Wednesday, January 9, 2013

2013 Thurber Prize for American Humor Submissions are now being accepted!

A new year means a new Thurber Prize for American Humor, and from now until April 1, Thurber House will be accepting submissions for the 2013 prize! Books published in the U.S. in 2012 are eligible. Entry guidelines, rules, and application forms are available on our website. The winner receives $5,000, a commemorative plaque, and is invited to be a guest at a special ticketed event in Columbus, Ohio the following year.

The judges for the 2013 prize are Laurie Notaro, two-time Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist; Nate DiMeo, 2012 Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist; and Lisa Birnbach, co-author of The Official Preppy Handbook and True Prep: It’s a Whole New Old World. The winner will be announced at an event at Caroline's Comedy Club on Broadway in New York City on September 30, 2013.
Past winners include Calvin Trillin, David Rakoff, Christopher Buckley, David Sedaris, and others.

Entries must be submitted no later than Monday, April 1, 2013. Visit their website (http://thurberhouse.org/thurber-prize-for-american-humor.html) for more information and to download the entry guidelines and the application!

Proposed New Yorker Benchley/Parker Tribute

Dear David,

Hi, I'm an entrant in the New Yorker Eustace Tilley contest and my entry is a playful tribute to Robert Benchley & Mrs. Parker.

It's currently posted at the New Yorker website. I doubt if I'll win, but I wanted to see Sweet Old Bob represented at his magazine! Regards,

Eileen Mitchell

http://www.newyorker.com/online/photocontests/eustace_tilley_2013/entry537501244?previousId=537501481.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Sounds like something to highlight on a resumé: Bilingually deficient.

Carol C. of Los Angeles sent me this message last evening:
In checking out the chapters of the Robert Benchley Society, I came across the Los Angeles Chapter. On the RBS website, this fifth chapter is called “e-p-i-s-l-o-n,” which sounds like “He pissed on.” I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to say “epsilon.” Spell check keeps confirming this; every time I try to type “e-p-i-s-l-o-n” it corrects it. That’s why I have to write it with dashes in it
Check it out:
http://www.robertbenchley.org/rbs/chapters.htm.
Bad enough that I am dyslexic; now she informs me that I am dyslexic in Greek as well as English! However, who would not have trouble with Greek, a tongue that says "nay" for "yes" and "okay" for "no." --David T.

Robert Benchley Society

For more information about the Robert Benchley Society, local chapters near you, our annual Award for Humor, and our Annual Gathering, visit The RBS Website