A Newsletter of Humorous Writing

For April 23-29, 2020, a roundup of the week's finest prose humor and prose humor-related news.

Hello and welcome to A Newsletter of Humorous Writing, the email propaganda arm of the acclaimed humorous readings show, An Evening of Humorous Readings. It's official: Humorous Writing HQ (HWHQ) is packing our bags and moving to Georgia. We got ourselves declared an essential business (in times like these, what could be more essential than short-form humor writing?) and our doors will be wide open. We'll also be cutting hair and, if we're lucky, operating a bowling alley. Come down and see us. But also, don't do that. Stay in your home.

What We Enjoyed This Week

How to Spot a Fake by Alex Watt (New Yorker) What makes this piece work is the blend. On one hand, you have the voice--plenty of authority. On the other hand, you have the absurdity of the jokes and images. "Babe Ruth on a Peloton" is what we're talking about here. The two balance each other out so nicely, it's like a fine wine. Also, the piece has a nice bouquet of strawberries and stonefruit, so there's that.

Other Trader Joe's Spice Mixes by Sara Lebow (The Belladonna) We've never played volleyball here at HRHQ (bad knees!) but we are familiar with the concept of set-ups and spikes. That's what you have here. Sara sets every section up with ease and then spikes the joke(s). It's a great example of a great style of piece.

Hi @Veilbroadband by Adrian Grey (Twitter) What a ride. Really, this was just an absolute joy to follow. Thanks to Lizzie Logan for turning us on to this one. It's nice to see a piece like this--that could have been a piece in the New Yorker or McSweeney's or anywhere--live (and take advantage of) a medium like Twitter. Frankly, we'd love to see more work like this. Hail Project #EndBrain.

Please, I Just Want to Have a Normal Martial Arts Tournament by Tyler Peterson (Points in Case) There are few "humor piece characters" we love to see more than the deranged millionaire. Here, we have one, in perfect form. We get a classic high-status idiot, but also, probably, katanas. What more could you ask for?

An Old Favorite

What to Do if you See a Bear by Emma Rathbone (New Yorker)

First off, this piece is full of good advice. A lot of humor pieces don't include actionable tips for how to keep yourself safe, but Emma's does. And for that, we salute her. But beyond that, the piece is hilarious. The details and specifics are what make it sing. But it's not just one funny word or phrase; she creates personalities and character traits for each bear. By going the extra mile, she takes the piece from a joke machine to something much for fulfilling.

Updates From Your Hosts and Friends of the Show

Nothing for us this week! Taking it easy in the Peach State.

See you next week!

@brianagler, @lukevburns, & @jamesfolta

Did we miss a piece you loved? Did you love a piece we mentioned? Let us know! This is an experiment and we're hoping to continue to make it better and better. If you have any thoughts, notes, wishes, or dreams for this newsletter, please email us or respond to this email and tell us what the score is.