Writing A Book Involves Fact Checking Myself

Figuring out which stories I've been telling are based in fact and which are pure fiction. Plus recs for Greg Hochmuth's NYC questions, Connor O'Malley conspiracies, and Sarah Lustbader on abolition.

I’m in the final stages of writing a book about humor and how to laugh more. It’s coming out early next year (2026). I’m excited! I’m also trying my best to make sure that publishing this book doesn’t ruin my life and reputation.

You see, I’ve never been the most reliable narrator. I think I’m a pretty entertaining narrator! But you wouldn’t want me to be in charge of a narrative that required all the details to be exactly accurate. That’s an important thing to know about yourself! And it’s why I hired a professional fact checker to go through my manuscript and say things like, “How could that possibly be true?” and “I’m assuming there’s no source for this either?”

I took several classes in creative non-fiction in college. I loved them. And they also made me realize I would probably always require external support to keep the “non” in “non-fiction.” My wife, Mollie, often gives me a look when I’m telling a story that makes me realize I’ve changed several key details. I would argue that saving a crowd of people from a bunch of extra boring details so they can get to the punchline faster is performing a public service! But I understand that not everyone agrees. Hence, the fact checker. Hence, Mollie’s look. Hence, me sending lots of emails this week to friends saying, “Hey, I have this funny anecdote about you in my book draft. Is it okay if I include that? And do I need to change anything to make it accurate?”

I’m relieved to get people’s responses! They are being very generous with their time and their corrections. I’m grateful that they’re emailing me now when the stakes are extremely low rather than in the future when I’m sobbing on Oprah’s couch as she confronts me about the fact that several hair salons with joke pun names I claimed existed in Bangor, Maine appear to never have existed at all.

It makes me think about the first time I worked with a professional fact checker. Every episode of the podcast I host for TED is fact checked and at some point in the first season, I told a jokey anecdote about how I had once received “hundreds of angry emails” after I made a joke on public radio and inaccurately described the size of the moon.

The fact checker asked me to forward her the emails so she could count them. I dug back into my inbox and discovered that it was actually three emails. But emotionally, it felt like hundreds! Factually, the fact checker explained, three did not qualify as “hundreds.”

We cut the story.

I look forward to you all reading the book when it comes out and sensing all the moments where I was shocked to discover the truth. It’s like a thriller, but every twist shouldn’t surprise me because I was there for it. It does though! I’m genuinely shocked every time.

My projects and upcoming events:

PODCAST: How to Be a Better Human (TED/PRX) - Our guest this week on the podcast is Dr. Tenelle Porter, who studies intellectual humility. The idea that we might be wrong and it’s worth considering other ideas and information seems to me to be one of the rarest (and most important) qualities in public discourse these days. I thought Tenelle did a great job of explaining her research and why intellectual humility is something we don’t hear nearly enough about. Listen here (or wherever you get podcasts).

This week’s list

GREAT:

Greg Hochmuth (also known as Grex) is an artist and engineer in New York City. I’m always interested in Grex’s projects and the way he uses technology to build human connections. His most recent project is relatively lo-fi but a lot of fun. He took the classic 36 questions to fall in love and transformed them into an exercise to get to know your city better. The questions are technically about NYC, but I think it works just as well with any other city too and it’s a very fun way to spark different, unexpected conversations with a partner or friend. 36 Questions x NYC

FUNNY:

Connor O’Malley is one of the funniest and most unhinged people alive. His comedy is truly indescribable and you either love it or are completely baffled and appalled by it. He’s recently been putting out a series of videos where he is making fun of conspiracy theory podcasters (he plays a manosphere type character whose name is literally Kevin Podcast). They make me laugh so much. A perfect parody of people who are already beyond parodying. Definitely do not watch these at work or in public though, you’ll probably lose your job. BOX and Pipe Rock Theory

INTERESTING:

Sarah Lustbader worked as a public defender in the Bronx for years. She’s written about legal issues for many publications and always covers it with the insights of someone who has seen how the system works in practice, not just how it’s supposed to work in theory. In her most recent piece for The New Yorker, she expertly writes about an incredibly challenging topic and a law professor fighting a battle that many people are shocked by. “For years, Leigh Goodmark was convinced that the way to keep women safe was through arrests and prosecutions. Now she’s pushing for the opposite.” The Feminist Law Professor Who Wants to Stop Arresting People for Domestic Violence

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading! Please share Bright Spots with anyone you think might enjoy it.

There are almost certainly factual inaccuracies in today’s newsletter,

Chris Duffy

This has been Bright Spots, a newsletter.

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…wait, who are you?

I'm Chris Duffy, a comedian, TV writer, podcast host, and both a former fifth grade teacher and a former fifth grade student. I’m currently writing a nonfiction book about humor for Doubleday.