This Was Funnier in China: An American Comedian’s Cross-Cultural Journey

American comic Appell debuts with a funny and insightful memoir about his Chinese comedy career. While in college, Appell became fascinated with xiangsheng, a traditional Chinese comedy method featuring a joke-teller and a straight man. Hoping to learn more about it, he landed a Fulbright fellowship studying under Master Ding Guangquan, a practitioner of the form willing to train non-Chinese students. After finishing college, Appell spent nine years in China learning xiangsheng, eventually landing a writing job on the Chinese equivalent of SNL. When Covid hit, Appell returned to the U.S. but stayed connected to China by performing stand-up to raise money for hospital supplies in Wuhan, mentoring Chinese students studying in the States, and producing videos on Chinese tea culture that helped him gain reentry to the country after Covid restrictions were lifted in 2023. Appell’s gift for turning a phrase (on performing stand-up: “Like swimming, technique is one thing, but no amount of study on dry land will prepare you for that first cold shock of the water”) and genuine passion for cultural exchange lend the proceedings an endearing and approachable quality. Even readers who’ve never encountered Appell’s work will find much to enjoy. Agent: Kelly Karczewski, UTA. (Feb.)