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Books > Sport & Leisure > Humour
Dorothy Parker holds a place in history as one of New York's most
beloved writers. Now, for the first time in nearly a century, the
public is invited to enjoy Mrs. Parker's sharp wit and biting
commentary on the Jazz Age hits and flops in this first-ever
published collection of her groundbreaking Broadway
reviews.Starting when she was twenty-four at Vanity Fair as New
York's only female theatre critic, Mrs. Parker reviewed some of the
biggest names of the era: the Barrymores, George M. Cohan, W.C.
Fields, Helen Hayes, Al Jolson, Eugene O'Neil, Will Rogers, and the
Ziegfeld Follies. Her words of praise--and contempt--for the
dramas, comedies, musicals, and revues are just as fresh and funny
today as they were in the age of speakeasies and bathtub gin.
Annotated with a notes section by Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, president
of the Dorothy Parker Society, the volume shares Parker's outspoken
opinions of a great era of live theatre in America, from a time
before radio, talking pictures, and television decimated
attendance. Dorothy Parker: Complete Broadway, 1918-1923 provides a
fascinating glimpse of Broadway in its Golden Era and literary life
in New York through the eyes of a renowned theatre critic.
Everyone knows Uber drivers are expected to be courteous and
attentive, both to their passengers and to those on the road. They
are not expected to accept that invitation to the swinger party,
flee the scene of a fatal accident, nor are they expected to be a
convicted felon on probation. Unfortunately, this Joe Schmo is not
your everyday Uber driver. I began sharing rides with the audacious
hope to one day escape the road blocks stalling my merger onto the
freeway of creative success. But when a typical shift U-turns into
a series of detours involving herpes ridden riders, sexy sorority
sisters, and blundering bank robbers, I arrive (at gunpoint) miles
from my desired destination. ""Rideshares, Wrecks, and Sex:
Confessions of a Convicted Uber Driver"" is based upon actual
events that transpired over the year that I covertly drove for Uber
while on probation. I confesses outlandish details in a highlight
reel of wrecks (both car and train) and sex, effectively answering
""What's your craziest story?""
This book is simply an amazingly funny collection of jokes witty
sayings and hilarious lists of expressions. Over 50,000 jokes were
reviewed by top comediennes, and the best of the best were included
in this publication. Laughter extends your life; it is absolutely a
mood changer, an escape, a beautiful way to enhance a conversation
- a speech - a family get together. A good joke is the best way to
communicate and relax conversation. Products are sold thru humor.
Politicians sell themselves through various types of humor that
makes them seem human or a good guy with compassion. Successful
people understand humor as part of the achievement formula. A super
positive attitude and humor go hand in hand. People with humor have
enormous self-assurance and enhanced confidence. Medical doctors
and the annals of medical journals say laughter even enhances the
immune system and lifespan. Here's to health, happiness and the
time to enjoy it. Now sit back, don't relax your expectations and
be prepared to laugh hysterically 1,000 times, that's 3 cents per
laughter.
Ambrose Bierce's classic collection of witty and satirical
definitions, arranged alphabetically as a dictionary, is presented
here in full. Known as a hero for his actions in the American Civil
War, Bierce distinguished himself later in life as a barbed
commentator who would turn his ire to all sorts of topics. Today,
most of his journalism and opinion pieces are consigned to
obscurity. Lasting fame however was gained from the Devil's
Dictionary; wherein Bierce redefines popular terms in a deeply
sardonic, even bitter, manner. The Devil's Dictionary is, as the
title suggests, full of dark and devilish humor. For instance, it
describes the Adam's Apple as a ""protuberance on the throat of a
man, thoughtfully provided by Nature to keep the rope in place.""
and marriage as a ""state of temporary insanity only cured by the
passage of time.""
In 1963, at the height of the southern civil rights movement, Cecil
Brathwaite (1936-2014), under the pseudonym Cecil Elombe Brath,
published a satire of Black leaders entitled Color Us Cullud! The
American Negro Leadership Official Coloring Book. The book
pillories a variety of Black leaders-from political figures like
Adam Clayton Powell and Whitney Young to civil rights activists
like Martin Luther King, Bayard Rustin, and John Lewis, and even
entertainers like Sammy Davis Jr., Lena Horne, and Dick
Gregory-critiquing the inauthenticity of movement leaders while
urging a more radical approach to Black activism. Despite the
strong illustrations and unique commentary presented in the
coloring book, it has virtually disappeared from histories of the
movement. The Artistic Activism of Elombe Brath restores the
coloring book and its creator to a place of prominence in the
historiography of the Black left. It begins with an analysis of
Brath's influences, describing his life and work including his
development as a Black nationalist thinker and Black satirist. The
volume includes Brath's early works-illustrations for DownBeat
magazine and Beat Jokes, Bop Humor, & Cool Cartoons-as well as
the full run of his comic strip "Congressman Carter and Beat Nick
Jackson" from the New York Citizen-Call and a complete edition of
Color Us Cullud! itself. These illustrations are followed by
annotations that frame and contextualize each of the coloring
book's entries. The book closes with selections from Brath's art
and political thinking via archival material and samples of his
written work. Ultimately, this volume captures and restores a
unique perspective on the civil rights movement often omitted from
the historiography but vital to understanding its full scope.
