A Newsletter of Humorous Writing

For February 15-21, 2023

Hello and welcome to A Newsletter of Humorous Writing, a roundup of the week's finest short humor pieces and funny articles, and a celebration of the fantastic writers who wrote them. We'd like to issue a correction this week: New evidence has revealed that the character actor who stole our sandwiches many years ago was not, in fact, Bob Balaban. We apologize to Mr. Balaban for falsely accusing him, for holding a vicious grudge against him, and for all the terrible insults about him that we've published in the newsletter over the years. And to the real sandwich thief/character actor, Ron Rifkin, we say: Get ready for years of insulting coverage in this newsletter, Rifkin, you tool! (Unless it turns out it was actually Joel Grey, in which case sorry in advance.)

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What We Enjoyed This Week

A G.P.S. Route for My Anxiety by Jesse Eisenberg (The New Yorker) "Unusual G.P.S. directions" is a familiar category of comedic premise, one that is particularly well-executed here. The two things that set this piece apart are the great details and the way it captures the experience of walking around a city one has lived in for a long time, how one's mental map of that city is shaped by all of one's accumulated memories, good and bad.

Signs That You’re Ready to Wear Taupe by Audrey Burges (McSweeney's) This starts off as a straightforward list, but takes a surprising turn about a third of the way in. It's a twist that adds a layer of narrative (without getting too plotty) that gives a bit more shape to the piece and makes it an even more satisfying read.

Questions on the Job Application to Drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile by Evan Dotas (Points in Case) Once again we are forced to confess our "pro hot dogs in humor pieces" bias. This piece has tons of great Oscar Mayer specifics and tons of great lines. ("If you woke up and your partner was an Oscar Mayer wiener, how long could your grief stop you from eating them?")
 

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An Old Favorite

This week's Old Favorite is a Brian Agler Selection (TM)--a piece whose accompanying note was written by Brian--from Newsletter #81.

Okay, Fine, I’ll Solve Climate Change by Mia Mercado (Weekly Humorist) Friend of the Show, Mia Mercado, figures it all out with this one. The jokes are funny, and the clueless-yet-well-meaning narrator is super clear. Now, all we have to do is get those crumbums in Washington to get off their keisters and do something! Common sense solutions, folks. It's what America wants.

Do you have an Old Favorite of your own? Let us know by filling out this form and we may run your pick in a future edition of the newsletter.

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Updates From Your Hosts and Friends of the Newsletter

Luke's "Where to Start With Short Humor" workshop, starting March 4th, is halfway sold out! Learn the basics of short humor and write a draft of your very own piece in four weeks, getting support and feedback every step of the way. (He also has just three spots left in his advanced workshop for more experienced humor writers, also starting March 4th.)
 

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See you next week!

@lukevburns & @jamesfolta

We started this newsletter with our dear friend Brian Agler, and we want it to always honor his memory and his love of all things humorous. You can find our newsletter tribute to Brian here.

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