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History of The Pudd’nhead Festival
“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” Mark Twain
The Pudd’nhead Festival was founded in 2014 by NY Times Bestselling author, actor, and comedian Michael Ian Black in celebration of pre-eminent funny man Mark Twain. “As a comedian, author, and Redding resident myself, I thought we had a unique opportunity to create something special here in Mark Twain’s final hometown,” said Michael Ian Black. “No other literary festival focuses specifically on humor, and so why not remedies that unfortunate situation? Hence the Pudd’nhead Festival and the Pudd’nhead Prize.” Drawing inspiration from one of Twain’s classic tales, The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson, the Pudd’nhead Festival was officially launched.
The centerpiece of the Festival is the Pudd’nhead Prize for Outstanding Humor. The Prize is awarded to someone who channels Mark Twain, someone who lives by Twain’s words: “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” Prize winners to date: New Yorker cartoonist/author Roz Chast, Ben Stiller, Jim Gaffigan, Seth Meyers, Paul Rudd, Jon Hamm, Laura Linney and Amy Schumer.
The Pudd’nhead Festival grew in its second year to include an event for children –The Pudd’nhead Parade. Hosted by Michael Ian Black, the Parade is a free program held at the library starring a bestselling children’s author. Equally important are the aPProPriate delicious “p” offerings: pizza, popsicles, popcorn and pudding! Celebrated Grand Marshalls have been Scott Campbell, Nick Bruel, Bob Shea, John Himmelman, Ame Dyckman and Valerie Bolling.
In 2016 the Pudd’nhead Festival grew again, adding a Friday night stand-up comedy event: The Hoot’nanny. Stand Up comics from New York City venture to a barn in Redding for a night of revelry. Headliners have included Maeve Higgins, Naomi Ekpergin, Jim Tews, Anna Drezen, Emily Galati, Judy Gold, Michelle Buteau, Josh Gondelman and Carmen Lagala.
In 2017 and 2018 Pudd’nhead the festival welcomed Selected Shorts, a weekly public radio show broadcast on NPR. Actors of stage and screen read before a live audience — for Pudd’nhead, humorous stories are especially selected. Ana Gasteyer, Josh Charles, Jane Kaczmarek and Kate Walsh have all joined Michael Ian Black in support of the Mark Twain Library.
The Annual Pudd’nhead Festival is essential to the library’s budget – it is also invaluable in its nod to the library’s illustrious founder. Pudd’nhead celebrates Mark Twain’s legendary funny bone — something he banked on – and so do we. We are enormously grateful to Michael Ian Black, the man behind it all, for dishing up the fun year after year.
