The Laugh's On Us, sponsored by SAGE

Buy your ticket(s) early to this sell-out event!

Sun., June 30
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Advance tickets: $49, $45 United for Libraries division members; onsite tickets: $55.
Event code: UFL1
McCormick Place, S406b

Comedian and United for Libraries spokesperson Paula Poundstone will headline this evening featuring Selena Coppock, Nicole Knepper, Sara Levine, Ross Mathews, and Paul Rudnick. Wine and cheese will be served, and a book signing will follow. Some books will be given away free and others will be available for purchase at a generous discount. Purchase tickets early to this event, which is always a sell-out.

Paula Poundstone

There's Nothing in this Book That I Meant to Say, Three Rivers Press/Random House
2006; $15; 978-0-307-38228-3

Comedian and author Paula Poundstone is a frequent panelist for NPR's Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, where she matches wits with some of our nation’s leading pundits.  The show is a winner of the prestigious Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. Paula was the first woman to win an ACE Award for Best Standup Comedy performance, and the first woman to be invited to perform at the distinguished White House Correspondents dinner.  She has starred in solo specials on HBO and Bravo, and made frequent TV appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  Her first CD is titled  I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them In Maine.

Selena Coppock

The New Rules for Blondes: Highlights from a Fair-Haired Life, It Books/HarperCollins
April 2013; $14.99; 978-0-062-13181-2

A natural blonde who is (now) more faithful to her colorist than she has ever been to any boyfriend, Selena Coppock is a comedian, writer, and editor based in New York City. She has studied both improv and sketch comedy extensively, training at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (New York), ImprovOlympic (Chicago), and ImprovAslyum (Boston). She’s a proud Moth Story Slam winner and her comedy writing has been featured on McSweeney’s.  This is her first book.

Nicole Knepper

Moms Who Drink and Swear: True Tales of Loving My Kids While Losing My Mind, Penguin
April 2013; $15; 978-0-451-41814-2

Nicole Knepper is a licensed clinical professional counselor whose blog Moms Who Drink and Swear became the basis for her first book. "Nikki," or the "Queen of Cussin," as she is known to her fans, is known for her commitment to using her vast and diverse audience to raise awareness and funds for charitable organizations. Her unique style of writing weaves common sense, healthy psychology, and humor into her off-color, profanity laced blogs and stories. This honest approach to writing about the hilarity and heartache of parenting consistently draws in new readers, and has resulted in a large and army of loyal readers who identify themselves proudly as fellow moms who drink and swear.

Sara Levine

Treasure Island!!!, Europa Editions/Penguin
Dec. 2011; $15; 978-1-609-45061-8

Sara Levine teaches at the Art Institute of Chicago. Her stories have appeared in The Iowa Review, Nerve, Conjunctions, Sonora Review, and other magazines. Treasure Island!!! is her first novel.

Ross Mathews

Man Up! Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette
May 2013; $24,99; 978-1-455-50180-9

Ross Mathews grew up in Mount Vernon, Wash. He began his television career on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2001 where he remains as a correspondent. Additionally, he is a regular roundtable comic and occasional guest-host on E!'s Chelsea Lately, as well as a red carpet staple on E!. He resides in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with his partner, Salvador, and their two teeny tiny perfect puppies.

Paul Rudnick

Gorgeous, Scholastic
May 2013; $18.99; 978-0-545-46426-9

Paul Rudnick is a critically acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. His screenplays include In&Out and Addams Family Values, and he’s written for Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, and the New Yorker. His plays, including I Hate Hamlet and Jeffrey, have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. Gorgeous is his first novel for young adults. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly raved, “with writing that’s hilarious, profane, and profound (often within a single sentence), Rudnick casts a knowing eye on our obsession with fame, brand names, and royalty to create a feel-good story about getting what you want without letting beauty blind you to what’s real.” Paul Rudnick lives in New York City.