Humorists are like children. Yes, they act like children – it’s an imperative in a craft that requires a fresh look at our world — but that’s not what I meant.
Humorists are like children; more specifically, humorists are like your children because you can’t really pick a favorite.
Jackie Gleason developed thirty-nine timeless episodes of the ‘Honeymooners’ and Jerry Seinfeld, nine seasons of the series that bears his surname. These were certainly two of the last century’s most astute wits and two of my favorite humorists but if I had to pick a favorite writer, it would be Woody Allen.
Most people know Allen from film comedies like “Annie Hall,” and “Hannah and Her Sisters,” both of which won Academy Awards. But Allen was a prolific short story writer, as well. Many of his gems, like my favorites The Kugelmass Episode and Death Knocks, were originally published in The New Yorker. His prose is original and clever; and practically begs prospective humor writers to claim it as one of their influences.
That’s why three collections of Allen’s ought to be on every humorist’s bookshelf: Without Feathers, Getting Even, and Side Effects.
There are other books, too.
Most humor writers have a few joke thesauri in their reference collection. (A caution, old jokes beget stale material). Two of the best are replete with fresh gags: Judy Brown’s Squeaky Clean Comedy: 1,512 Dirt-Free Jokes from the Best Comedians, and H. Aaron Cohl’s The Friars Club Encyclopedia of Jokes: Over 2,000 One-Liners, Straight Lines, Stories, Gags, Roasts, Ribs, and Put-Downs.
Squeaky Clean offers great bits from the likes of Jay Leno and Steven Wright. A large percentage of them, perhaps the largest of any such aggregation, are very funny and all are eminently sharable in mixed company.
At the bluer end of the off-color spectrum are jewels from the legendary comic haven “The Friars Club.” These, too, are fresh and funny, though you might be inclined to look around before you share any of them.
So that’s three Allens and a joke book, so far. I promised seven.
How-to books are also popular with writers. I know. I have a shelf full of them. Most share formulae and all have a purpose, though entertaining the reader is rarely it. Two of the best books on simply being funny come from a couple of guys who would know best. No writer’s bookshelf is complete without Steve Allen’s How to Be Funny: Discovering the Comic You and Milt Josefsberg’s Comedy Writing for Television and Hollywood.
Josefsberg probably has the pedigree most envied by comedy writers. He wrote for Jack Benny, ‘All in the Family,’ and ‘The Lucy Show.’ In fact, Garry Marshall credits Josefsberg for much of his own success. Marshall, of course, created ‘Happy Days,’ and ‘The Odd Couple’ television series; he also directed “Pretty Woman,” and not coincidentally, wrote the introduction to Josefsberg’s book. (Honorable mention: Marshall’s autobio, Wake Me When It’s Funny.)
I pair Josefsberg with another golden era icon, Steve Allen (no relation to Woody, or at least none that he knows about, wink-wink). Steve Allen was most notably the first to host ‘The Tonight Show.’ That’s before Jay Leno, before Johnny Carson (peace be unto him), and even before Jack Parr. For my money, Steve Allen is probably one of the funniest men who ever walked the Earth, which makes his How to Be Funny: Discovering the Comic You the sixth essential book for every humor writer.
Finally, all work and no play makes Jack a dull writer so I have included a few personal indulgences, any of which can serve as an effective diversion or, believe it or not, inspiration. Among your library of humor tomes should be at least one of these: Jerry Seinfeld’s Seinlanguage, Bob Zmuda’s Andy Kaufman Revealed!: Best Friend Tells All, Gary Larson’s The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit, or, Guys and Dolls: The Stories of Damon Runyon.
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Miksanek believes his own collection of humorous I.T. columns, Esc: 400 Years Of Computer Humor, should be on every bookshelf.