Humor Books

This book is GREAT! It was all I expected and better. I laughed out loud alot, and the pictures, although in black and white, are hysterical! A great touch is the pictures of Conan and Andy's reactions. This book is a great buy!

What are you waiting for? Go buy it!

If They Mated is one of my favorite skits on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, so I just had to buy this book. I am glad I did, it is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Even if you never saw the show before, or this skit, I highly recommend getting this book, I guaranty you'll laugh! I would have rated it a 5 but the pictures in the book are grayscale, color would have been much better, but it is still a great book.

The book is funny with hilarious pictures and commentaary. In my opinion Conan O'Brien is the best show between the hours of 12:30 AM and 1:30 AM on nbc.

Conan O'Brien is one of the funniest men alieve and this book proves that!This book evolved from a sketch on the show(one of the best, other than Pimpbot 5000). He and the Late Night Writers are amazing,they come up with so many diffrent sketches that its not even funny. If you have ever wondered what celebrities babies looked like this book is a must have.
HAIL CONAN!

heart,
ivy the barbarian

Ive always loved Conans humor. He is the king of couch humor. A classic comedian. In this book he showcases my favorite, and I think everyone elses too, jokes that he does. IF THEY MATED. Very funny book. Purchase this now.

Herriman finds his metier. Krazy waxes eloquent. Ignatz waxes his brick.
Offica Pup keeps the peace.

If you are a fan of comics as an art-form, you should probably be familiar with Krazy & Ignatz. Thanks, Fantagraphics, for committing to these great collections.

I came upon Krazy Kat recently while doing research on early comic strips.My intent was to follow the older strips to see how they have progressed into what they are today.I was surprised to find that no modern strip adds anything to this early work of art or comes close to being its' equal.There has been much praise over the years for George Herrimans' work and if I can add one thing I would say get all these titles you can.This was as good as it will ever get.

I'm absolutely blown away every time I pick up this book. I'd heard it referred to by everyone from Max Speigelman to Bill Watterson himself, artist of Calvin & Hobbes, but hadn't ever seen it, being born a number of decades after it had left the papers. I decided to pick it up, since as an aspiring comic artist, I figured it'd be a good idea to take a look at something credited by Bill Watterson.
The comics are absolutely amazing. The art is playful, sometimes delicate, sometimes bold, but masterfully executed and always artistic, a quality so often missing from modern comics. And the text is just as amazing - it always strikes me as poetry in word bubbles. Anyone and everyone who enjoys art, poetry, comics, or humor owes it to themselves to pick up at least one of these volumes.

Every man, woman, and child should own a complete set of George Herriman's Krazy Kat, but that's currently impossible cos so much of it is out of print (or has never been reprinted). Thanks for getting this thing started again, Fantagraphics, and hopefully you'll get the financial support to see this thing through.

If you know nothing of Krazy and Ignatz, I can only invite you to slide into their surreal world. Words won't do it justice. Krazy is yin, Ignatz is yang. You figure it out.

This book stands as the best introduction to one of the best comic strips ever produced. Not only is it packed with hard to find "Krazy Kat" strips, but it also includes a biography of the artist, George Herriman. Some consider Herriman the first African-American mainstream cartoonist. His colleagues didn't know his ethnicity (and Herriman didn't tell them) so some called him "the Greek". He felt he had to hide some of his features from the public. For example, he kept his very curly hair closely cut and hidden under a hat. Not only that, his birth certificate shows his parent's ethnicity as "colored". The prejudices of the time likely would not have allowed an African-American the mainstream status and freedom allowed to George Herriman. So through "Krazy Kat" we get a glimpse of what early 20th century American culture may have missed out on due to its racial myopia. For "Krazy Kat" stands as an absolute masterpiece of its genre.

Herriman found some modicum of fame in his lifetime. William Randolph Hearst (the newspaper magnate) loved Herriman's work and rewarded him with a lifetime contract (according to the biography in the book, Hearst once read a "Krazy Kat" Sunday page and immediately demanded a raise for the artist). Herriman's success didn't come quickly, however. His first big break came in 1897 with the sale of a sketch to the Los Angeles Herald. Around 1901 he landed his first job as a "Staff Cartoonist" (a person who literally reported to the office every day and rattled off strip after strip; very different from today's cartoonists). Between 1901 and 1916 Herriman penned numerous strips (the book includes samples of many of these strips - many in color), including: "Musical Mose" (this strip's overt racial humor would not fly today), "Professor Otto and His Auto", "Acrobatic Archie", "Two Jolly Jackies", "Major Ozone's Fresh Air Crusade", "Home Sweet Home", "Baron Mooch", "Mary's Home From College", "Gooseberry Sprig" (considered to be a direct forerunner to "Krazy Kat"), "Alexander the Cat", "Daniel and Pansy", and finally, in 1910, "The Dingbat Family" (which changed its name briefly to "The Family Upstairs"; it was Herriman's first hit). It was in a "Dingbat Family" strip in 1910 that a mouse first "beaned" a "Kat" with a projectile (in the "running boards" of the strip). Eventually the Kat and mouse sideshow surpassed the main strip's popularity, and "Krazy Kat" debuted as a daily in October 1913 (the famous Sunday pages began in 1916). Herriman kept experimenting with other strips through 1923 when he finally placed his focus squarely on "Krazy Kat".

