Agorafabulous! Dispatches from My Bedroom, a book by comedian Sara Benincasa, is a comedic anthem for the emotionally distressed, the panicked, the anxious -- and all those who can't wait for the day when they too, like Benincasa, can hurl a big Fuck You! at debilitating mental illness. 

Joyful Julie of "Groupidity" sits down for a session of Letterapy!  Today: A struggling comedian wants to give his girlfriend a gigglegasm.

Irreverent and idiosyncratic, Maria Bamford was brazen and brilliant during her performance at the Flapper’s Comedy Club in Burbank, Calif., this past Friday, June 24.  The first female comic to have two half-hour specials on Comedy Central, her comedic repertoire has broad mass appeal that a wide variety of people can enjoy.  From the competitive nature of families to the unhelpful observations of small Latina children, Maria's show offered hilariously blunt assessments of human relations and the endless number of ways we wear on one another's nerves.

What do you get when you combine a killer voice, slap-stick antics, and really really really bad pop music?  A hilarious set of lyrically and melodically challenged songs skillfully performed by music parody prodigy Jackie Loeb. Going into a show about the worst songs ever written my expectations were set pretty high because, let’s face it, there’s a sh*t ton of cringe-worthy, vomit-inducing tunes out there.  Loeb quickly set the bar when she started off with R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.”  The petite Australian with auburn hair commanded the stage, belting out the words with her powerful, warm voice as well as physically miming the words.  Oh yes, she happily flapped her arms like a stoned swan every time she sang “fly.”  I loved watching her seriously sing the lyrics while tearing them apart at the same time.  She didn’t have to tell you why this inspirational ballad from the 90s sucked, you knew from her rendition you weren’t listening to Mozart.

You’ve seen other people’s shows around town, and you’ve been thinking to yourself, "I want to do that … but how?"  Here’s a handy checklist to get you on your way to being a certified comedy show producer, all on your own.