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Robert Benchley Society Annual Gathering and Annual Award for Humor

2014

April 1, 2015, the Robert Benchley Society Announces the Winners in the 2014 RBS Humor Writing Competition. Our celebrity judge, Mark Russell, said of this year's finalist, "If the New Yorker ever rejected any of these, I would cancel my subscription." --

  1. Lowell T. Christensen, of White Rock, N.M., for How to Help Children with Attention Deficit Disorder
    "Well worth the dizziness I experienced while reading it. The piece should include a prescription for Ritalin." -- Mark Russell
  2. Cy Creed, of Hamburg, N.Y., for Just The Socks Please, Nothing But The Socks
    "Obviously, the pace of it – I was imagining Nichols and May." -- Mark Russell
  3. Kathy Myers, of Petaluma Calif., for A Brief History of Writers
    "Funny digression in the first paragraph – I don’t question the validity of the writer’s anthropology premise." -- Mark Russell
  4. Eileen Mitchell, of Palatine, Illinois, for The Science of Stumbling
    "Loved the magazine titles, 'Fido Fancier,' 'Splay Food Journal,' 'Arms Akimbo Magazine,' etc. – pure Benchley." -- Mark Russell

February 22, 2015, the Robert Benchley Society Announces the Top-Ten Semifinalists in the 2014 RBS Humor Writing Competition (in alphabetical order)

All the 2014 entries on available for reading HERE.

2013

The Award Dinner will be held at the 11th Annual Gathering of the Robert Benchley Society, in Boston, November 22-24. CLICK HERE for details or to register.

October 25, 2013, the Robert Benchley Society Announces the Winners in 2013 RBS Humor Writing Competition

  1. Barbara Samuels of Port St Lucie, Florida for Take a Gesund-hike

  2. Cindy Lane Poch of Stillwater, Minnesota for Iatrophobia

  3. Lowell T. Christensen of White Rock, N.M. for The Excruciating History of Dentistry

  4. Ramona Grigg of Drummond Island, Mich. for Budget-Cutting the Hard Way

October 9, 2013, the Robert Benchley Society Announces the Top-Ten Semifinalists in 2013 RBS Humor Writing Competition (in alphabetical order)

The 2013 entries on available for reading HERE.

The award ceremony will in Boston, November 22 - 24, 2013.

This year's final judge is Dr. Gina Barreca, author of It's Not That I'm Bitter: How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquered the World (St. Martin’s), who has appeared on 20/20, The Today Show, CNN, the BBC, NPR, Oprah, and Dr. Phil to discuss gender, power, politics, and humor. Her earlier books include the bestselling They Used to Call Me Snow White But I Drifted: Women's Strategic Use of Humor (reissued in a “classic” edition in 2013), Babes in Boyland: A Personal History of Coeducation in the Ivy League, and six other books she's written-- in addition to sixteen she's edited. They've been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and German. Gina, whose columns from The Hartford Courant are distributed worldwide by the McClatchy-Tribune Syndicate, is Professor of English and Feminist Theory at the University of Connecticut. Her B.A. is from Dartmouth College, where she was the first woman to be named Alumni Scholar, her M.A. is from Cambridge University, where she was a Reynold's Fellow, and her Ph.D. is from the City University of New York, where she lived close to a good delicatessen. Gina writes regularly for Psychology Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and The Huffington Post; she has also written for The New York Times, The Independent, Cosmopolitan, and The Harvard Business Review. She grew up in Brooklyn, now lives with her husband in Connecticut, and has two step-sons who are at that adorable age where they’re attorneys. A new member of the Friars' Club, a "Voices and Visions" honoree of CT Women's Hall of Fame, winner of UConn's most distinguished teaching award, and a keynote at events from The Erma Bombeck Conference, the National Association of Independent Schools, Women In Federal Law Enforcement, The Smithsonian, and The Chicago Humanities Festival, Gina can be found in the Library of Congress or in the make-up aisle of Walgreens.

The deadline to enter the 2013 competition for the Robert Benchley Society Humor Award is August 30, 2013. The award ceremony will in Boston, November 22 - 24, 2013. For more details or to enter click here.

2012

Annual Gathering

  • Night International Annual Gathering "Very Interesting...but Stupid"
  • Confirmed Celebrity Guest: Laugh-In star, Arte Johnson.
  • Friday through Sunday, October 12th through 14th
  • Los Angeles, details to be announced
  • Click here for details or to register.

