Download or read book A Subtreasury of American Humor written by Elwyn Brooks White and published by . This book was released on 1941 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile written by Amer Zahr and published by . This book was released on 2014-01-20 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of Arab-American comedian Amer Zahr's writings on the experiences and tribulations of being a Palestinian.

Download or read book Funny in Farsi written by Firoozeh Dumas and published by Random House. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Finalist for the PEN/USA Award in Creative Nonfiction, the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and the Audie Award in Biography/Memoir This Random House Reader’s Circle edition includes a reading group guide and a conversation between Firoozeh Dumas and Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner! “Remarkable . . . told with wry humor shorn of sentimentality . . . In the end, what sticks with the reader is an exuberant immigrant embrace of America.”—San Francisco Chronicle In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father’s glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since. Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas’s wonderfully engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly quixotic dreamer who first sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas, and later lost his job during the Iranian revolution; her elegant mother, who never fully mastered English (nor cared to); her uncle, who combated the effects of American fast food with an army of miraculous American weight-loss gadgets; and Firoozeh herself, who as a girl changed her name to Julie, and who encountered a second wave of culture shock when she met and married a Frenchman, becoming part of a one-couple melting pot. In a series of deftly drawn scenes, we watch the family grapple with American English (hot dogs and hush puppies?—a complete mystery), American traditions (Thanksgiving turkey?—an even greater mystery, since it tastes like nothing), and American culture (Firoozeh’s parents laugh uproariously at Bob Hope on television, although they don’t get the jokes even when she translates them into Farsi). Above all, this is an unforgettable story of identity, discovery, and the power of family love. It is a book that will leave us all laughing—without an accent. Praise for Funny in Farsi “Heartfelt and hilarious—in any language.”—Glamour “A joyful success.”—Newsday “What’s charming beyond the humor of this memoir is that it remains affectionate even in the weakest, most tenuous moments for the culture. It’s the brilliance of true sophistication at work.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review “Often hilarious, always interesting . . . Like the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, this book describes with humor the intersection and overlapping of two cultures.”—The Providence Journal “A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with love—of family, country, and heritage.”—Jimmy Carter “Delightfully refreshing.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “[Funny in Farsi] brings us closer to discovering what it means to be an American.”—San Jose Mercury News

Download or read book American Humor written by Constance Rourke and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2004-02-29 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stepping out of the darkness, the American emerges upon the stage of history as a new character, as puzzling to himself as to others. American Humor, Constance Rourke's pioneering "study of the national character," singles out the archetypal figures of the Yankee peddler, the backwoodsman, and the blackface minstrel to illuminate the fundamental role of popular culture in fashioning a distinctive American sensibility. A memorable performance in its own right, American Humor crackles with the jibes and jokes of generations while presenting a striking picture of a vagabond nation in perpetual self-pursuit. Davy Crockett and Henry James, Jim Crow and Emily Dickinson rub shoulders in a work that inspired such later critics as Pauline Kael and Lester Bangs and which still has much to say about the America of Bob Dylan and Thomas Pynchon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Download or read book The Coloring Book written by Colin Quinn and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2015-06-09 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From former SNL "Weekend Update" host and legendary stand-up Colin Quinn comes a controversial and laugh-out-loud investigation into cultural and ethnic stereotypes. Colin Quinn has noticed a trend during his decades on the road-that Americans' increasing political correctness and sensitivity have forced us to tiptoe around the subjects of race and ethnicity altogether. Colin wants to know: What are we all so afraid of? Every ethnic group has differences, everyone brings something different to the table, and this diversity should be celebrated, not denied. So why has acknowledging these cultural differences become so taboo? In The Coloring Book, Colin, a native New Yorker, tackles this issue head-on while taking us on a trip through the insane melting pot of 1970s Brooklyn, the many, many dive bars of 1980s Manhattan, the comedy scene of the 1990s, and post-9/11 America. He mixes his incredibly candid and hilarious personal experiences with no-holds-barred observations to definitively decide, at least in his own mind, which stereotypes are funny, which stereotypes are based on truths, which have become totally distorted over time, and which are actually offensive to each group, and why. As it pokes holes in the tapestry of fear that has overtaken discussions about race, The Coloring Book serves as an antidote to our paralysis when it comes to laughing at ourselves . . . and others.

