Elise Czajkowski

Editor/Writer

New York, New York

Elise Czajkowski

Editor/Writer

New York, New York

Zizzle Zazzles: An Evening with Rory Scovel - New York Comedy Festival
With an alt favorite like Rory Scovel, there's always the worry that the hype will overwhelm the material. After witnessing him do a concurrent set with Jon Dore on Conan or pitching open-mic bits while climbing onstage scaffolding, there is a real possibility that seeing a conventional 45-minute festival set could disappoint.
The Spit Take
Comedy
Crowd Work with Colin Quinn - New York Comedy Festival
For many in the industry today, the influence of Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn looms large. The free-wheeling discussion show was a nightly glimpse into the merciless but hysterical world of New York comedy, and a more honest look at off-stage interactions than television normally provides.
The Spit Take
Comedy
Talking to Yael Kohen, Author of 'We Killed', About Women in Comedy
There are, obviously, a lot of women in comedy, and some of them are doing quite well for themselves. But as baffling as it seems, some people would still dispute the fundamental funniness of ladies. Even within comedy circles, discussions persist about women in comedy, such as whether the relative rarity of lady comics is a help or hindrance for women.
Splitsider
Comedy
Looking at the Questionable Value of Stand-Up Schools in 'Finding the Funny'
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy
Catching Up with Eddie Pepitone in 'The Bitter Buddha'
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy
Inside the Absurdist Political Campaign of Comedian Jón Gnarr
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy Politics
Beth Stelling: Sweet Beth
A comedian's first album is often a best-of reel from his or her first few years of comedy, resulting in a series of good jokes that doesn't quite cohere into a unified set. Even for a relatively new performer, weaving career highlights into one seamless hour is a difficult task, one that holds back the debut of promising talent Beth Stelling.
The Spit Take
Comedy
The Art of Comedy Throughout the Ages and 'History of the Joke'
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy
Lewis Black brings his righteous political rage to Broadway with Running on Empty
Lewis Black was angry before it was cool. Before tea partyers, Occupiers and screaming pundits filled TV screens, Black was expressing his fury at the world in his stand-up and in his "Back in Black" segments on The Daily Show.
Time Out New York
Comedy
Finding Lenny Bruce's Imprint on the Comedy World in Two Documentaries
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy
Talking to Bill Burr About His New Special, His Alt-Room Statements, False Outrage, and More
Bill Burr would like to remind you that he is a comedian. It's not that many, many people don't know that - he's the host of the very popular Monday Morning Podcast , and last year he received the Comedian of the Year Award from the Boston Comedy Festival.
Splitsider
Comedy
Understanding Comedy by Doing it in 'Alone Up There'
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy
Talking to David O'Doherty About Standup, Edinburgh, and More
Irish comedian David O'Doherty is no stranger to our shores. His musical whimsy has been seen recently on Comedy Central's The Half Hour and John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, and if you're lucky, you can occasionally catch him doing his solo show at UCB or dropping in at Brooklyn's Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival.
Splitsider
Comedy
'Goodnight, We Love You': A Disappointing Look Back at Phyllis Diller's Final Show | Splitsider
It's no secret that sometimes comedy is taken a bit too seriously. Comedy obsessives love not just the jokes, but the mechanics and emotions of the comedy world. There are a raft of comedy documentaries exploring comedy and comedians, but do they really have anything significant to add to the discussion?
Splitsider
Comedy
The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival may have begun life as an off-hand joke, but over the last five years it has become a legitimately respected festival, this year pulling in superstars Sarah Silverman and Jim Gaffigan alongside international acts Daniel Kitson and David O'Doherty and local legends like Todd Barry and Tom Shillue.
The Spit Take
Comedy
Finding the Laughs at Bumbershoot 2012
When Labor Day weekend rolls around, downtown Seattle is overtaken by the country's largest urban arts festival. Celebrating its 42nd year at the Seattle Center, Bumbershoot is a proudly eclectic event in every way. This year, the headlining act on Sunday was Tony Bennett; on Monday, it was Skrillex.
Splitsider
Comedy

About

Elise Czajkowski

💰 Currently, I work as the Manager of Local News at Bash Advisory, a consultancy that helps nonprofits newsroom raise money from foundations and individuals.

🖋️ I'm also a freelance editor, writer, and content marketer. I write and edit the "Need to Know" newsletter for the American Press Institute, and my other clients include Wirecutter, the Local Media Association, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and Podreacher.

My background is a bit eclectic:

🗞️ In the spring of 2019, I was a Tow Knight Fellow in Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Newmark School of Journalism, where I launched a non-profit called Sidewalk News, which uses outdoor advertising to distribute local news.

🎤 I also covered comedy and media in New York City; I previously compiled the comedy listings for The New York Times, and wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Splitsider, Flavorpill, Time Out New York, Paste Magazine, Vulture, The Awl, and GOOD Magazine.

🎒I have a degree from New York University in Broadcast Journalism and International Politics.

📺 📻 🎭I have written questions for BBC 4 quiz show "Only Connect", read the news on New Zealand radio, and audio-described plays for blind audiences.