Rachel Callaghan isn’t one of those writers who’s driven by the laugh track. I suspect she’s one of those more literary types who just happens to be funny. Her books aren’t categorized as humor, even though I often found myself laughing out loud. She also isn’t setting out to write something dark, it’s just that grappling with life’s biggest topics ends up leading to the darker stuff. Since she is a former ER doctor she’s seen it all and knows how to describe it in gritty detail. Her knowledge of grotesque anatomy is apparent in her recent thriller Devil’s Knob, but even more apparent is a dry skepticism I suspect was necessary to make it through medical school.
Rachel had been on the search for communities centered on dark comedy ever since she began writing Grab the Groom, her parody of reality dating shows. “Naturally I’ve been interested in dark comedy for a while, and more interested once I began to write one by attempting to make a wide variety of weird misfortunes, just to amuse myself,” she told me, “and writing Grab the Groom made me really, really laugh. After changing my panties, I thought I would dig into the world of dark humor web communities, but few sites were to be found.” That’s when she came to me. “Where there is a hole, I find someone with a shovel to fill it.”
Rachel and I are working together to make a space for writers of dark comedy to come together and talk about their influences and what makes this genre interesting and special. I’m going to test run a few of these questions on Rachel, so none of the featured authors faces the indignity of having to go first. Then the interviews will start out with responses from Morty Shallman, Lee Martinez, and Adelle Waldman.
Interview Questions for author of the dark comedy Grab the Groom
Who are your favorite comedians and why? Are there any jokes, bits or specials in particular that resonate with your dark comedy style?
Among my favorite comedians at the moment are Ricky Gervais, Jo Koy, and Fluffy (Gabriel Iglesias) because they make fun of everything and are often so, so “incorrect.” I’m also fond of Anthony Jeselnik, who really does keep it outrageous—nothing’s off the table. They are keeping comedy and free speech alive.
Do you have a favorite dark comedy TV series? How about dark humor in movies?
I don’t watch much TV and don’t think they influenced me, but do like What We Do in the Shadows and the first few seasons of Shameless. Fleabag was amusing to me but my husband hated the main character so much that I stopped watching.
Again, I don’t watch many movies and almost never go to a theater. I can’t sit still long enough and people on the aisle ends get tired of getting up for me to get more popcorn. I enjoyed but don’t think I was inspired by Rocky Horror Picture Show and Young Frankenstein. I liked Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows movie much better than the TV show. He made vampires charming, which is a big improvement and less eww than sexy. Is [Monty Python’s] The Holy Grail dark? I loved that, and though technically the Dark Ages were over, the Middle Ages were still pretty dark.
What is the quintessential example of dark comedy that got you interested in writing this genre?
I’d have to say Christopher Moore’s books, some Carl Hiaasen. Personal hardship shown as dark humor like Augusten Burroughs’ Running With Scissors.
What are you watching or reading lately?
I’m struggling to read a classic, Pedro Paramo. It’s dark but not funny in the least.
Do you have a fondness for any particular dark comedy in poetry?
Ogden Nash. Dorothy Parker. Tom Lehrer’s songs.
How does dark humor work as a coping mechanism for you, or for your audience?
I see it as the world is such a mess that if you’re not laughing, you’re near tears.
For those who want to write dark comedy, give us a writing prompt or two.
Describe the looks and actions of the funniest or most odd person in your family, school, or work.
Is it more important to you that the scene you write is funny, or impactful?
Good question. I’d say that for me the two are mostly entwined, stuck together with glue and spit, though sometimes one is purely expressed and the other quiet. Sooner or later the other gets the stage.
I did have one more question for Rachel, to find out if her humor flowed out of her as naturally as I suspected. I asked her, “Do you set out to write humor?”
She said, “Except for Grab the Groom, no. I often don’t specifically set out to say it, but can’t help myself.”
I knew it!
She added, “My husband gets offended sometimes. Often.”
About Rachel Callaghan’s darkly comic parody, Grab the Groom
Is Grab the Groom a book about tacky modern reality TV or is it a book about the classic glamour of old Hollywood? Is it a summer beach read or an incisive social commentary on modern life and womanhood? The answer is YES.
In Grab the Groom, the shallow stars on a reality TV dating competition are haunted by a shallow star of another era: the Silver Age of cinema. It has a little bit of romance… but a lot of bloodshed. At the center of it all is Hortensia: a little girl who just wants to be loved.
Here’s how readers described it:
- “from the very first chapter, the book took off with a captivating pace that kept me eagerly turning pages.”
- “A hilarious and deep black comedy…Despite the grim premise, Rachel Callahan’s novel is a hilarious character study and fast-paced mystery.“
- “Ghostly murders and dead nuns = great fun!“
- “Each character’s voice is unique and authentic. I got hooked from the beginning! Highly recommend this witty story!“
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