From Mark Twain to David Sedaris, Americans have had an infatuation with funny writers. But what does it mean to be funny? How do we define writing as being funny? What tools do writers use to incorporate humor into their work? What do we allow writers to be funny about, and how to we react when those boundaries are violated? Finally, how does humor writing impact dialogue about difficult societal issues? In this section of English 220, we will explore the importance of humor writing in American culture. We will read essays by Twain and Sedaris, as well as works by Benjamin Franklin, Dorothy Parker, Langston Hughes, Gore Vidal, P.J. O’Rourke, and Jon Stewart. We will also spend some time exploring the use of humor writing and satire as they’re combined with visuals, examining political cartoons as well as popular comics such as The Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes. We will look at how all of these writers have used humor to talk about subjects such as war, politics, gender issues, and the breakdown of the American family. Required work will include weekly response papers, three longer essays, a class presentation, and a final portfolio. While some response papers and in class activities will provide the opportunity to incorporate humor into writing, students should expect that the focus of the class will be primarily critical, rather than narrative, writing.

Required Texts:
Bakalar, Nick and Stephen Kock, Eds. American Satire: An Anthology of Writings from Colonial Times to the Present. New York: Meridian, 1997.
Rosen, Michael J. Ed. Mirth of a Nation: The Best Contemporary Humor. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.