Five Questions
Joel Goodman is the founder and director of The HUMOR Project, Inc. in Saratoga Springs (www. HumorProject.com). He will give a presentation and sign three of his books at the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs at 7 p.m. Friday.
1 How long have you lived in Saratoga Springs and what do you like best about living in this area?
My wife Margie and I moved to the city in 1975. We have loved nurturing close friendships here. We love the scale and vibrancy of Saratoga Springs, and the incredibly rich cultural opportunities here. When we sponsored our international conference on “The Positive Power of Humor and Creativity” for 20 years at the City Center.
2 After your presentation at Northshire, you will be signing “Laffirmations, 1,001 Ways to Add Humor to Your Life and Work,” which has been a best-seller with 75,000-plus copies sold. Why should we be serious about humor?
In my writing and in giving presentations to businesses, schools, hospitals, non-profits, government agencies, associations, and conferences, I think it is important to help folks realize that humor is fun, but not for fun. It provides many positive, powerful, personal, and professional payoffs for our health, relationships, workplace, learning, resiliency, managing stress, etc.
3 April is National Humor Month. April 22 is Earth Day. Will you be combining both at Northshire?
We are calling the April 20 event “Mirth Day Earth Day,” because it will also feature my two latest books: “Humanizing Outdoor and Environmental Education” and “201 Nature and Human Nature Activities.” These two books contain a gazillion (give or take a couple quadrillion) individual and group activities that promote mindfulness, awareness, and respect for nature and the environment.
4 In addition to being the author of 10 books, what are a couple other things you have enjoyed doing through The HUMOR Project?
I started The HUMOR Project in Saratoga Springs in 1977 as the first organization in the world to focus full-time (or fool-time) on the positive power of humor and creativity in everyday life. I have been blessed to be one of only two professional speakers in the world to have given presentations in all 50 states and on all seven continents (including Antarctica).
5 Your pioneering, playful, impactful work at The HUMOR Project has brought great joy to more than three million people who have participated in your programs and ordered your books. What brings you joy?
Family is number one — my wife Margie, son Adam and daughter Alyssa (I dedicated my “Laffirmations” book to them), son-in-law Jake and daughter-in-law Hilda, and “the new kid on the block” — grandson Jakobe (to whom I dedicated “201 Nature and Human Nature Activities”). I get immense joy from being PopPop.