A Newsletter of Humorous Writing #299
A Newsletter of Humorous Writing
A Newsletter of Humorous Writing
For July 26 - August 1, 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. Next week is our 300th issue! Do you have any memories from our years of Newslettering? Let us know and maybe we'll feature it next week!
What We Enjoyed This Week
What Is My Small Child Asking For? by Amy Greenlee (The Belladonna) "What are kids thinking" is an age-old question, and Amy brings a bunch of fun specifics that feel rooted in real life, which is always charming and grounding.
Summer’s in Full Swing at the Clam ‘n’ Putt by Colin Nissan (McSweeney's) Friend of the Newsletter Colin Nissan is at his best when he's writing a colloquially-voiced character, and this one delivers just that. The shop owner's exasperation at having to recount their family trauma while also selling clams is such a fun two-step.
Someone Who Has Wronged You Has Fallen Ill! by Daniel Lavery (The Stopgap) This has all the wonderful wordplay and dated language you know and love from Daniel's writing, but it also has such a finely tuned premise. The added relational element that the person you are caring for is also someone who has crossed you adds a fun, complicating layer of specific emotion.
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An Old Favorite
Summer Safety Tips: How To Avoid A Lion Attack by Kate Hahn (McSweeney's) We've had a few genuinely nice summer days here in NYC over the last week, and it reminded us of this seasonal piece. It's a very silly premise, and Kate sells the silly by having so much fun with the different imagined lion attacks -- a wide variety of situations and summer specifics keep the reader on their toes.
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.
Updates From Your Hosts and Friends of the Show
James is going to be reading on the show Rejected Shorts next Monday, August 7th at 9:30 PM at Caveat! The show is going to feature a ton of great writers and comedians, many of whom you'll recognize from this very newsletter! Find out more and grab a ticket here!
The WGAE Audio Alliance, of which James is a member, is hosting a themed picket for audio writers and producers on August 8th, 9 AM - 12 PM! Everyone is welcome, even if you just want to come out and show support -- we'd love to see you there on either the NYC or LA picket line! Click here to RSVP for LA. And click here to RSVP for NYC (under the Special Pickets tab). We're trying to get a big turnout, so please spread the word!
Other Humorous Writing News
And in strike news: you may have already heard that the studios are finally agreeing to meet with the WGA tomorrow. A lot remains to be seen about what they'll offer, but it's nice to see some movement -- strikes work! A really great piece in The Markup about generative tech, and how striking writers and actors are at the forefront of a much larger fight. Another from In These Times about how labor actions aren't just about compensation: unions not only strike to "demand a larger share of the pie that workers produce — they can also wield them to affect how workers make that pie." Related to all this, The New Yorker has a good overview of the state of Hollywood, and how it ended up like this. And we loved this interview in New Mobility with WGA members David Radcliff and Jamey Perry, who both use wheelchairs, about their writing and their work with the WGA’s Disabled Writers Committee.
If you're looking to support striking workers from WGA and SAG, as well as Unite Here 11 hotel workers, Teamsters, and IATSE, here's a great list of mutual aid funds that could use your donations!
Once again, please join us for the Audio Alliance picket! RSVP for LA or RSVP for NYC!
And as always, there's lots of info and ways to show solidarity on the WGA's Strike Hub!
(A few of you have shared links and updates from the picket line with us--thanks! If there's anything you'd like us to share, including any of your personal thoughts or anecdotes from the strike, please send 'em along!)
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.
This newsletter is free, but if you enjoy it and want to support the work we do putting it together, you can send us a tip here. Any amount is greatly appreciated, and 1/3rd of each donation will go to Stand Up To Cancer.
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!
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.
This newsletter is free, but if you enjoy it and want to support the work we do putting it together, you can subscribe to our paid tier, or you can send us a tip here. Any amount is greatly appreciated, and 1/3rd of each donation will go to Stand Up To Cancer.
If you'd like to place an ad in the Newsletter, please fill out this form.
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!