Katherine Phelps

I grew up in a family of scientists, diplomats, and fundamentalists in any number of combinations of those three things. As a child trying to survive the vagaries of adult interactions, I of course saw the holes, flaws, and inconsistencies present in all these roles. That’s what kids do. Worse I had to experience some [...]

The Problem Not long ago I was out flying my kite. It’s a delta wing that flies well even in low wind. I find kite-flying a great way to get outside and enjoy the weather. More than that, the simple enjoyment of playing with the wind helps me to clear my mind and relax. I [...]

Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies. —E.B. White The problem with the above quote is that comedians are leaving the defining of comedy to academics. Academics often have a narrow sense of humour. It’s kind of like having someone who has never been near a child, [...]

In the middle ages the universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which can be translated as the “community of teachers and scholars”, was seen to be an institution which existed largely for social benefit. Universities were to create expertise that could help cities and nations to deal with significant problems. I taught storytelling for computer game design [...]

A friend’s blog links to Scott Adams discussing “Writing Funny“. Adams brings up the old saw that cruelty is part of humour. I have spoken about this before, but I wanted to say this again in quotable form in order to update people’s ideas about comedy. Pain is a fertile subject for comedy because we [...]

I have heard some comedians describe what they are doing as “trivial”. Worse I have heard some comedians and researchers describe the purpose of humour as domination. They see it as being all about the put-downs. Certainly some humour can be on the trivial side and certainly some people focus on put-down humour. But humour [...]

I have been a busy bunny lately, working hard at putting together a comedy murder mystery game. This game will start off on your smartphone and encompass all sorts of media. Recently, I was interviewed about my work. Have fun! Peace and kindness, Katherine

People who teach courses in stand-up sometimes speak of the personal developmental benefits of doing comedy. You have to be comfortable enough with yourself to tell self-deprecating jokes. You get to play around with your dark side and vent a little spleen. And the sharpest observational humour comes from people who look for the hidden [...]

You’ve put in the work. You’ve developed your skills. You’ve shown a real love and dedication to your art. Then one day something clicks with the media and the public. You’re handed a golden ticket to ride the Glory Train of success and fame. Most people seem to think that this means they can coast, [...]

Stand-up comedy is a very individual art. One person creates an entire comic world to appeal to a room full of people. Often this is how the performer likes it. And certainly, many well-loved comedians have tread this path. I would strongly suggest forming comic groups, since that is a more sure path to achieve [...]