From roughly 1913 to 1944 (when Herriman passed away leaving a week's worth of unfinished Krazy Kat's on his drawing table) "Krazy Kat" developed from a "Kat" and mouse game (filled with puns, misunderstandings, and musings on the imperfections of language) into a complex love triangle between Krazy (the "Kat"), Ignatz (the mouse) and Offisa Pupp (the dog). Ignatz's entire being revolves around "beaning" the "Kat" with a brick, and Krazy interprets this as an act of love (unbeknownst to Ignatz). Offisa Pupp loves Krazy (in a fatherly sort of way) and his obsession revolves around catching Ignatz in the act and jailing him. Three obsessions collide in an almost jazz-style derivation of themes. Herriman developed this theme brilliantly over 30 years of strips. But overall it defies analysis: the strip can only speak for itself.

Sadly, though "Krazy Kat" counted such dignatiries as e.e. cummings, George Gershwin, Gilbert Seldes, James Joyce, and other literati, as fans, its popularity waned dramatically throughout the 1930s (as it became more surreal, esoteric and unabashedly uncommercial). It was kept in print by Hearst himself. The book does not cover the frustration of Hearst editors at the inclusion of the strip in their papers. They rebelled against it in some cases. Many simply tried to remove it from circulation only to find Hearst himself yelling "keep it in!" So we have, of all people, the controversial William Randolph Hearst to thank for the continuation of "Krazy Kat". By the end of its run "Krazy Kat" only appeared in some 30 papers.

The main focus of this book lies in its numerous incredible strips. The book includes daily strips (most dating from 1938 to 1944) and Sunday pages (dating from 1916 to 1944 with some in color; it also includes both the first and last Sunday pages). If one reason exists to purchase this book, here it is. The strips retain their amazing character even after decades of aging. And the artwork remains astounding. Not only that, the book includes samples of hand colored drawings of Herriman's, and photos of Herriman and his family. All in all, this book opens the door on one of the comic strip medium's most celebrated strips. Those that get hooked should continue thier obsessions (in the true spirit of Krazy, Ignatz, and Offisa Pupp) with the Fantagraphics' series of Sunday pages, and the Pacific Comics club's reprints of daily strips. Someday every Krazy Kat strip Herriman drew will finally appear in printed form. We can hope, at least.

This is a wonderful book for Krazy Katz fans to own. It is large, colorful and very informative on one of Americas great cartoonists. The delivery through Amazon was fast and effortless. The book, a treasure to own. Worth the lower price through Amazon.

This is what all popular art forms should be. A social commentary as love poem. And poem this is. There is very little that someone can write about the Krazy experience without treading in the same terran as this wonderful book. This is were your Krazy love afair begins. And unlike Ignatz you don't show your love with a brick.

This is a wonderful introduction to George Herriman's great comic strip Krazy Kat that ran for several decades in the early twentieth century. This introduction provides biographical background to Herriman's art, a survey of some of his influences, and a very healthy dose of Krazy Kat panels, both color and black & white. It also discusses the way that Krazy Kat became a cultural phenomenon, easily one of the most highly regarded comics of the century, and permeating many other arts as well.

The Krazy Kat strip is utterly insane, surreal stuff. Here is the premise: Krazy Kat (who is usually female but is sometimes apparently male) is in love with Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz loathes Krazy, and to prove it konstantly kreases that kat's krown with a brick. Incredibly, Krazy sees this as proof of Ignatz's affection, and falls even more deeply in love (many panels show hearts rising from Krazy's heart when she is hit by one of Ignatz's bricks). Officer Pup, the town constable, is in love with Krazy and frequently throws Ignatz into jail for hitting Krazy, which causes Krazy to pine for her would-be lover. This is merely the barest sketch of this weird and wild world. The town of Concocino is populated by a host of equally outrageous characters, though the focus continually comes back to the three principals.

Though even the most recent of these strips are over sixty years old, Krazy Kat has stood up magnificently over the years. Part of the reason surely lies with Herriman's enormous gifts as an illustrator. The Sunday strips in particular are things of great beauty, with the frames arcing around the page in spectacular designs of considerable innovation and complexity. The content of the comics reflects a genuine wit and substantial intelligence, while the bizarre love triangle possesses endless possibilities for both humor and pathos. This truly is one of the most unique comics in the history of the medium, and even those who do not usually respond to the genre are apt to find this enormously entertaining.

