3 Authors to Read For Laughs
by Kathleen M.
Happy April Fool’s Day! I hope you enjoy a little levity this month, and one way to start is to read a few funny books/authors.
Everyone’s sense of humor is different but these classics should work for many people. Below would be 3 authors that students can read for laughs, which should also help them develop their understanding of their own writing style and how humor can be used in writing.
John Green is a popular contemporary author, podcaster, and personality.
Many of his books have been made into films and his sense of humor will keep you laughing. Some of his books investigate serious topics, but even in these there is a sense of fun.
In reading more about him, I found his website, https://www.johngreenbooks.com/ and scrolled to the FAQs page because I am a geek and FAQs pages are interesting! His FAQ is hilarious – one option is “Biographical questions for your school project, which I am really flattered you chose to do about me.”
Ross Gay is a contemporary poet and a university professor who has two books about delight and is passionate about joy. His substack of writing practices help all sorts of people learn about writing but also about writing with humor.
In his Book of Delights, he writes about everyday things that bring delight. One example is called “Church Poetry” and is about a sign outside of a church with the message “Forbidden Fruit Creates Many Jams.”
The short essay is a hilarious exploration of the word “jam” and its many meanings – and his desire for it to mean something like jelly! The book is full of these seemingly innocuous observations about life that really are funny.
Douglas Adams is a classic writer whose Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy began as a part of a radio program and was published as a novel in 1979. The novel is a very funny science fiction classic and worth your time – add it to your summer reading list!
To get a sense of Adams’ sense of humor, one quotation he is known for is “A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.” He really has a way of making it clear that foolishness is out there and that if you pay attention, you will spot it all over.
Take a break from work and read one of these authors for a laugh! You will also be improving your writing because good writing flows from reading excellent source material. So it is a win-win!
