Join the Altru Institute for a salon celebrating our guest, Mike Reiss, author of the new book Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons.

This hilarious new book offers a behind the scenes look at the making of this animated comedy that has lasted 30 years and is a now a $5 billion enterprise. Mike will discuss The Simpsons, the evolution of comedy in America, and share some stories and insights into the cutting edge of entertainment.

Altru Salons offer a chance to meet and learn from a diverse group of interesting people doing compelling and inspiring things. Join us for this chance to laugh and learn.

Mike Reiss has won four Emmys and a Peabody Award during his twenty-eight years writing for "The Simpsons". He ran the show in Season 4, which Entertainment Weekly called "the greatest season of the greatest show in history." In 2006, Reiss received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Animation Writers Caucus.

"Springfield Confidential", Mike's memoir of three decades at "The Simpsons", was released by Harper Collins in June 2018.

Reiss has written jokes for such comedy legends as Johnny Carson, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling... and Pope Francis! For his comedic contributions to the charitable group Joke with the Pope, in 2015 Pope Francis declared Reiss "A Missionary of Joy".

Reiss co-created the animated series "The Critic" and created Showtime's hit cartoon "Queer Duck" (about a gay duck). "Queer Duck" was named one of "The 100 Greatest Cartoons of All Time" by the BBC. "Queer Duck: the Movie" was released to rave reviews in July 2006, winning awards in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Sweden, Germany and Wales.

Mike Reiss has been a contributing writer to more than two dozen animated films -- including four ICE AGEs, two DESPICABLE MEs, THE LORAX, RIO, KUNG FU PANDA 3, and THE SIMPSONS MOVIE - with a worldwide gross of $14 billion.

Reiss' first play, "I'm Connecticut" set box-office records for Connecticut Repertory Theater. The Hartford Courant called it "sweet and hysterically funny" and named it one of the year's Ten Best Plays. Broadway World Connecticut voted it Best Play of 2012.

His caveman detective story "Cro-Magnon P.I." won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He has published nineteen children's books, including the best-seller "How Murray Saved Christmas" and the award-winning "Late for School". Reiss also composes puzzles for "NPR", and "Games Magazine".

As a professional speaker, Reiss has lectured at over three hundred colleges and institutions, on six continents. His topics include "The Simpsons", comedy and Judaism, and the sorry state of television. Reiss is a former president of "The Harvard Lampoon" and editor of "The National Lampoon".

He has been happily married for thirty years. Like most children's book authors, he has no children.