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Meet THe Team
Everyone has a funny bone, and while it can sometimes be hard to access (much like in the game Operation), it doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s personal essays, speeches, stand up, live storytelling, or journaling, this class will cover the basics of comedic storytelling.
During the course of the class, we will cover pattern recognition in humor writing, recognizing the “weird,” “fun,” and “funny” in everyday life, and how to find punchlines and anecdotes in already written work, drafts, or rough ideas. Students will walk away with a better grasp on one of the oldest forms of human connection, comedy, and how they can apply it to their own unique works moving forward.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Light
• Homework: None
• Workshopping Drafts: Optional
Cortney Warner was born in South Korea, raised in Ohio, and calls Tennessee home. She released her self-produced, debut special, Pointy Boys, in 2022 under Bedfire Label. Cortney travels all over the country performing stand up and has opened for artists and comedians like Dessa, Charlene Kaye, and Dusty Slay.
Cortney runs a quarterly comedy show at Third Man Records and monthly shows at Babo and The Madnest. She also has satire published on points in case, humor darling, White Limozeen, and Flexx Mag. Cortney has studied at comedy institutions such as The Second City, UCB, and Catapult, all within comedy writing, satire, and sketch. She has studied directly under SNL/Key & Peele writer Rich Talarico as well. She has a BA in Organizational Communication from Kent State, where she graduated early and with high honors. She also hates onions and that’s the only thing she and Shrek don’t have in common.
Cortney is new to teaching with The Porch. (Though she's offered us her amazing MC skills at Heartbreak Happy Hour and the AAPI Writers Showcase.) Welcome!
