Being a comedian is not easy. You’re always trying to find the fastest route to a laugh in your audience. Author and manager of a popular Brooklyn comedy venue Gabe Henry realized that an easy way to distill the funniness into one short bite is to use the form of a haiku poem. We are taught to think of haikus as serious poems, about nature and emotions and humanity. But the truth is that a lot of the early haikus were funny. And Henry is bringing the poetry form back to that 17-syllable joke with the help of some of the funniest people in the business.

The topics include relationships, screens, nature, food, friends, family, self-love and self-loathing, and wisdom, to name a few. And these gems come from a range comedy names, from Jerry Seinfeld to Mike Birbiglia, from Margaret Cho to Maria Bamford. You may know these names from prime time television (Greg Proops, Colin Mochrie, Ray Romano), from movies (Kevin Smith, Michael Ian Black, Janeane Garofalo), from NPR’s comedy shows (Ophira Eisenberg, Joel Kim Booster, Josh Gondelman, Alonzo Bodden), or from local comedy stages. Some of these comedians you may know well already, and for some this may be an introduction, but it’s the variety of voices that make this collection so special.

Now, some of these haiku may not follow the strictest of the haiku rules, but comedians aren’t really known for their ability to color inside the lines. It’s their invention and ingenuity, their ability to build bridges between ideas, that creates the comedy we love. These short poems are packed with punches, twisty with truths, and laughably enlightening. They take something you thought you knew and turn it upside down, bringing you a new perspective in just a few lines.

I enjoyed Eating Salad Drunk so much. In truth, I read it several times, sometimes going from the beginning to the end, other times jumping around, looking for my favorite topics or comedians. There are so many contributors to this that there is something in it for everyone, no matter what kind of comedy you like. It would make an amazing gift for anyone needing a pick-me-up, or for anyone wanting to be a comedian themselves (although I’m not sure if it would encourage them towards comedy or away from it).

Seriously though, this is just a fun little book filled with nuggets of humor, and comedy fans will love it. As a bonus, Gabe Henry is donating all the proceeds of the sale of the books to a nonprofit organization helping comedians with mental illness or addiction issues as well as those needing help because of the recent pandemic. So basically, it’s a good cause, a good gift, and a good laugh.

Egalleys for Eating Salad Drunk were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley, but between requesting the book and getting the approval, I also won a copy on Goodreads, and I’m so thankful for both.