Growing up as a white kid with six Black brothers, two white brothers, two from Vietnam, and one from China, comedian Ryan Conner’s family gave him a unique perspective on what it means to be American, one that he brings to the stage and now, for the first time, to the page.
In 12 Guys Walk Into a Kitchen, Conner tells hilarious stories that also tackle assumptions too often made about race, culture, and identity—and offers powerful and funny insights on the unifying power of family, empathy, and redemption.
Read his stories of refugee flights, adoption hardship, love overcoming hate, factory closures, leisure suits, bullying, comedy icons, what happens when a kid who’s never broken a rule goes to college and works for a drug front, the life of a comic, poverty, the worst wedding toast in history, ambition vs family, and maybe an orgy. Wild and heart-filled anecdotes are told against the backdrop of a home life that made their lives ordinary in every meaningful sense.
Through sharp, comedic storytelling, discover a message of hope in these divisive times: that diversity isn’t a burden, it’s our greatest strength. And at the end of the day, nearly everything but family is meaningless.
| Publisher | BenBella Books |
| Author | Ryan Conner |
| Country | USA |
| Publication Date | 06/11/2026 |
| Pages | 272 |
| Edition | first |
| Size | 14.53 x 2.34 x 21.67 cm |
| About the Author | Ryan Conner is a writer and stand-up comedian. He was born and raised in Virginia and now lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, his dog, and four million other people. He has performed on and written for several television shows. The Washington Post called him “probably the most singular comedian in America.” On NBC’s Last Comic Standing, judge Norm Macdonald called one of his sets “the best [he’s] seen in five years.” |
| Publisher Address | jennifer@benbellabooks.com |
| ISBN | ISBN: 9798902680031 |