Download or read book The Senses of Humor written by Daniel Wickberg and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2015-06-18 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do modern Americans believe in something called a sense of humor and how did they come to that belief? Daniel Wickberg traces the cultural history of the concept from its British origins as a way to explore new conceptions of the self and social order in modern America. More than simply the history of an idea, Wickberg's study provides new insights into a peculiarly modern cultural sensibility.The expression "sense of humor" was first coined in the 1840s and the idea that such a sense was a personality trait to be valued developed only in the 1870s. What is the relationship between Medieval humoral medicine and this distinctively modern idea of the sense of humor? What has it meant in the past 125 years to declare that someone lacks a sense of humor? How is the joke, as a twentieth-century quasi-literary form, different from the traditional folktale? Wickberg addresses these questions, among others, using the history of ideas to throw new light on the way contemporary Americans think and speak.The context of Wickberg's analysis is Anglo-American; the specifically British meanings of humor and laughter from the sixteenth century forward provide the framework for understanding American cultural values in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The genealogy of the sense of humor is, like the study of keywords, an avenue into a significant aspect of the cultural history of modernity. Drawing on a wide range of sources and disciplinary perspectives, Wickberg's analysis challenges many of the prevailing views of modern American culture and suggests a new model for cultural historians.

Download or read book Cracking Up written by Paul Lewis and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2006-10-02 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do Jon Stewart, Freddy Krueger, Patch Adams, and George W. Bush have in common? As Paul Lewis shows in Cracking Up, they are all among the ranks of joke tellers who aim to do much more than simply amuse. Exploring topics that range from the sadistic mockery of Abu Ghraib prison guards to New Age platitudes about the healing power of laughter, from jokes used to ridicule the possibility of global climate change to the heartwarming performances of hospital clowns, Lewis demonstrates that over the past thirty years American humor has become increasingly purposeful and embattled. Navigating this contentious world of controversial, manipulative, and disturbing laughter, Cracking Up argues that the good news about American humor in our time—that it is delightful, relaxing, and distracting—is also the bad news. In a culture that both enjoys and quarrels about jokes, humor expresses our most nurturing and hurtful impulses, informs and misinforms us, and exposes as well as covers up the shortcomings of our leaders. Wondering what’s so funny about a culture determined to laugh at problems it prefers not to face, Lewis reveals connections between such seemingly unrelated jokers as Norman Cousins, Hannibal Lecter, Rush Limbaugh, Garry Trudeau, Jay Leno, Ronald Reagan, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Bill Clinton. The result is a surprising, alarming, and at times hilarious argument that will appeal to anyone interested in the ways humor is changing our cultural and political landscapes.

Download or read book Humour written by Terry Eagleton and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling guide to the fundamental place of humour and comedy within Western culture—by one of its greatest exponents Written by an acknowledged master of comedy, this study reflects on the nature of humour and the functions it serves. Why do we laugh? What are we to make of the sheer variety of laughter, from braying and cackling to sniggering and chortling? Is humour subversive, or can it defuse dissent? Can we define wit? Packed with illuminating ideas and a good many excellent jokes, the book critically examines various well-known theories of humour, including the idea that it springs from incongruity and the view that it reflects a mildly sadistic form of superiority to others. Drawing on a wide range of literary and philosophical sources, Terry Eagleton moves from Aristotle and Aquinas to Hobbes, Freud, and Bakhtin, looking in particular at the psychoanalytical mechanisms underlying humour and its social and political evolution over the centuries.

Download or read book What s So Funny written by Nancy A. Walker and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 1998 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical studies attempting to define and dissect American humor have been published steadily for nearly one hundred years. However, until now, key documents from that history have never been brought together in a single volume for students and scholars. What's So Funny? Humor in American Culture, a collection of 15 essays, examines the meaning of humor and attempts to pinpoint its impact on American culture and society, while providing a historical overview of its progres-sion. Essays from Nancy Walker and Zita Dresner, Joseph Boskin and Joseph Dorinson, William Keough, Roy Blount, Jr., and others trace the development of American humor from the colonial period to the present, focusing on its relationship with ethnicity, gender, violence, and geography. An excellent reader for courses in American studies and American social and cultural history, What's So Funny? explores the traits of the American experience that have given rise to its humor.

Download or read book The Humour of America written by Angus Evan Abbott and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dive into the rich tapestry of American humor with "The Humour of America" by Angus Evan Abbott and Charles Edmund Brock. Embark on a delightful journey through the heartland of American comedy with this charming collection of humorous tales and anecdotes. From the witty observations of Mark Twain to the irreverent humor of Dorothy Parker, this anthology celebrates the diverse voices that have shaped the landscape of American humor. With Angus Evan Abbott and Charles Edmund Brock as your guides, you'll explore the vast and vibrant world of American comedy, from the uproarious antics of frontier characters to the sharp wit of urban satirists. Through carefully selected stories and illustrations, Abbott and Brock showcase the timeless appeal of American humor and its enduring legacy. Themes of wit, satire, and absurdity abound in this anthology, inviting readers to laugh, reflect, and celebrate the unique spirit of American comedy. Whether you're a fan of classic humor or a newcomer to the genre, "The Humour of America" offers something for everyone, with its timeless tales and timeless charm. With its engaging prose and delightful illustrations, "The Humour of America" has earned praise from readers and critics alike for its celebration of the American comedic tradition. Abbott and Brock's careful curation and insightful commentary make this anthology a must-have for anyone who appreciates the lighter side of life. Whether you're looking to escape into a world of laughter or simply seeking to brighten your day, "The Humour of America" promises to entertain and delight. Join Abbott and Brock on a journey through the laughter-filled landscape of American humor, and discover why it continues to captivate audiences around the world. Experience the joy of American humor. Let "The Humour of America" by Angus Evan Abbott and Charles Edmund Brock tickle your funny bone and lift your spirits. Order your copy today and discover the timeless wit and charm of American comedy.

