Encyclopedia Of American Humorists

First published in 1988, this book contains entries on famous American Humorists. Humor has been present in American literature, from the beginning, and has developed characteristics that reflect the American character, both regional and national. Although American literature was, in the past, treated as inferior to British literature, there has always been a large popular audience for the genre, which this book shows. The figures with entries in this encyclopedia not only amuse in their writing, but also aim to enlighten- setting out to expose the foibles and foolishness of society and the individuals who compose it. It is the manner in which these authors try to accomplish this end that determines whether they appear in the volume. Indeed, the book will demonstrate that the best humor has at its base, a ready understanding of human nature.

Review: "This unique encyclopedia treats the concepts, persons, themes, and media of 20th-century American humor and humor studies. More than 100 alphabetically arranged entries highlight a broad range of humor-related topics from wit, understatement, and ambiguity to late-night talk shows and the Internet."--"Outstanding Reference Sources," American Libraries, May 2001

A hefty one-volume reference addressing various facets of the essay. Entries are of five types: 1) considerations of different types of essay, e.g. moral, travel, autobiographical; 2) discussions of major national traditions; 3) biographical profiles of writers who have produced a significant body of work in the genre; 4) descriptions of periodicals important for their publication of essays; and 5) discussions of some especially significant single essays. Each entry includes citations for further reading and cross references. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Here at last is the first genuine encyclopedia of comedy ever published. Its range is enormous. It explores the comedy behind history, the arts, language, literature, entertainments. And on almost every page you will find amusing items, from jokes to anecdotes, from wisecracks to gaglines. The thousand and one articles describe the performers of laughter--humorists, punsters, satirists, comedians, cartoonists. They also explain the science of comedy. The text mingles historical events and funny stories with thousands of specimens of wit and humor.--Jacket flap.

By comedian with 20 years of experience, including work with minstrel shows.

The book is intended to provide a definitive view of the field of humor research for both beginning and established scholars in a variety of fields who are developing an interest in humor and need to familiarize themselves with the available body of knowledge. Each chapter of the book is devoted to an important aspect of humor research or to a disciplinary approach to the field, and each is written by the leading expert or emerging scholar in that area. There are two primary motivations for the book. The positive one is to collect and summarize the impressive body of knowledge accumulated in humor research in and around Humor: The International Journal of Humor Research. The negative motivation is to prevent the embarrassment to and from the "first-timers," often established experts in their own field, who venture into humor research without any notion that there already exists a body of knowledge they need to acquire before publishing anything on the subject-unless they are in the business of reinventing the wheel and have serious doubts about its being round! The organization of the book reflects the main groups of scholars participating in the increasingly popular and high-powered humor research movement throughout the world, an 800 to 1,000-strong contingent, and growing. The chapters are organized along the same lines: History, Research Issues, Main Directions, Current Situation, Possible Future, Bibliography-and use the authors' definitive credentials not to promote an individual view, but rather to give the reader a good comprehensive and condensed view of the area.

"Humor is merely tragedy standing on its head with its pants torn." -- Irvin S. Cobb Born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky, humorist Irvin S. Cobb (1876--1944) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the early twentieth century's most celebrated writers. As a staff reporter for the New York World and Saturday Evening Post, he became one of the highest-paid journalists in the United States. He also wrote short stories for noted magazines, published books, and penned scripts for the stage and screen. In Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall of a Southern Humorist, historian William E. Ellis examines the life of this significant writer. Though a consummate wordsmith and a talented observer of the comical in everyday life, Cobb was a product of the Reconstruction era and the Jim Crow South. As a party to the endemic racism of his time, he often bemoaned the North's harsh treatment of the South and stereotyped African Americans in his writings. Marred by racist undertones, Cobb's work has largely slipped into obscurity. Nevertheless, Ellis argues that Cobb's life and works are worthy of more detailed study, citing his wide-ranging contributions to media culture and his coverage of some of the biggest stories of his day, including on-the-ground reporting during World War I. A valuable resource for students of journalism, American humor, and popular culture, this illuminating biography explores Cobb's life and his influence on early twentieth-century letters.

Journalism: A Guide to the Reference Literature is a critically annotated bibliographic guide to print and electronic sources in print and broadcast journalism. The first edition was published in 1990; the second in 1997. It has been described as one of the critical reference sources in journalism today, and it is a key bibliographic guide to the literature. Choice magazine called it a benchmark publication for which there are no comparable sources. The format is similar to the second edition. What makes this edition significantly different is the separation of Commercial Databases and Internet Resources. Commercial Databases includes standard fee-based resources. The new chapter on Internet sources features Web-based resources not included in the commercial databases chapter as well as portals, other online files, listservs, newsgroups, and Web logs/blogs. All chapters have been revised, and there are significant revisions in Directories, Yearbooks, and Collections; Miscellaneous Sources; Core Periodicals; Societies and Associations; and Research Centers and Archives. The second edition has 789 entries. The third edition contains almost 1,000 entries. James Carey of Columbia University, who provided the foreword for the first two editions, has updated his foreword for this edition.