Mirth of a Nation is a collection of short humor pieces compiled by the Thurber House, which is a very dry way of describing a very funny book. Mirth is, at long last, a truly perfect humor-browser's read, for everything--everything--is presented with a wry wink. The book opens with Dave Eggers's guidelines for submitting work to the Thurber House ("Before undertaking the typing, straightening, and mailing of your submission, please do us the small favor of washing your hands. Please.") and closes with Al Franken's refreshingly mean-spirited index ("Luntz, Frank, likelihood of his immediately turning to index and looking up his name, 48"). In between is a hilarious collection of both new and previously published pieces. Targets range from contemporary issues (Chris Harris, tackling the UFO phenomenon in "What We Talk About When We Talk About Little Green Men": "If their object is stealth, why must they employ colored, blinking lights on the outside of their spacecraft? Is it alien Christmastime?") to the biblical, as in Ian Frazier's marvelous "Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Principles; Lamentations of the Father" ("Heed me; for if you sit like that, your hair will go into the syrup. And now behold, even as I have said, it has come to pass.") The book is so funny, in fact, that it would be a pity to give away any more punch lines. Grab a copy and see for yourself. --Ali Davis

From Publishers Weekly
The audio medium is probably the best way to absorb this collection of comic pieces written by American humorists. The vignettes, which range from the hokey to the truly jocular, receive the royal treatment by seasoned actors Roberts and Essman. Other performers, notably Plimpton and Rakoff, add spunk and pizzazz to what might otherwise be dry, vaguely spirited essays. Rakoff gives a cynical and hilarious performance of his own "All Happy Families...," about a neurotic dude whose New Year's resolution is to explore "more natural avenues to happiness" (e.g., by eating four packages a day of Robert's American Gourmet Gingko Biloba Rings). Essman's reading of Carina Chocano's "The Self-Help Hot Line" is appropriately saccharine, while Roberts's delivery of Bruce McCall's "Who Wants to Keep His Job" is matter-of-fact. All the pieces were anthologized in either Mirth of a Nation and More Mirth of a Nation, and some originally appeared in the New York Times magazine, Tropic magazine, Salon.com, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, the New Yorker and other publications. While some tracks are bound to be replayed for friends more than others, this is overall a valuable and well-performed collection. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


"As I read it again, now alone in my apartment, I am once more laughing uncontrollably."

From AudioFile
This humor anthology is a cocktail party of essayists' humor (including Garry Trudeau, Dave Barry, Bruce McCall, and many others), read and performed by an interesting mixture of guests. The more talkative ones--Tony Roberts and Susie Essman--hold your attention and rarely dribble their bon mots on your new shoes. Everyone reading seems to be having a good time, even when the writing occasionally veers into more mundane territory--but there's one at every party. Even after the tastier tidbits have been shared, you'll find the broad range of this verbal buffet a good "audio companion and fellow traveler," as advertised. D.J.B. 2003 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Capitalizing on the current renaissance of American humor, editor Rosen has assembled more than 50 top wisecrackers, most represented by two or three short works. Included are veterans like Dave Barry, Roy Blount Jr., and Fran Lebowitz, and rising stars like David Sedaris, Sandra Tsing Loh, Patricia Marx, and David Rakoff. Though many of the pieces have been published or broadcast previously, some appear in this volume for the first time--notably Bonnie Abbott's "Zone 5: Gardening Advice by Mertensia Corydalis," a character who's a cross between Martha Stewart and Dr. Laura but with personal axes to grind. Another standout is Chris Harris' "Design Intervention," which modestly proposes to settle world disputes through more aesthetic border redesign ("Our primary goal, remember, is a beautiful world map"). Also, Jon Stewart's monologue by a catty waiter at the Last Supper is a small miracle. Thanks to McSweeney's editor Dave Eggers, even the book's submission guidelines and "A Note about the Type" tickle ribs. This volume, the first in a planned series, will be a welcome companion on the commuter train, at the beach, during a hospital stay--and, naturally, at the Reference Desk. James Klise

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Perfect for commuter train rides, rush-hour gridlock, Pilates work-outs, or any time when levity might add to the very quality of life. With inimitable contributions by Merrill Markoe, Dave Barry, Garry Trudeau and Bruce McCall, you have a triumphant salute to one of America's greatest assets: its sense of humor.

A salvo of hilarity from that loose canon of American humor that Mirth of a Nation editor Michael J. Rosen has culled from some 1200 pages of brilliantly original works by our best contemporary humorists. This action-packed compilation of highlights (FYI, we have no intention of mentioning "the funnybone" and how these CDs are sure to tickle it) includes Bobbie Ann Mason's stint at the La Bamba hotline, David Rakoff's insights on families, Andy Borowitz's memoir of Emily Dickinson (basically, she was a drunken jerk), and Michael Feldman's helpful (re)locating of the Midwest.

Performed by Tony Roberts, Susie Essman, with guest performances by Stephen Collins, Michael Feldman, Cynthia Kaplan, Martha Plimpton, David Rakoff, M. Sweeney Lawless, Sandra Tsing Loh, and Mark O'Donnell.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The audio medium is probably the best way to absorb this collection of comic pieces written by American humorists. The vignettes, which range from the hokey to the truly jocular, receive the royal treatment by seasoned actors Roberts and Essman. Other performers, notably Plimpton and Rakoff, add spunk and pizzazz to what might otherwise be dry, vaguely spirited essays. Rakoff gives a cynical and hilarious performance of his own "All Happy Families...," about a neurotic dude whose New Year's resolution is to explore "more natural avenues to happiness" (e.g., by eating four packages a day of Robert's American Gourmet Gingko Biloba Rings). Essman's reading of Carina Chocano's "The Self-Help Hot Line" is appropriately saccharine, while Roberts's delivery of Bruce McCall's "Who Wants to Keep His Job" is matter-of-fact. All the pieces were anthologized in either Mirth of a Nation and More Mirth of a Nation, and some originally appeared in the New York Times magazine, Tropic magazine, Salon.com, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, the New Yorker and other publications. While some tracks are bound to be replayed for friends more than others, this is overall a valuable and well-performed collection. (Nov.)

AudioFile