My mate was selling a television cheap because the volume was
broken. I couldn't turn it down. What's black and white and bad all
over? These jokes! Groaning with silly gags, classic crap
wisecracks, naff knock-knocks, poor puns and lame one-liners, this
book will make you cry until you laugh.
Humorist and wordsmith extraordinaire Matthew Goldberg shares over
two hundred and fifty fake words for others to learn and use as
they attempt to heal themselves from "carpool tunnel syndrome, "
battle strange hankerings for good old-fashioned "Talibanjo" music,
and watch helplessly as their dogs conk out from
"barkolepsy."Goldberg was unintentionally born into a family that
has always used words creatively and he relies on his internal
artistic fire to share both one-word and multiple-word entries,
called wordapods. While introducing such words and phrases as
"boredello, anthropomurphic, " and "hit-and-shun" accident,
Goldberg includes definitions, sample sentences, ways to master the
word, and trivia that will both entertain and inform. Goldberg
interviews dozens of fascinating characters that help define the
words including Vegestarian Mars Greenman, Pastafari Scholar Tosh
Kingsmon, and baseball fan and original "boob bird" Clara
Heatley.Meant for the creative word enthusiast, the budding
"semantician, " and for anyone with a good sense of humor,
"Wordapodia: Volume One" provides a unique compilation of new
words, fun facts, and observations. So, hold your breath, grab on
to your "caribooster seat, " and get ready for a wild ride through
one man's imagination.
The line began forming after eight o'clock. Sal, short and
heavy-set, kept everyone busy. Neat, in a white shirt and sports
jacket, with his grey fedora cocked to the side, his crooked grin
made you smile. Without warning the heavy door would swing open and
the waiters would come outside to join him. They were dressed in
pajamas or prison garb, with hats and horns, and were there to warm
up the crowd. Some in line expected this, others were shocked.
The pink polka dot building should have been a warning.
Complete strangers in line became chummy, exchanging stories they
had heard; toilet seat covers to serve drinks on, microphones in
the ladies room, toilet paper for napkins. Most had brought their
friends there to be roasted. The line of people varied in age. They
all dressed casually because they'd heard you could get a pie in
the face or a squirt in the eye. The club's routines were blue in
color, but harmless. If you were lucky you might see a "Balls for
the Queen" or a "Singing beer." The price was always right for a
good time and Warm Beer and Lousy Food was the place to be.
What is the one true secret to weight loss? What is the correct
way to make a grilled cheese sandwich? Is the designated hitter
rule the salvation of baseball or its undoing? Is it rational to be
an optimist? And-the question that haunts us all- should toilet
paper unwind over the top of the roll or from underneath?
In his first collection of essays, author Brian Kenneth Swain
tackles hundreds of life's questions while exploring a vast array
of subjects-from tubas to two year-olds, from field goals to child
labor laws, and from high school shop class to the worst round of
golf ever played. With an acerbic wit and an honest approach, Swain
shares his perspective on such pivotal matters as how to ski
without losing a limb or your self-esteem, how to correctly prepare
and consume lobster according to Maine standards, and whether
marketing ploys hypnotically convince consumers to replace
perfectly functioning items without a second thought. Swain
encourages a kind of tongue-in-cheek thinking that prompts us to
take a second look at the world around us.
"The Curious Habits of Man" shares an amusing glimpse at life
as one man contemplates many of our greatest-and
smallest-questions.
A selection of essay columns on a variety of subjects from whimsy
to political, as the name "Grimm" might suggest. Serious to
tongue-in-cheek, written by an acknowledged activist, to be read by
all ages. Sometimes shocking in content-labeled as opinionated as
that produced by an opinion writer should be, and therefore
offensive to certain people-without all the usual four-letter-words
so often used to attract attention by the semi-literate or less
skilled writer.
?I cherish the fun times/laughs I have with my friend/publicist
Holly, who is always so ?Jolley.? Just being in her presence makes
me feel comfortable and at home - like I?ve known her a million
years. I know her readers are going to feel the same. The way she
words and writes things is in such a smart, but understanding way,
no matter the age or the maturity level - it always leaves you
wanting more.? ?Paul Jolley (American Idol - Season 12, Top 9
Finalist) ?Holly writes truthful and sincere. I know her writing
comes from her heart and her experiences just from knowing her. She
was the first one to write up an article about me and my hometown.
Very excellent writer. Emm Hmmm.? ?Duck Dynasty's Mountain Man Are
you tired of ?How-to? dating books? Well, this is not one of them.
Holly Marie Tong's Chick Flicks Lie (Sugar-free Accounts of a
Positive Pessimist) features laughable and engaging stories which
are relative of today's dating world. Deep down, we all want the
kind of love that would chase our departing plane down the tarmac
and the kind of love that would try to win us back no matter what
the cost. However, real life is often a far cry from a chick flick,
and there isn't any background music to accompany it. With sharp
wit, continual sarcasm, and non-stop humor, Chick Flicks Lie
reminds the single crowd that they aren't alone. The empathetic
author believes faith mixed with laughter to be the best medicine
for lousy dates and failed relationships. This feel-good book will
leave singles feeling understood, while giving them a whole new
perspective.
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