When I noticed that many of my favourite cartoonists have said that Herriman's 'Krazy Kat' is the greatest comic strip ever, I decided I should check it out. It didn't take long before I agreed with them.

George Herriman is one of those rare individuals who genuinely deserves to be called a genius. That's a word that gets thrown around a little too casually perhaps, but in Herriman's case it is almost an understatement.

He was a brilliantly inventive artist, but his writing is what really sets him apart. A lot of the dialogue is written phonetically in bizarre dialects, a tricky thing to do, but he uses it to great effect.

Whereas space restrictions force cartoonists today to avoid using more words than is necessary, Herriman would often use a lot more, and much of the pleasure of reading 'Krazy Kat' comes from the sheer virtuosity with which Herriman uses language.

That a comic strip could be as funny, as intellectually stimulating, and as beautiful to look at as 'Krazy Kat' seems to me to be some kind of miracle. This book is a great introduction to Herriman and his work. There's a generous helping of 'Krazy Kat' strips, as well as some of Herriman's other work. Anyone who loves comics should have it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

LITTLE MISS SMARTY-PANTS is touching and heart-breaking, while also being completely hilarious. I don't know that I have read another memoir that caused me to feel such a range of emotions. Kopoulos impressively bares her heart to the reader, but without overplaying or hiding behind the sad OR the funny experiences she has had. I enjoyed every page.

Little Miss Smarty-Pants is a semi-biographical memoire about the life and love/friendship of the author. It was a very amusing and touching story, was very entertaining, and emotion provoking. For a first shot at writing a book, this is one HELL of a BOOK. I recommend that any grown adult, especially those with "childhood baggage" should read this book and learn how to get over themselves with humor, love and understanding.
5 Stars.

Little Miss Smarty-Pants is a laugh out loud chronicle of the author's coming of age. Suzanne Kopolous has given us a story in which we can all recognize just a little bit of ourselves: funny, poignant and tragi-comic enough that you might just wince a little bit as you recall your own journey to self discovery. Kopolous' story gives hope to every girl who has ever endured seemingly endless years of one bad date after another, decades of bad hair days and other assorted mishaps on the road to finding her own Mr. Right. Her adventures take her from high school geek/sheltered suburban wallflower to witty, self-assured warrior princess, complete with black belt, suburban castle, her own Prince Charming and a furry little daughter. Her self discovery is hard won via multiple self-incarnations ranging from sassy sidekick to her glamorous gay boyfriend, sophisticated big city career girl surrounded by nut-job coworkers to battle scarred black belt-in-training. Set against the backdrop of finding that one special friend whose love and guiding influence not just help her to survive, but to thrive, the author reflects on the heartbreaks and the hilarity that ensue as she makes her way from high school to encroaching middle age. Along the way she encounters drag queens, hose beasts, loin-presenting performance artists, suicide-faking drama addicts, scheming co-workers and oh yes, roving bands of marauding skunks. Light and enjoyable reading, I highly recommend Little Miss Smarty-Pants to fans of Laurie Notaro and Armistead Maupin, chick lit enthusiasts, those who enjoy humorous memoirs and to anyone that loves a good underdog-makes-good tale.

Little Miss Smarty-Pants is first the memoir I have laughed my way through most of. Suzanne Kopoulos really lets it all hang out. She didn't hold much, if anything, back. As you might expect, she did change the names. I give her a lot of credit. Granted I didn't have as diverse a life as Suzanne, but I couldn't sit down and write about my life like she has. Give Suzanne Kopoulos a gold star for guts!

She may be about 10 years older than I am, but I could relate to a lot of what she talks about in Little Miss Smarty-Pants. From a high-school boyfriend she calls Joe Trailer, whose only perceivable ambition in life was to own a double-wide trailer, to dying her hair the same orange-red as Lucille Ball. Suzanne develops a close friendship with a guy, Jack aka Pookie, while in her first year of college in 1982; a friendship that lasts to this day.

Giving this book 5 stars was easy. A book that keeps me reading until well past 10pm (I didn't close the book until 1:30am the first night/early morning) is rare. Suzanne made me cry, feel her pain (Dr. Love), laugh and a few other emotions all in 320 pages. Please give this book a chance!

I received this book as a gift. The "giver" knew that I liked Laurie Notaro and Jen Lancaster's books. She said, "I KNOW you'll like this one, too!"

I LOVE this book. Kopoulos is hysterical. She writes not just with a self-deprecating humor, but with heart. You'll fall in love with her gay boyfriend and cheer for her throughout her dating horrors. And, you'll come to the conclusion, as I did, that her dog needs to star on Animal Planet. Sadie Mae (the dog) very nearly steals every scene.

