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Author Talk: Not Funny with Jena Friedman

2023-05-10 17:00:00 2023-05-10 18:00:00 America/Los_Angeles Author Talk: Not Funny with Jena Friedman Growing up, Academy Award Nominated Jena Friedman didn’t care about being likable or a comedian. A 90s child, she wouldn’t discover her knack for the funny business until research for her college thesis led her to take an improv class in Chicago. Virtual Program -

Wednesday, May 10
5:00pm - 6:00pm

Add to Calendar 2023-05-10 17:00:00 2023-05-10 18:00:00 America/Los_Angeles Author Talk: Not Funny with Jena Friedman Growing up, Academy Award Nominated Jena Friedman didn’t care about being likable or a comedian. A 90s child, she wouldn’t discover her knack for the funny business until research for her college thesis led her to take an improv class in Chicago. Virtual Program -

Growing up, Academy Award Nominated Jena Friedman didn’t care about being likable or a comedian. A 90s child, she wouldn’t discover her knack for the funny business until research for her college thesis led her to take an improv class in Chicago.

That anthropology paper, written on race, class, and gender in the city’s comedy scene, was, in Jena’s own words, “just as funny as it sounds.” But it did lay the groundwork for a career that has seen her write and produce for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Late Show with David Letterman, and the Oscar nominated Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Friedman’s debut collection, Not Funny, takes on the third rails of modern life in Jena’s bold and subversive style, with essays that explore cancel culture, sexism, work, celebrity worship, and…dead baby jokes.

In a moment where women’s rights are being rolled back, fascism is on the rise, and so many of us could use a breather as we struggle to get by, Jena applies her unique gifts to pull a laugh from things deemed too raw, too precious, and too scary to joke about. She shares her stories of taking on those who told her she was too brash, too edgy, and too “unlikable” to make it. She deftly dissects how we get coerced into silence on the issues that matter most, until they’ve gone too far afield to be turned back around again. And she shares her struggles to make it (-ish) in a world that, more often than not, would rather tune out than listen to a woman confronting the indignities we’ve been told to bear.

About the Author: Jena Friedman is a comedian, filmmaker, and creator of AMC’s Indefensible and Soft Focus with Jena Friedman on Adult Swim. She has worked on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Late Show with David Letterman, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, ARTNET, and The Guardian. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and won a Writer’s Guild of America award for her work on Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. She splits her time between Los Angeles and New York. Find out more at JenaFriedman.com and follow her on Twitter @JenaFriedman. 

AGE GROUP: | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Theatre, Film, & Media | Entertainment |

TAGS: | Virtual Program | Author Talk |

Virtual Program


Hours
Mon, Jun 23 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Tue, Jun 24 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Wed, Jun 25 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Thu, Jun 26 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Fri, Jun 27 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Jun 28 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, Jun 29 7:00AM to 6:00PM

About the branch

This is a virtual location. No events are held at this address.

Upcoming events

Wed, Jun 25, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
¿Es propietario de una pequeña empresa? El Departamento de Oportunidades Económicas ofrece asistencia y apoyo específicamente para los propietarios de pequeñas empresas, especialmente para aquellos que viven en comunidades de bajos recursos.
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Thu, Jun 26, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Join us in conversation with Tony Valenzuela, the Executive Director of One Institute, to discuss the history of LGBTQ+ activism in Los Angeles, why our histories matter, and how to support the next generation of storytellers.
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Sat, Jun 28, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Join us for "Maame," a debut novel by Jessica George, follows Maddie, a British-Ghanaian woman in her mid-twenties, as she navigates her twenties, balancing family responsibilities with her own desires, & finds her place in the world. For  ages 18+
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Tue, Jul 08, 11:00am - 11:30am
Acompaña al autor e ilustrador Raúl the Third mientras nos habla de su libro ¡Vamos! ¡A leer! Conoce a Lobito y sus amigos mientras exploran el Festival del Libro Love de su biblioteca.
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Tue, Jul 08, 1:00pm - 1:30pm
Join author and illustrator Raúl The Third as he discusses his book ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Read!. Meet Little Lobo and friends as they explore their library's Libro Love Book Festival!
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Thu, Jul 17, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Explore the intricate world of Legend with Marie Lu as she encourages readers to look beyond the surface and reveal hidden secrets. Explore the depths of deceit, battle for power, and the lengths characters will go to unmask the Truth.
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Tue, Jul 22, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Join Doug Frankel a long-time meditator as he discusses how meditation can help reduce stress. He will also present a simple, time-tested, ancient, and effective meditation technique. There will be a short meditation sitting as well.  
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Wed, Jul 23, 1:00pm - 1:45pm
Join award-winning author Rex Ogle as he discuses his book Free Lunch where he talks about his struggles to navigate sixth grade as a poor kid in a wealthy school district signed up for the free meal program.
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