Famous funny fellows : $b Brief biographical sketches of American humorists

This lively volume surveys the birth of American newspaper humor, tracing how a handful of talented wits turned brief, spicy paragraphs into a staple of daily journalism. The author frames the evolution with a conversational tone, reminding listeners that the craft was once a rarity before spreading to almost every major paper. Readers will hear the same blend of historical fact and light‑hearted commentary that made the original sketches so entertaining.

The collection offers concise biographies of the era’s most recognizable humorists—Mark Twain, Joe Neal, Artemus Ward, Major Jones, and their peers—each presented with anecdotes that reveal their personalities as well as their public personas. A charming exchange with Twain himself is included, giving a taste of his signature wit in a single, brief letter. By the end of the first act, listeners gain a sense of how these writers shaped a distinctly American brand of humor, and why their paragraphs still sparkle in today’s press.