Learn how to write and give a flawlessly funny speech for any occasion with Emmy-winning comedy writers Carol Leifer and Rick Mitchell. With a foreword by Carol Burnett.
Giving a speech about someone is hard. Giving a funny speech that people are actually going to pay attention to is even harder. In How to Write a Funny Speech for a Wedding, Bar Mitzvah, Graduation & Every Other Event You Didn’t Want to Go to in the First Place, Leifer and Mitchell will teach you how to write the perfect speech so you can look awesome, make some people laugh, and get it over with.
Quick and easy to use, this book is broken into short chapters full of priceless tips and advice. Leifer and Mitchell will walk you through how to:
Properly write, phrase, and deliver your speech so you not only flatter your subject but also keep the rest of the audience interested (and maybe you’ll even get a standing ovation, but we can’t guarantee that—that would be cool, though, right?).
Nail down how to get started so people actually pay attention to you (in a good way).
Figure out how to deliver and perfect comedic nuances with a crash course in what you should and shouldn't say so you don't scare the compression socks off grandma.
Hear from these seasoned comedy writers as they dish out public speaking advice that will make you look like you totally do this all the time. Take a closer look at a handful of successful real‑life speeches from real‑life people, annotated for a better understanding of why other people were better than you so you can be better than them. Enjoy bonus content like Carmela's retirement toast to Tony Soprano and Homer Simpson’s speech at Bart’s graduation. And if, in the end, you still have no idea what to say about your niece at her Bat Mitzvah, there’s a handy fill-in speech template at the back so you can spend more time figuring out what you’re going to wear.
Happy writing!
EXPERT AUTHORS: As a successful comedy writer, Carol Leifer has been Emmy‑nominated for her writing on such classics as Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, and the Oscars, and won a Writer’s Guild Award for her work on Modern Family, among many other accolades. She is a writer/co‑executive producer for the Emmy‑winning HBO show Hacks and a writer/consulting producer for HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Rick Mitchell has written for TMZ and had a six‑season stint writing for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, winning him five Daytime Emmys. Delivering speeches at countless organization benefits, weddings, and more, the pair are seasoned speech-givers ready to help you successfully write and deliver your own.
EASY TO USE: This practical book on writing and delivering a funny speech is divided into short, easy-to-read sections with plenty of tips, advice, and templates, making the task much less daunting for anyone and everyone.
HANDY PUBLIC SPEAKING REFERENCE BOOK: A timeless aid for writing and delivering a speech at any point in life, How to Write a Funny Speech ... is a useful book to give, receive, and keep.
Perfect for:
Anybody who needs to write a speech celebrating a friend, family member, or couple
Best men and maids/matrons of honor for weddings or vow renewals
Family and friends of graduates, retirees, or honorees
Bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah celebrants
About the Author
Carol Leifer is an Emmy, Golden Globe, Writers Guild Award, and Producers Guild Award winner for her work on Hacks. She has written for such shows as Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, SNL, Modern Family, The Larry Sanders Show, and eleven Academy Awards shows (most recently for host Conan O’Brien, 2025).
As a stand‐up, Carol has appeared on The Tonight Show, HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central and made twenty-five appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. Her two previous books are When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win: Reflections on Looking in the Mirror and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying. Carol is a popular speaker on the corporate/nonprofit circuit, delivering speeches for over one hundred organizations.
Rick Mitchell is a five-time Emmy-winning writer/producer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He also spent years as a writer/producer for TMZ on TV, where he made daily appearances hurling out jokes from the back of the room. As a stand-up, Rick has appeared on Fox’s Laughs and performed at many comedy clubs across the country.
Praise For…
"An inspired piece of service journalism by the comedians Carol Leifer and Rick Mitchell.... Takes the reader by the hand, offering reassuring words and simple, direct and practical advice.... The most interesting pages reprint speeches by the authors with their notes in the margins. It’s like eavesdropping on smart comedians talking shop." —The New York Times
“Carol Leifer, the prolific comedian and television writer (S.N.L., Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hacks, etc.), has many skills. One, perhaps unsurprisingly, is delivering funny speeches, a gift for which she’s now giving back, with a book titled How to Write a Funny Speech.” —The New Yorker
“If the thought of giving a wedding toast scares the hors d’oeuvres out of you, pick up a copy of How to Write a Funny Speech by Carol Leifer and Rick Mitchell. They’ve written for Seinfeld and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among other programs, and their broad humor is on full display in this helpful, disarming guide.” —Washington Post Book Club
