Hello, friends of Slackjaw. We have an exciting announcement. Slackjaw has added three new guest editors: Adam Dietz, Emily Menez, and Sianna Lani.
Adam, Emily, and Sianna are not just multi-time Slackjaw contributors, but they’re also active contributors to the online humor writing community and writers with great chops and refined taste. They will be vetting Slackjaw submissions through the rest of 2023.
As for the rest of the team, Justin Gawel and Alex Baia are still editing. Sarah James and Molly Henderson are on sabbatical.
We wanted our guest editors to introduce themselves in their own words, and give you a glimpse into the kind of humor they enjoy. So, here you go.
Welcome to Adam, Emily, and Sianna!
About Adam Dietz
My name is Adam Dietz and I live in Milwaukee, WI, with my wife and our dog, Mochi. I started writing satire and comedy during the pandemic when I was out of work and sad. I found it to be a great creative outlet and while I am now employed and happy, I’ve continued to try to produce a new piece of writing every week since that time. Slackjaw was one of the first publications to accept my work, so serving as a guest editor is quite meaningful for me. I am also the editor of Slackjaw’s comedy newsletter “Yapjaw.”
In terms of comedy pieces, I enjoy goofy premises that are played straight as well as comedy pieces that are grounded in the types of people, places, and things that we all experience. These are pretty generic descriptions. It is my hope that the next few months as an editor will help better define what types of writing I enjoy. I guess we’ll see!
Here are a few of my pieces that have appeared on Slackjaw over the years:
My Scarecrow Is A Straight-Up Snack
Here are a few pieces from other writers that I have enjoyed on Slackjaw:
Unused Scenes From ‘Friends’ That Attempted To Discuss 9/11
Clean Truth Or Dare Prompts For Christian Teens
Looking forward to reading your work!
About Sianna Lani
My name is Sianna Lani and I live in Honolulu, Hawaii. Like Adam, I once had a dog named Mochi, but I now have a dog named Munchkin Hercules. I started writing humor in 2021 and have had a blast being part of the Medium community ever since. I have always been a big fan of Slackjaw, and I’m excited to be a guest editor for such a fantastic publication.
I enjoy a variety of humor styles, ranging from clever and sharp, to silly and goofy. I especially appreciate pieces that are relatable with an “outside-the-box” spin. Whatever your style is, I’m looking forward to reading it!
Here are two pieces I wrote for Slackjaw:
It is I, Günter, Your German Garten Gnome, and I Am Here to Tell You Zat I Am Marrying Your Daughter
Quiz: Are You Shopping With Your Family At IKEA, Or Are You Jack Torrance In The Shining?
Here are two pieces from other Slackjaw writers that made me laugh:
I Thought I Would Give You A Call While Doing Every Obnoxiously Interruptive Thing I Can
A List Of Dos And Don’ts When Conjuring Up Satan
About Emily Menez
Slackjaw friends, It’s an honor to serve as your guest editor. I’m originally from Overland Park, Kansas, which is the coolest part of the Midwest (this is not up for debate). I’ve been writing comedy for the last decade. I got my start as an intern in the script department of Saturday Night Live. I’ve studied improv and sketch writing at the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings and have since gone on to write for The New Yorker, CBS, Nike, McSweeney’s, and Slackjaw.
I’m inspired by characters with highly specific POVs and reimagining pop culture worlds with a fresh take. Check out my Slackjaw pieces I Joined The Cult From Midsommar And It’s Not Going That Well and We, As A Collective Audience, Have Decided Against Saying “Good Morning” A Second Time.
SJ is consistently shining a spotlight on the brightest comedy writers who bring something new to familiar topics. I was blown away by Adam Dietz’s We Need To Normalize This Thing That Pertains Specifically To Me and Sianna Lani’s Quiz: Are You Shopping With Your Family At IKEA, Or Are You Jack Torrance In The Shining? Impressive work. Someone should bring on those two as editors.
