The workshop for humor writing, human interest writing, networking and getting published

Who’s publishing what?

Loose ends

Molly D. Campbell’s newest book, Keep the Ends Loose, is now available for pre-ordering. A longtime blogger and lover of quirky characters, she wrote her first book, Characters in Search of a Novel, with illustrator Randy Palmer. She is the winner of two Erma Bombeck Writing Competition awards.

TMI

Too Much Information Lois Swagerty, a humorist from Carlsbad, Calif., has published the first volume of Too Much Information, a collection of humor from her weekly newspaper columns. From aphids to zits, and chin hair to underwear, she serves up a hefty helping of hilarious insights on the world.

Mommy martydom

Brandi Haas, who blogs at Tales From Suburbia, has published her first book, Tales from Suburbia: You Don’t Have to be Crazy to Live Here, But it Helps. It’s a collection of hilarious stories about surviving motherhood.

I worry, therefore I am

Syndicated South Dakota humor columnist Dorothy Rosby has published her first book, I Used To Think I Was Not That Bad And Then I Got To Know Me Better, described as “the book for people who read self-improvement books and never get any better. Also for the people who sincerely wish they would.” Her column has been recognized by the South Dakota Newspaper Association, the South Dakota Federation of Press Women and the National Federation of Press Women.

Persnickety fish

A Creek Trickles Through It Jim Mize’s new book, A Creek Trickles Through It: A Collection of Fly-Fishing Humor, was selected as this year’s top outdoor book by the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association.

Shake, rattle and roll

Shake, Rattle and Roll With It Erma Bombeck meets Michael J. Fox in Shake, Rattle & Roll With It: Living and Laughing with Parkinson’s. Author and blogger Vikki Claflin chronicles her hilarious, and often poignant journey, dealing with Parkinson’s Disease with her usual irreverence and laughter in her newly published book. Whether she’s chasing her Chihuahuha or learning topole dance in her living room, she will have you laughing and crying at the same time. One reviewer calls her “the female David Sedaris.”

Who stole my spandex?

Take a ride on the wild side in the nuthouse that Marcia Kester Doyle calls home. From couples’ colonoscopies to nightmare holidays to disappearing spandex, no topic — no matter how crazy or unimaginable — is off-limits. Who Stole My Spandex? Midlife Musings from a Middle-Aged MILF is a witty selection of stories from the author’s madcap world of menopausal pitfalls, wardrobe malfunctions and a family full of pranksters.

Fun-size hilarity

Kate Hall, Norine Dworkin-McDaniel and Jessica Ziegler published The Big Book of Parenting Tweets in just four weeks. Currently #5 on Amazon’s Hot New Parenting/Family Humor Releases, the book includes more than 300 tweet jokes, real-kid convos and snarky one-liners from more than 30 of the funniest Twitter comedians to ever diaper a baby or stare down a sulky teen.

Reflections of Erma

Humor writer of the month

Will Durst

The New York Times has called Will Durst “quite possibly the best political satirist working in the country today.” In his guise as mild mannered political comic and former radio talk show host, he is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the all-American sport of full body contact bi-partisan bashing. Sworn enemy to all tyrants, foreign and domestic, he abides by the motto: “You can’t make stuff up like this.” He pens a nationally syndicated humor column, is a frequent contributor on CNN, MSNBC and FOX News, and has written three books, The All American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing, Where the Rogue Things Go and Elect to Laugh.

See past winners

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