Download or read book A Very Serious Thing written by Nancy A. Walker and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Defines why women have been blocked from participating in the mainstream of American comedy yet have overcome hurdles to produce a humor that is sustaining and spells survival for women in society.

Download or read book All Joking Aside written by Rebecca Krefting and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2014-09 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A professor of American Studies—and stand-up comic—examines sharply focused comedy and its cultural utility in contemporary society. Outstanding Academic Title, Choice In this examination of stand-up comedy, Rebecca Krefting establishes a new genre of comedic production, “charged humor,” and charts its pathways from production to consumption. Some jokes are tears in the fabric of our beliefs—they challenge myths about how fair and democratic our society is and the behaviors and practices we enact to maintain those fictions. Jokes loaded with vitriol and delivered with verve, charged humor compels audiences to action, artfully summoning political critique. Since the institutionalization of stand-up comedy as a distinct cultural form, stand-up comics have leveraged charged humor to reveal social, political, and economic stratifications. All Joking Aside offers a history of charged comedy from the mid-twentieth century to the early aughts, highlighting dozens of talented comics from Dick Gregory and Robin Tyler to Micia Mosely and Hari Kondabolu. The popularity of charged humor has waxed and waned over the past sixty years. Indeed, the history of charged humor is a tale of intrigue and subversion featuring dive bars, public remonstrations, fickle audiences, movie stars turned politicians, commercial airlines, emergent technologies, neoliberal mind-sets, and a cavalcade of comic misfits with an ax to grind. Along the way, Krefting explores the fault lines in the modern economy of humor, why men are perceived to be funnier than women, the perplexing popularity of modern-day minstrelsy, and the way identities are packaged and sold in the marketplace. Appealing to anyone interested in the politics of humor and generating implications for the study of any form of popular entertainment, this history reflects on why we make the choices we do and the collective power of our consumptive practices. Readers will be delighted by the broad array of comic talent spotlighted in this book, and for those interested in comedy with substance, it will offer an alternative punchline.

Download or read book The Humour of America written by Mark Twain and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-11-20 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Humour of America serves as a vibrant anthology capturing the essence of American wit and satire through a spectrum of literary forms, from essays to short stories and playful poems. This collection, showcasing the diverse traditions of American humor, spans over two centuries of literary history, featuring seminal pieces from a broad array of authors who have deftly employed humor to critique society, reflect on national identity, or simply entertain. The anthology's curation highlights the evolution of American humor, demonstrating its role in shaping and challenging perspectives on culture, politics, and daily life. The contributing authors, including Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Benjamin Franklin, among others, are titans of American literature, each bringing a unique voice and vision to the anthology. Their backgrounds reflect a mosaic of American society, with works that emerged amidst pivotal movements such as the transcendentalist era, the abolitionist movement, and the early phases of modern American literature. These writers collectively underscore the complexity and richness of America's literary heritage, offering insights into the nation's evolving sense of humor and its cultural fabric. The Humour of America is an essential anthology for readers seeking to explore the depth and diversity of American humor. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with the works of renowned authors side by side, providing an educational journey through the landscape of American satire and wit. This collection not only invites readers to appreciate the literary genius of its contributors but also fosters a dialogue on the enduring power of humor to connect, critique, and celebrate the human experience.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Humor Studies written by Salvatore Attardo and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2014-02-25 with total page 985 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Humor: A Social History explores the concept of humor in history and modern society in the United States and internationally. This work’s scope encompasses the humor of children, adults, and even nonhuman primates throughout the ages, from crude jokes and simple slapstick to sophisticated word play and ironic parody and satire. As an academic social history, it includes the perspectives of a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, child development, social psychology, life style history, communication, and entertainment media. Readers will develop an understanding of the importance of humor as it has developed globally throughout history and appreciate its effects on child and adult development, especially in the areas of health, creativity, social development, and imagination. This two-volume set is available in both print and electronic formats. Features & Benefits: The General Editor also serves as Editor-in-Chief of HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research for The International Society for Humor Studies. The book’s 335 articles are organized in A-to-Z fashion in two volumes (approximately 1,000 pages). This work is enhanced by an introduction by the General Editor, a Foreword, a list of the articles and contributors, and a Reader’s Guide that groups related entries thematically. A Chronology of Humor, a Resource Guide, and a detailed Index are included. Each entry concludes with References/Further Readings and cross references to related entries. The Index, Reader’s Guide themes, and cross references between and among related entries combine to provide robust search-and-browse features in the electronic version. This two-volume, A-to-Z set provides a general, non-technical resource for students and researchers in such diverse fields as communication and media studies, sociology and anthropology, social and cognitive psychology, history, literature and linguistics, and popular culture and folklore.