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

  • The deadline for entering was April 1st.
  • Final judge: Comedian Arte Johnson, perhaps best known for playing Wolfgang the German soldier on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
  • Winners (in order from first place through fourth place)

    1. Tim French of Midway, Ala., for Who Says You Can't Dance?
      "As a youngster I used to look forward to seeing the Benchley shorts. Somehow I always felt he looked like an avocado with clothing. Watching him act was a great joy and your essay forces him to do just that. I could just picture him demonstrating all of the dance styles, badly."
      -- Arte Johnson
    2. Cathy Lennon of Park City, Utah, for How to Yawn
      "You have found a subject that would be right down 'the Benchley Alley'. Taking the common and giving it an aura of importance was one of the great keys of Benchley humor. How to Yawn as a subject matter with possible demonstrations would be well worth watching in the Benchley mode." -- Arte Johnson
    3. Jesse Levy of Burbank, Calif., for My Scotch Adventure
      "Benchley would definitely attempt a Scotch accent and would fail dismally but it would certainly be worth hearing. He certainly would try to make all of these brands exciting for the tasting if not for the hearing. Hopefully he would wear the proper tartan for each and possibly model each for the camera." -- Arte Johnson
    4. Carol Cherman of Los Angeles, Calif., for Cane Mutiny
      "The serious side of everyday life was something that Benchley understood and what could be more serious than fly swatting. Your essay gives meaning to what is a technical side of insect removal. It certainly would be a Benchley subject along with nose blowing." -- Arte Johnson
  • Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • All Entries received sans names.

2011

Annual Gathering

  • Eighth International Annual Gathering "A Capitol Idea"
  • November 11-13, 2011
  • Washington, D.C.
  • 2010 and 2011 RBS Awards for Humor Writing

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

  • Winners (in order from first place through fourth place)

    1. Tim French of Midway, Alabama, for The Old Man and the Leaf Blower.
      "My wife and I laughed out loud at the title. That alone made me pick your short story as my favorite. The title was wonderful. And the premise, oh, so original. At that Great Sardis' in the Sky, Robert is amused, as is Old Ernie, wherever he is." -- Mark Russell.
    2. Robert G. Ferrell of La Vernia, Texas, for Up the Greek Without a Paddle.
      "I thoroughly enjoyed your short story. It takes off quickly with the first two sentences and maintained Benchley's level throughout. I loved the use of '2iPencils and narrow-ruled iPads', and I laughed out loud at 'please drop your fig leaves by the door.'" -- Mark Russell.
    3. Edward Southerland of Sherman Texas, for Certificates of Authenticity.
      "Your premise was nicely original. 'Leonardo Da Vinci's plans for a steam powered blimp' and 'Dr. Murney's Das Facten Wel Knowen' are delightful. Who knew that people from Texas were so funny" -- Mark Russell.
    4. Steve Shrott of Toronto, Ontario, for Unblocking the Block.
      "Thank you for an enjoyable read. I liked the Marx Brothers rhythm you had going in your short story. Having, on occasion, suffered from writer's block, you had be going with the first paragraph and kept my attention throughout. Loved 'must pea' may be the coffee table book of the decade.'" -- Mark Russell.
  • Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • All Entries received sans names.
  • Judges
    • Final judge: Humorist Mark Russell.
    • Preliminary judges: author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; RBS member Sharon Lyon; 2007 Benchley Society award winner and author of Disabled Fables, Dan Montville; chairman of A Moderate State of Preservation Chapter (Ann Arbor, Mich.) of RBS, and editor of The Athletic Benchley Tom Saunders; and 2009 Benchley Society award winner Ed Tasca.

2010

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

Annual Gathering

2009

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

  • Winners (in order from first place through fourth place

    1. Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Let’s Click Up the Old Gang Sometime
      "Original and lively writing on a new topic, social networks." --Kevin Fitzpatrick
    2. Brenda Pontiff of Los Angeles, Calif. for A Teensy Weensy Renaissance
      "Clever, has good writing and funny." --Kevin Fitzpatrick
    3. Con Chapman of Weston, Mass. for Foundations of Western Logic
      "Clever and well-written." --Kevin Fitzpatrick
    4. B. Elwin Sherman of Bethlehem, N.H. for A Woman At Home
      "Original and has a new take on an old subject." --Kevin Fitzpatrick
  • Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • Entries:
  • Judges:
    • Final judge: Kevin C. Fitzpatrick. Kevin has been a past judge of the competition. He is the president of the RBS Fascinating Crimes chapter in New York. In 1999 he founded the Dorothy Parker Society and serves as president. He is the author of "A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York" and with Nat Benchley, is the co-editor of the new book "The Lost Algonquin Round Table" (Donald Books-iUniverse). Link for the book: http://www.donaldbooks.com/catalogue.html
    • Preliminary judges author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; puzzle designer RBS Vice Chairman, Chris Morgan; 2007 RBS Humor Award winner, Daniel Montville; radio personality and chairman of A Moderate State of Preservation Chapter (Ann Arbor, Mich.) of RBS, Tom Saunders; RBS Director Pamela Siska and Robert Benchley Society Chairman David Trumbull.

