Bookpleasures.com welcomesas our guest John Briggs, author of JUST FOR KICKS: 600 KNOCK-OUT JOKES, PUNS & RIDDLES ABOUT SPORTS, Mary Dyer, Friend of Freedom, Judy Garland: Little Woman, Big Talent, Pete Seeger, The People's Singer, Leaping Lemmings, and his most recent tome, A Vote for Jesus: A Satire on Campaigning, Corruption & Political Crucifixion

John spent twenty years as a stand-up comic, with about ten of those as a political comedian. While he wrote topical material for TV, radio, and the Internet, he is best known for creating the stage show Left-Wing Laughs starring former Tonight Show writer Mike Irwin.

He also spent twenty years as a reporter, including three in national syndication. Although he was published in several well-known papers, he admits that his proudest accomplishment was attending the 2001 White House Correspondents Dinner. Throw in his degree in political science and a very brief period doing lobbying work, and it set him up to write his recent tome, A Vote for Jesus: A Satire on Campaigning, Corruption & Political Crucifixion.

Norm: Good day John and thanks for participating in our interview.

What has been your greatest challenge (professionally) that you've overcome in getting to where you're at today?

John: Getting noticed. Turning a profit. I think most writers do better with the artistic side of publishing than the business side. Although my Judy Garland book did well out of the gate, it wasn't until my fourth book, Leaping Lemmings, that things began to look up. I met an editor at a writers conference, and she expressed interest in my work. She told me what their average advance was, and I realized it was almost to the dollar what I had spent on conferences.

When she later signed me, I was at the break-even point of my career. That's a tremendous burden to be lifted off a writer's shoulders. That moment where you say, "I really can do this" is inspiring. And that publisher, Sterling Children's Books, has since signed me to three more books.

They've been very good to me.

Norm: You spent twenty years as a stand-up comic, who are your comedic influences and how did they influence you?

John: As a kid growing up in the '70s and '80s, I watched a lot of Robin Williams and listened to a lot of Bill Cosby.

From Williams I learned never to be afraid. Just say what pops into your head and go with it. That's great advice for building an act, but it's also great advice for a first draft.

And from Cosby I learned the most important lesson of all: always have a payoff. Whether it's a punchline or a point, make sure your story has direction. Cosby would spend five or ten minutes on a joke, but it always paid off.

The lesson: Reward your audience (or your readers) for sticking with you. As I got into my teens, I found myself influenced by George Carlin and Bill Maher. They taught me that it's okay to be political or make social observations, but if you're going to write comedy, don't forget to make them laugh. It's sort of the whole point.

Norm: What makes a stand-up comic want to become an author of children's books and now a political satirist?

John: Well, I had children. It's as simple as that. I read books to my son every day, but eventually he asked me to make up my own stories.

It took about twelve tries, but I finally found one where I thought, "Hey, that's not bad." That was Leaping Lemmings. The biographies are just a labor of love because I easily read a hundred of them as a kid, and the joke books happened after my editor found out I used to be a comedian and they needed a gag writer. Being a satirist is something that never left me.

Even after I left the business, I continued writing comedy bits and sketches just for fun. Returning to political satire is me coming home to a place where my roots have always been.

Norm: What are your thoughts as to why people read political satire?

John: I think political satire, no matter how savage, welcomes the reader by strictly following one of the great rules of comedy: It's us versus them.

When comedians point out the dumb things people do, it's almost always the people outside the club. The people inside the club are on the ball. Satire lets the reader in by saying, "You get it. You know what's wrong. You're part of the solution.

The people out there are part of the problem." That's simultaneously rewarding and comforting. Also, satire speaks truth to power. There's an old saying that only the court jester could tell the king the truth. Satire couches its criticism in far-fetched humor, which makes it acceptable. In the movie Mr. Saturday Night, Billy Crystal's character says, "When a comedian sees bull, he has to say bull." Satire gets to say this is bull, and the reader goes, "You're right, this is bull. This is wrong." Satire reinforces what we already believe even if we don't know it ahead of time.

Norm: What makes you laugh?

John: Irony. Clever wordplay. Hearing something with bite or a double meaning that makes me laugh first and discover some deeper meaning a second later.

Norm: What do you think most characterizes your writing?

John: Finding a way to present serious topics with a touch of humor. Or sometimes a heavy dose. Whichever works best. That's not just true of my satire, but my children's books. Leaping Lemmings is about thinking for yourself. You know, not being a lemming. But it's done with jokes. The same is true of my biographies. While they focus on serious issues, particularly civil rights, I often add funny anecdotes or moments from their lives.

Norm: What would you like to tell us about your most recent book A Vote for Jesus: A Satire on Campaigning, Corruption & Political Crucifixion?

John: That so much of the book is ripped from (and rips on) today's headlines. Anyone who watches the news or loves late-night comedy will instantly recognize who I'm making fun of here. They'll know who Herod and Saul and all the rest are standing in for and what events and strategies I'm lampooning. Of course, like most satires, the book isn't solely one-sided because there's a lot to criticize. I'm satirizing the system, not just one or two things about it.

Norm: What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

John: Staying ahead of the satire that is the news. The satirist has to push things to some extreme, some illogical conclusion that starts out logically. That's not easy given the current president, election tactics, a media that takes sides, and all that.

As just one example, I wrote a scene in which Senator Herod talks about his support for the border wall but thinks they should add "a pit filled with tigers or maybe chupacabras because, you know, they're native to the area."

A few months later, a story broke that Donald Trump was considering a moat filled with crocodiles. The only thing that makes my scene work is that I used imaginary creatures to show its stupidity. A couple times I wrote a scene and then something close to it happened, and I was, like, "You're killing me," but it forced me to push things to the extreme.

Norm: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

John: Those moments where I had what Kirkus Reviews called "on-the-nose satire." Where I just knew a scene was working, whether it was Jesus going to face Lucifer for his three temptations, or attacking the prosperity gospel, or just linking his parables to modern politics. Those things always made me want to write more no matter how late it got.

Norm: What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book?

John: I think political satirists have to be very careful about hoping for big things to happen. That's the sort of hubris that lands you in politics. But for the individual reader, I hope they walk away recognizing all the tricks politicians use to win votes. How deceptive and corrupt elections can be. How they manipulate us. I want readers to be skeptical and go, "Oh, yeah, that's how they're tricking me. I see what they did there, and I'm not falling for it."

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and A Vote for Jesus: A Satire on Campaigning, Corruption & Political Crucifixion?

John: They can find out more about me at my WEBSITE,, and about A Vote for Jesus at my PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE, . That has way more about it than my site.

Norm: What is next for John Briggs?

John: I'm currently developing a second satire around A Vote for Jesus. Peter, his campaign manager, has all these rules for winning an election, so I'm putting those together with examples and additional insights to create a funny campaign manager's guide.

I also have a Leaping Lemmings activity book coming out later this year. I call it A Very Hungry Caterpillar on steroids because it's a fast-paced, interactive concept book. And then next year, I return to children's nonfiction with a biography and hopefully the first book in a new series, but that's still being developed.

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, what question do you wish that someone would ask about your most recent book, but nobody has?

John: Is Jesus conservative or liberal? And the answer is he's neither: he's anti-authority, and that's the one thing authority can never allow in power.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.