204. Ali Siddiq: Telling His Own Story

About this episode

Ali Siddiq joins Mike Birbiglia to discuss comedic storytelling and his journey in comedy after prison.

Ali Siddiq is one of the most prolific storytellers in comedy. Although they work in a similar format, Ali and Mike’s paths have never crossed until now. Now they sit down to discuss the nuances of comedic storytelling, including how to make specific topics relatable to audiences, and Ali explains how he made his own path in comedy after serving six years in prison on drug charges. Plus, Ali and Mike, both parents of swimmers, share war stories from swim meets.

People in this episode

Host: Mike Birbiglia

Guest: Ali Siddiq

Topics covered

• comedic storytelling
• personal narrative
• prison experience
• parenting
• swimming

Keywords

• Ali Siddiq
• Mike Birbiglia
• storytelling
• comedy
• prison
• swim meets
• parenting

More episodes of Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

• 215. Phil Lord and Chris Miller: These 2 Dorks Made Every Movie You Love · June 8, 2026 · 49 min
• 214. Robby Hoffman: It's a New Dawn · June 1, 2026 · 56 min
• Jenny Slate: Unafraid of Sadness · May 25, 2026 · 1h 9m
• 213. Jack Antonoff Returns: Music’s Biggest Producer Records Mike’s Pizza Song · May 18, 2026 · 59 min
• 212. Pete Holmes Returns: Selling Crepes at a Junkyard · May 11, 2026 · 44 min
• 211. Nish Kumar Returns: Dinosaurs Before the Meteor · May 4, 2026 · 54 min