A Newsletter of Humorous Writing #382
A Newsletter of Humorous Writing
For February 26-March 4, 2024
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. Exciting news: We spent all of last week working on a hilarious parody of Prince’s “Purple Rain” called “GI Jane.” Trust us, it turned out great. Now all we have to do is sit back, wait for that movie to become relevant again, and watch the dollars roll in.
What We Enjoyed This Week
Other Things John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Wished People Shouted at Him by Scott Rothman (McSweeney’s) A short-but-sweet list that simultaneously explores what life must be like for poor John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, his hopes and dreams, and also unpacks just how dang weird that song is when you stop to think about it.
An Updated Guide to Generations by Rachel Reyes (McSweeney’s) This piece is full of fun riffs and runs, and also does a nice job pointing at how absurd these types of generational divisions are to begin with.
It's Great to Hear About Your Wedding, Even Though I'm a Monster Living in the Sewers by Lillie Franks (Points in Case) The juxtaposition of sewer monster specifics with the “old friends catching up” tone is terrific, but we also love that this piece is jam-packed with lines that reveal so much about the way the monster views the world. “What’s the most edible thing you’ve ever flushed down the toilet, and what catchment does your house drain into?”
-- AD --
AMERICA LET ME IN: COMEDY SHOW BOOK LAUNCH
An immigration comedy book! In this political climate? What a choice! In this hilarious, interactive show/party, join Felipe (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) in a comedy show book launch of his new book America, Let Me In: Choose Your Immigration Story.
There will be laughter, books courtesy of P+T Knitwear, book signing, a Q+A with Radio Ambulante host, Daniel Alarcón, and no lawyer fees!
March 12th, 7:00 pm at Caveat
21A Clinton Street
New York, NY(Do you have an ad you'd like to place in the Newsletter? Fill out this form!)
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 #72.
We're The Four White Guys Bringing Authentic Brazillian Street Cuisine To Your Neighborhood by Devin Rosni (McSweeney's) You know a piece is good when it effectively skewers (without seeming overdone) a prominent cultural trend...and also makes you want skewers of not overdone Brazilian beef.
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 Editors and Friends of the Newsletter
If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for our next hangout later this month! We’ll be having a drink with other writers and humor fans at Peculier Pub, 145 Bleecker St. NYC, on Wednesday March 19th starting at 6 PM! See you there!
James has been helping to put together the names and write-ups for a Lit Hub bracket to determine The Best Villain in Literature, and voting went live today! The baddies that advanced to the next round will be announced next Monday, and voting will continue through next week. James is pulling for Karla, but get in there and cast your ballots.
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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