Humor Capitalized WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER | PHOTOS BY SUSAN BLACKBURN PHOTOGRAPHY
By the Numbers 10:
Books written by Dr. Joel Goodman, including Laffirmations: 1,001 Ways to Add Humor to Your Life and Work
Nearly 4 million: People reached
through the HUMOR Project’s Speakers Bureau presentations
7,000+: Appearances in television and radio
W
e can think about it as much as we want, but the reality is, we feel our way through life.
Millions of people around the world have gotten to feel good because of author, educator, and entrepreneur Dr. Joel Goodman - and that’s just good business. FILLING SARATOGA WITH LAUGHTER AND JOY Since 1968, Dr. Joel Goodman has been teaching people practical ways to develop and use their sense of humor and creativity. “The ability to play with serious situations is at the heart of humor,” says the laugh doctor. For more than four decades, that heart has been located in Saratoga Springs, where Goodman and his wife, Margie Ingram, founded The HUMOR Project in 1977. Hosting conferences at the City Center for twenty consecutive years, they brought more than 23,000 attendees to the city while honoring comedic legends including; Steve Allen, Sid Caesar, Victor Borge, Jay Leno, The Smothers Brothers, Gilda Radner, Bob Newhart, David Hyde Pierce, Elmo, and Lucie Arnaz, among others. Because of their vital contribution to the community, Goodman and Ingram received the first Hometown Heroes Award from the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau in 1997. Now, Goodman and Ingram are moving to Silver Spring, Maryland to begin the HUMOR Project 2.0.
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shows, newspapers, and magazines in 175+ countries, including: The TODAY Show, PBS, ABC NEWS’ prime-time special on The Mystery of Happiness (aired nationally three times), BBC, Latenight America, Donahue, CNBC's Management Today, All Things Considered, the front page of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, Readers' Digest, Successful Meetings, and numerous AP national features. What made his kids most proud was Joel being highlighted on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
500:
Grants given to schools, hospitals, and human service agencies to help them develop services and resources to tap into the positive and healing power of humor
5: Prestigious awards to mark significant
achievement in his field: the International Lifetime of Laughter Achievement Award, the International Punster of the Year Award, the Beacon Humor and Peace Prize, the LOL (Legacy of Laughter) Award, and the International HA (Humor Achievement) Award
saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