Download or read book The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America written by Matt Kracht and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: National bestselling book: Featured on Midwest, Mountain Plains, New Atlantic, Northern, Pacific Northwest and Southern Regional Indie Bestseller Lists Perfect book for the birder and anti-birder alike A humorous look at 50 common North American dumb birds: For those who have a disdain for birds or bird lovers with a sense of humor, this snarky, illustrated handbook is equal parts profane, funny, and—let's face it—true. Featuring common North American birds, such as the White-Breasted Butt Nugget and the Goddamned Canada Goose (or White-Breasted Nuthatch and Canada Goose for the layperson), Matt Kracht identifies all the idiots in your backyard and details exactly why they suck with humorous, yet angry, ink drawings. With The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, you won't need to wonder what all that racket is anymore! • Each entry is accompanied by facts about a bird's (annoying) call, its (dumb) migratory pattern, its (downright tacky) markings, and more. • The essential guide to all things wings with migratory maps, tips for birding, musings on the avian population, and the ethics of birdwatching. • Matt Kracht is an amateur birder, writer, and illustrator who enjoys creating books that celebrate the humor inherent in life's absurdities. Based in Seattle, he enjoys gazing out the window at the beautiful waters of Puget Sound and making fun of birds. "There are loads of books out there for bird lovers, but until now, nothing for those that love to hate birds. The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America fills the void, packed with snarky illustrations that chastise the flying animals in a funny, profane way. " – Uncrate A humorous animal book with 50 common North American birds for people who love birds and also those who love to hate birds • A perfect coffee table or bar top conversation-starting book • Makes a great Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthday, or retirement gift

Download or read book The Humour of America written by Various and published by Namaskar Books. This book was released on 2024-11-13 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Humour of America: Selected, with an Introduction and Index of American Humorists" is a delightful anthology that brings together the best examples of American wit and humor throughout history. Compiled by various authors, this collection showcases the diverse and rich tradition of humor in the United States, featuring works from some of the most beloved humorists of their time. The book spans a range of comedic styles, from sharp satire to lighthearted anecdotes, and offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of American humor. In "The Humour of America," readers are introduced to a wide array of American humorists, including Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, and James Thurber, among others. Each selection is accompanied by an introduction that provides context for the author’s work, allowing readers to understand the cultural and historical influences that shaped these comedic voices. The book not only offers laughter but also insight into the social and political climate of the time, highlighting the role humor plays in reflecting and critiquing society. "The Humour of America" is a celebration of American humor in all its forms, from the dry, witty observations of the great literary figures to the more slapstick, absurd antics of popular humorists. The collection is designed to appeal to readers with varying tastes in comedy, offering something for everyone. Whether it’s a satirical look at politics, a funny short story, or a clever piece of social commentary, the book provides an entertaining snapshot of the humor that has defined American culture for generations. Readers are drawn to "The Humour of America" for its rich diversity and timeless appeal. The collection offers an excellent introduction to some of the most influential humorists in American literature, making it a perfect choice for anyone interested in understanding the roots and evolution of American comedy. Owning a copy of "The Humour of America" is a great way to explore the vibrant history of humor in the United States, and is an essential addition to any bookshelf for fans of literature, humor, or social commentary.

Download or read book Humour Comedy and Laughter written by Lidia Dina Sciama and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2016-04-01 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anthropological writings on humor are not very numerous or extensive, but they do contain a great deal of insight into the diverse mental and social processes that underlie joking and laughter. On the basis of a wide range of ethnographic and textual materials, the chapters examine the cognitive, social, and moral aspects of humor and its potential to bring about a sense of amity and mutual understanding, even among different and possibly hostile people. Unfortunately, though, cartoons, jokes, and parodies can cause irremediable distress and offence. Nevertheless, contributors’ cross-cultural evidence confirms that the positive aspects of humor far outweigh the danger of deepening divisions and fueling hostilities