“I imagine James Thomas’s brain as a sort of beehive: thoughts come and go in a seemingly random, almost bumbling fashion—but the yield is pure honey.
I will not apologize for that joke, but his are much better.” —Michael McKean, comedian, writer, and star of This Is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and Better Call Saul
“Packed with great jokes and funny ideas, this book will release enough endorphins that you can give up running and sex. I am not a doctor.” —Simon Blackwell, executive producer and Emmy Award–winning writer of Veep, Peep Show, and In the Loop
WHY THE LONG JOKE?
JAMES THOMAS
New Yorker contributor James Thomas, aka @AstonishingSod, @CrimerShow, @GogglSerch and… any of his 22 other comedic Twitter handles, keeps his Internet fans entertained with parodies of Friends (@freints_show), Frasier (@FrasserShow), Doctor Who (@DoctorWhomnt), and episodic crime dramas like Law & Order and CSI (@CrimerShow). When not tirelessly (and successfully) campaigning for the office of “President of Twitter,” he’s kindly making sure his 40k loyal followers will have something to laugh at (when they don’t have access to Wi-Fi) with the release of his first book.
WHY THE LONG JOKE? (Published by St. Martin’s Press; On-sale March 22, 2016; Price: $22.99) proves Thomas’s humor works just as well on the page as it does on the computer screen. Filled with hundreds of jokes—short jokes, long jokes, and jokes in the form of lists, letters, drawings, and cartoons—you’ll learn “How to Write a Sentence” and experience the slower side of life with “A Snail’s Diary.” WHY THE LONG JOKE? offers a multitude of micro-comedy pieces.
Ever since Thomas knew he wanted to be a comedy writer, he’s been on a quest to write the Stupidest Sentence Ever Written. He may have just done it, as WHY THE LONG JOKE? certainly includes a number of contenders.
For more information, or to request an interview or excerpt, please contact:
Katie Bassel Staci Burt
St. Martin’s Press, Sr. Publicist
St. Martin’s Press, Associate Publicist
Katie.Bassel@stmartins.com | 646.307.5563 Staci.Burt@stmartins.com | 646.307.5570
WHY THE LONG JOKE? by James Thomas
Published by St. Martin’s Press
On-sale March 22, 2016
ISBN-13: 9781250078834 | Price: $22.99 | Format: Hardcover
About the Author
James Thomas lives in Dublin with his 25 Twitter accounts. He’s a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and the Shouts & Murmurs section of The New Yorker.
More Praise for James Thomas’s WHY THE LONG JOKE?
“Stop watching TV, read a book. Then put that down and read THIS book.” —Michael Kupperman, cartoonist, illustrator, and author of Tales Designed to Thrizzle
“Jim gives new meaning to the words silliosity and hilariousment. Puddingly funny stuff! Buy this book!” —Jack Handey, author of Deep Thoughts and The Stench of Honolulu
“I’m honored to be one of the first to read Jim’s manuscript. I think he has a truly original, quirky and charming voice, and he makes me laugh out loud on a daily basis on Twitter. I frequently thank my son for introducing me to @CrimerShow, and @GogglSerch is a work of genius.” —Rebecca Front, BAFTA award-winning actress and star of The Thick of It
“This book should be required reading for anyone asked to contribute a quote.” —Emo Philips, stand-up comedian