The Robert Benchley Society announces its "top ten" list of short humorous holiday readings. Following each entry is a brief description and a quotation from the piece. Enjoy!
(1) "Bayeux Christmas Presents Early," Robert Benchley
Few holiday images are more deeply branded into the American psyche than that of Christmas in Merry Olde England, which is why Mr. Benchley transports us to France for Christmas A.D. 1066.
| |
(2)"All Aboard for Christmas," Christopher Jennison
In the spirit of Norman Rockwell and Frank Capra, author Robert Benchley Society Member, Christopher Jennison evokes the enchantment of bygone Christmases in the era of train travel. There are lots of stories and pictures, mostly dating back to the first half of the twentieth century, including a short piece from Benchley!
| |
(3) "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family," David Sedaris
What would Christmas be without David Sedaris? Easter. This pick is from a collection of Christmas stories which can also be found in his 'Barrel Fever' collection.
| |
(4) "A Chrismas Carol" and other songs, Tom Lehrer
With this entry we stray a bit from our stated theme of holiday readings and suggest a hilarious volume of song parodies. What would a holiday sing-along be without The Hunting Song, My Home Town, National Brotherhood Week, and The Vatican Rag.
Telling us to go and buy | |
(5) "The Barbi Doll Celebrates New Year's Eve," Jean Shepherd
When a GI returns to his Indiana hometown, restless, lonely, and looking for a New Year's Eve date, he steps out with the preacher's daughter, who is not exactly as he remembers her.
| |
(6) "Dancing Dan's Christmas," Damon Runyon
After a few Tom and Jerrys --and then a few more-- an
infamous "get-'em-up guy" dons the red suit and beard and doles out a few little trinkets.
| |
(7) "archie interviews a pharoah," Don Marquis
Okay, so it's not exactly a holiday reading, but when she who suggested it showed up at our last event dressed as Dorothy Parker, how could we refuse? Besides its anti-prohibition message is a tonic to today's new puritanism.
with such a wistful wishfulness there in the silences confide in me my perial pretzel says i i brood on beer my scampering whiffle snoot on beer says he | |
(8) "Hold that Christmas Tiger!", S. J. Perelman
The Martha Stewart of his day, minus the felony convictions, this master of the absurd gives his Christmas party decorating advice in the manner of the trendy fashion magazines of the 1940s.
| |
This essay is in the public domain, click here to go to an online free version hosted by Mount Royal College in Calgary. |
(9) "The Errors of Santa Claus," Stephen Leacock
As legal scholar C. K. Allen said in his essay Oh, Mr. Leacock!, "The are certain things which are too sacred to every Englishman to be lightly joked about; among them the pious peace, the beautific beauty, of a Christmas afternoon." Oh well, Mr. Leacock is, after all, a Canadian humorist.
|
(10) "Editha's Christmas Burglar," Robert Benchley
Christmas is, of course, about the children. But that doesn't have to ruin it for the rest of us.
|