2008

Annual Gathering

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

2007

Dave Barry with 2008 RBS Award Winner Daniel Montville

Annual Gathering

  • Fifth Annual Gathering
  • October 5-6, 2007
  • New York, New York
  • Held jointly with Dorothy Parker Society Parkerfest

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

  • Winners:

    1. Daniel Montville of Oak Park, Ill. for How to Write a Book
      "A smart, silly essay written in the classic Benchley how-to-style. The opening sentence establishes the confidently insane tone: "There couldn't be a better time for you to write a book because nobody reads any more (I certainly don't).' Montville goes on to dispense a meandering stream of upbeat and utterly useless advice, never passing up an opportunity to detour from the irrelevant to the even more irrelevant. The only troubling thing about this essay is that it pretty much describes the way I actually write books." --Dave Barry
    2. George Waters of Pasadena, Calif. for T'ai Chi for Beginners," or "War and Peace"
      "Another fine Benchley-esque how-to essay, also with an excellent opener: 'If there is one thing I cannot stand (and, really, is one ever enough?), it is sloth.' I personally have never tried T'ai Chi, but after reading Water's relentlessly uninformative take on the subject, I've decided that I don't want to."
      --Dave Barry
    3. Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Hello again, Mr. Uh--!?
      "Tasca hilariously explores, in Benchley style, the problem of being unable to remember anything, including the mnemonics that you're supposed to remember to help you remember things, which you tend to forget (I refer here to the mnemonics) (I think). I just want to state here that somebody should develop a mnemonic to help people remember how to spell 'mnemonic.'"
      --Dave Barry
    4. Jennifer Byrne of Glassboro, N.J. for You Shouldn’t Have (Really)
      "I have long been puzzled by the fact that cat owners tolerate a pet that keeps bringing them gifts of dead animals and animal parts. Finally, Byrne has provided an answer: cat owners are insane. I already knew that, but this essay is very funny anyway." --Dave Barry
  • Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • Entries
  • Judges
    • Final judge Dave Barry
    • Preliminary judges 2005 Benchley Society award winner Horace J. Digby; author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; President of the Dorothy Parker Society and RBS Director, Kevin Fitzpatrick; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; RBS Secretary, Sharon Lyon; puzzle designer and RBS Vice Chairman, Chris Morgan; Robert Benchley Society Chairman David Trumbull

2006

Annual Gathering

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

  • Winners

    1. W. Bruce Cameron of Santa Monica, California for Golf for the First Time.
      "W. Bruce Cameron's very funny essay has a number of lines that strongly remind me of the master, my favorite being: "To make the sport less boring, course designers have carefully built in a series of obstacles called 'geese.'" A wonderful read from beginning to end." -- Dave Barry.
    2. Christopher Perdue of Eugene, Oregon for Quitting Coffee: I'd Rather be Eaten by a Raptor.
      "Christopher Perdue makes good use of the faux-authoritative tone that Benchley used so often to parody scientific 'advances.' Perdue begins his piece with a marvelously Benchley-esque sentence: 'According to a recent study, scientists disagree about when humans, the smartest, most adaptable creatures on earth, will finally be killed by breakfast food.'" -- Dave Barry
    3. Dan Burt of Millbrook, Alabama for Shuffling Cards at Work: Deal Me Out.
      "Benchley loved to grump about life's little annoyances; I think he'd have enjoyed Dan Burt's entertaining tirade about being compelled by co-workers to sign an endless parade of cards for people he doesn't know or care about." -- Dave Barry
    4. Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for My six steps for taming any earthquake.
      "Ed Tasca follows his excellent title with some equally excellent advice, such as: 'Never let any family member under the age of five care for the injured.'" -- Dave Barry
  • Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • Entries
  • Judges
    • Final judge Dave Barry
    • Preliminary judges 2005 Benchley Society award winner Horace J. Digby; author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; RBS member Steven Jens; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; RBS Secretary, Sharon Lyon; puzzle designer and RBS Vice Chairman, Chris Morgan; radio personality and chairman of A Moderate State of Preservation Chapter (Ann Arbor, Mich.) of RBS, Tom Saunders; and RBS member Ruth Smerling; Robert Benchley Society Chairman David Trumbull
  • Dates
    • Deadline for entries: April 15th
    • Announcement of ten semi-finalist: May 16th
    • Announcement of winners: July 6th

2005

Annual Gathering

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

  • The first-place winner was Horace J. Digby of Kelso, Washington for When You Can't Sleep
    "The conditions for qualification were quite rigorous. Competition was open to fillies and mares who have not won more than two races. Indeed, just to qualify as an entry in this post was not without some personal loss for our winner. Next you should know that the length of the contest presented it's own problems. As any writer can tell you, six furlongs is really quite a short distance. If you falter out of the gate with a less than perfect opening sentence you have almost no space in which to recover. And with just two turns and then the homestretch there is little distance in which to develop your theme." --David Trumbull
  • Coming in Second Place was Consuelo M. Ohanesian's for The Zen of Red Nail Polish.

  • Third place went to Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Return to Sunny Los Las.

  • A complete report in available in our online archive here.

2004

Annual Gathering

  • Second Annual Gathering
  • September 1-3, 2004
  • New York, New York
  • Held jointly with Dorothy Parker Society Parkerfest

2003

Annual Gathering

  • First Annual Gathering
  • August 22-24, 2003
  • New York, New York
  • Held jointly with Dorothy Parker Society Parkerfest

ABOUT BENCHLEY | ABOUT RBS | CURRENT NEWS / BLOG | BENCHLEY BOOKS & MOVIES | NEWS ARCHIVE |