On October 24, 2025, the comedian-actors Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak took the stage for a discussion with the New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme, as part of the 26th annual New Yorker Festival, a weekend of conversations, screenings, performances, and more. The Festival, which is the magazine’s signature event, was held in New York City and brought together leading voices in literature, film, comedy, television, politics, and medicine.

Kate Berlant is a comedian, an actress, and a writer. Her one-woman play, “Kate,” directed by Bo Burnham, received acclaim in four sold-out runs. She has released two comedy specials, “Cinnamon in the Wind” and, with John Early, “Would It Kill You to Laugh?,” which was nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Berlant’s act

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