Mirth of a Nation: The Best Contemporary Humor

Michael J.Rosen is Director of the Thurber House; the restored boyhood home of James Thurber in Columbus, Ohio, which Garrison Keillor has dubbed the capitol/capital of American humor. This volume is the first of a planned series of biennial collections of the best funny essays by U.S. writers. From the misleading front matter to the spurious index this collection is a hoot! Sure, there are some duds (to my taste), but humor is an iffy business. A twisted metaphor which leaves me choking for breath could easily make you doubt both my and the writer's sanity - or vice versa. Even the guidelines for submissions are a delight. To whit: "TABS: Tabs should be between one quarter of an inch and one third of an inch deep. One third of an inch is preferred. If for whatever reason your tabs are not between one quarter and one third of an inch deep, please write to The Thurber House for a copy of Form 56G, on which you can explain your deviance from the tab-depth norm, ... In the unlikely event that your alternative tabbing is approved, you will then be asked to adjust your manuscript so that it is then not double spaced, but single spaced, and printed on paper that is less white." Their send-up of the often arcane submission regs of many publications goes on for four pages. (Maybe you have to be a submitter-to-periodicals to be amused.) This first collection includes several well known wits (Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Fran Lebowitz, Roy Blount, Jr., John Updike) and a host of lesser-knowns. A piece about ferrets as pets, and ferret websites, by Daniel Radosh left me gasping. (I was so convulsed that Pomonella not only climbed off my chest, but carried her feline dignity out of the room.) An interview with Lebowitz about money and wealth represents the very summit of humor - a social commentary both fiercely barbed and charmingly jocular. Tell your librarian! Good stuff!

Humor books are usually miscellaneous hodge-podges of "something for everybody." This one is not. It's a sustained compilation of great writing. Writing by very talented people who are variously smart-alec, smart-assed. and just plain smart. That's the one thing that's similiar about all the pieces: they're just very well done. After that, there's a huge range, from Sedaris's hilariously scatching review of kiddie theatrical productions to Garry Trudeau's re-re-retranslating of a Madonna interview back and forth from Russian. There are as many expected players--Ian Frazier, Fran Lebowitz, Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke with terrific pieces--as there are surprises and newer names. Favorites? Howard Mohr (who worked with Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion for years), John Updike doing a parody about J. Edgar Hoover cross-dressing. David Ives, the brilliant playwright, giving a culinary history through philosophers. Even the index, by Al Franken, shows that Mirth of a Nation is serious about being funny, from cover to cover. I have the second volume, More Mirth of a Nation, and, believe it or not, it's even better. Thirds, anyone? I gather from their website it will be out in 2004. Can't wait.

Many humor anthologies are very hit and miss, and they also tend to be very much a "boys only" club. Mirth of a Nation is of the best I've ever seen, both in terms of quality and in including an good representation of women humorists. Michael J. Rosen has done an excellent job in compiling humorists such as Fran Lebowitz, Dave Barry, Mark O'Donnell, Jon Stewart, David Sedaris, Colleen Werthman, Patricia Marx and Henry Alford, just to name a few. This anthology would make a wonderful gift for just about anyone in any age group (it is pretty much "clean humor"). Treat yourself with it at any time, but especially if you are going to be on a plane,train, or subway. I hope they have many sequels!

I got this for a friend's birthday, and had a hard time parting with it. When I get a copy for myself, I'm getting two, so I can give another one away. Nearly everything in here is dead-on funny. I had to call my sister and read some of it aloud, because I couldn't just keep on laughing to myself all afternoon, but she couldn't make out much of what I was saying through the laughter. The collection of McCourt memoir parodies still makes me laugh a week later -- Shlomo McCourt, Frances Mayle McCourt... The news quizzes, eh, not so funny. Otherwise, loved it.

This book is a hilarious compendium of short humor writing by the funniest authors around today. Perfect subway, bedtime, or bathroom reading.