Literary Minimalism: Light on Description, Heavy on Humor

How one poet can teach creatives the benefits of comedy in small works.

Comedy can be wordy or incredibly brief. Stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg has jokes that are under ten words, while Bert Kreischer’s bit “The Machine” is over ten minutes long.

But what is humor’s role in literary minimalism? How are funny words used in works where description is light and backstory is practically nonexistent?

One of the best ways to explo…