Thursday, February 25th at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents Writing for Laughs: Why the Joke's On Us. Join us as comics and satirists David Crawford,
Darren Handschuh and Jarrod Thalheimer share their writing practice, tickle our funny-bones with stories, and shake our preconceptions.
 Darren Handschuh - born and raised in Kamloops ("I was much younger then and had way more hair" according to Darren) - graduated from Westsyde Secondary School and eventually wandered into Cariboo College in 1988 where he took the communications media course. Darren also wed in 1988 and now has three kids, a dog, cat, mini-van, mortgage and a mother-in-law. The media course touched on every aspect of radio, TV and newspaper production and journalism. A couple of advanced English courses and political science courses were thrown in just to make sure students had enough to do in a day. Darren started his newspaper career in 1990 at the Revelstoke Review where he spent a year before landing a job at the Vernon Daily News as a reporter/photographer. In 1996, he arrived at The Daily Courier and added editor, web meister and columnist to his list of duties. "I also make coffee, but I do not do windows," Darren adds. Darren's personal hobbies include martial arts, paintball, trying to beat his kids at video games and hiking. He also has a first-degree black belt in tae kwon do, just in case you don't find his material funny.
 Jarrod Thalheimer - when it comes to the written word - does whatever it takes to keep the bills paid. Whether it's journalistic articles, opinion pieces, ad copy, film scripts, corporate film and video, short stories, stage plays, columns, internet copy or whatnot - any and all styles constitute fair, plump game when it comes to getting food on the table. Having seen a few of his short stories published (one by the Okanagan Institute - The Zeppo Chair) and another optioned for film (Re-Entry is the Hardest Part), Jarrod still handles regular writing work for a whole host of US-based internet sites (AOL/Experian, HotJobs, Yahoo, CheapHotels.com, Best of the Web, SheKnows, Geoparent, College Bound Network, Seniors for Living, etc). Currently working with his brother David to produce a feature film written by a close friend, Jarrod also dedicates time to his advertising column AdFool (new every Tuesday on Castanet.net for more than 5 years) and his first full-length novel, Vixen, due for completion at some point prior to Judgement Day (fingers crossed).
 David Crawford - a proud husband (Renate) and father of twins (boy/girl - perfect!) - during the day heads up the Equipment Leasing Division at Capri Insurance (note - this is a real, serious job involving finance. Do not be alarmed). By night and when it is slow (all of last year, for example), he dons his funny writer costume and bashes out humourous columns for the Kelowna Daily Courier, Castanet.net, and the Business Examiner. A self-confessed strange man, he has done many things. He has flown airplanes and jumped out of them, dug snow caves to sleep in, and climbed mountains. He has been a construction worker and store manager, run a film studio, worked for the phone company, been a wilderness guide, and a radio broadcaster. He won First Place in 'America's Funniest Humour' competition, First Place in the 'Humour and Life, In Particular' competition, and Perfect Attendance at Mrs. Stelter's Kindergarten class (Edson, Alberta - 1965). His work was recently published in a U.S. anthology of short humour titled Laugh Your Shorts Off, available at bookstores everywhere except here in Canada. Try Amazon.com. His blog is called the Occasional Humourist, since it appears occasionally, and is occasionally humorous.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE
Writing for Laughs: Why the Joke's On Us takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 127th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007.
Express has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet laureate and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and many others from a wide range of creative fields.
The Okanagan Institute is a group of creative professionals that has gathered around the goal of providing events, publications and services of interest to enquiring minds in the Okanagan. We partner with individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses to achieve optimal creative and social impact.
Our mission is to ignite cultural transformation, catalyze collaborative action, build networks and foster sustainable creative enterprises. We invite the participation by all members of the creative community.
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