For March 18-24, 2026

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. The one lesson we always tell people about jokes is that--

What We Enjoyed This Week

The Text of E-Mails from My Accountant vs. the Subtext by Lana Schwartz (The New Yorker) Lana is a great joke writer, and the format of “email and translation” makes for an excellent pattern of set-up and punchline. There’s also a subtle character game here, where Lana defines the accountant through specifics revealed in the subtext sections.

Self-Defense Techniques for Jazz Musicians by Brett Miller (McSweeney’s) This is a great title, simple and evocative. Brett’s execution is excellent too, maintaining enough distance from the jazz guys to land some fun, side-eying lines.

Automated Texts I’ll Receive on My Deathbed by Christian Worby (Points in Case) James here: I’m very insistent that all of my notebooks and diaries be burned when I die. Christian’s very funny piece about how your phone will never stop dinging is a reminder that I should probably add “smash all electronics” to that end of life to-do list, too.

My Week of Eating Literal AI Slop by Mia Mercado (The Cut) Mia is a great humor writer who has transitioned into writing more long form journalism, but this piece is a great example of how comedic instincts (a strong premise, clear format, and great specifics) can serve you in other forms.

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An Old Favorite

Philogelos (The Laughter Lover) by Hierocles and Philagrios, tr. John T. Quinn (Diotima) This is a very old favorite, from the fourth or fifth century CE. Like joke books throughout history, these are very hit or miss, but there’s something uncanny about ancient one-liners about kissing someone with bad breath, or the thought that the jokes in the “Horny Women” section work in Rodney Dangerfield’s voice.

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

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