Someone should tell Oprah that there is a rising star in her very own Chicago backyard!

I bought this book from after amazon recommended it to me, and for the first time I can honestly say, "Amazon, you've let me down."

While some of the stories in Mentally Incontinent are interesting and funny, the writing is just bad. Writing like this could benefit from a few rounds in a college workshop environment and a good working over by a professional editor. Instead of telling stories with rich visual images that immerse the reader in the scene, Joe spends a lot of time directly addressing readers, running off on tangents, and writing about being a writer.

For example, in "Late Night Adventures at Kroger", he spends 2 full pages setting up the story, and only one page describing the action that SHOULD be the most interesting part. The entire description of the very exciting scene is captured by, "The next four seconds were probably the most intense 4 seconds I have experienced in my entire life. I can honestly say I know what it feels like to be in Bullet Time slow motion now. I can't really tell you exactly what happened, however, because honestly I have no clue - It was all one big intense blur." ARE YOU SERIOUS? I just read all that exposition and that's the climax you give me? If you're watching it unfold in bullet time, shouldn't you be able to describe it in intimate detail? Isn't that the benefit of slow motion? And look at the mistakes (I made sure I quoted it verbatim). Imagine an entire book like that.

That's the great thing about writers like David Sedaris and Tucker Max - they can tell stories that are boring, innocuous examples of banality and make them wholly interesting.

It's HOW you tell the story, Joe, not just what the story is about.

Save your money for another David Sedaris book.

I've been a big fan of Joe's since I first peeped his website, "Mentally Incontinent," from a link from Fark. If you like Fark, you'll love Joe. His book is hilarious. I'd already read most of the stories on the site, but buying the book was completely worth it. It's one of my most requested loaner books-- my friends keep asking to borrow it! I've finally told them to buy their own! Highly, highly recommend this book, but ONLY if you like to laugh. If you don't, well... find another book. :)

If I had to summarize this book in one word, it would be fantastic. This book is literally impossible to put down, even if you have read the stories before. They are great the first time, the fifth time, and even the tenth (even if its at 2 am and everyone is yelling at you to turn off the lights!). The book itself really has everything. There are stories of love, loss, triumph and lots and lots of laughs.

I reccomend this book to anyone who reads! You wont regret it (though maybe the people up with you at 2am might)!

This book is for anyone who loves to have a good laugh. Not only is the premise really original (a book compiled by readers), but the stories are extremely hilarious, and yet personal too. I bet you'll find yourself reading it in one shot - cover to cover - it's that good!

While I had read most of these stories on his website, I still find myself laughing all over again this time around. But, the best part of this book is the author. If you register at his site (which is free and safe), you can actually talk with him. Have a question about the book? Ask. Lets see you try that with Stephen King!
If you have a sense of humor, you will definately find this to be one of the most amusing books you have read.

All molasses, no zip, this treacly twaddle must give people who think Hallmark cards aren't sticky enough a real chance to drown in cuteness. The drawing style is superb and harks back to Herriman and The Little Hitchhiker, but the strip itself is deadly stuff. I can't schtand it anymore!

I LOVE Patrick McDonnell! Without arrogance, profanity, or the modern deluge of grotesque vernacular, he took two wonderful characters (Mooch and Earl), their "families" (em, packs) and made them timeless.

Having 6 cats, two dogs, four ferrets, a half-dozen rabbits, and a few fish, I see Mooch, Earl Stinky Puddin', Woofie, Doozy, Millie, and all the other wonderful beings in McDonnell's books as a reflection of REAL people. Not fashion models, rock stars, and other modern pop icons...real people who really love their pets...friends.

I also like McDonnell's subtle and thoughtful animal issue strips: One can be political without being in-your-face. Overpopulation, how mankind has affected THEIR world, man's inability to care for our sentient frinds...

I certainly hope he never retires: Every morning I take one of my dogs, Google, down to the paperbox to get the daily paper, and our daily dose of MUTTS.

You will LOVE this book. The strips on pages 8 &9 will make you think. Page 15 is how EVERYONE should feel! Page 76 is farm-time funny. Pages 104 & 105 are timeless and funny. But the center strip on page 119...All I can say is YESH!!!!

Patrick McDonnell's "Mutts" is one of the best comics in the papers. Nothing could be finer then, than to have a book (or several) of the collected strips to peruse at one's leisure. "Mutts" is funny, warm, clever, honest, and this collection has been nicely printed. I was especially amused by the Sunday strips' clever references to comics of days gone by. I hope that in the future, colored collections will be available.

... that I can't rate this higher than five stars!

This is the sweetest comic strip ever. Its innocent characters, pet antics, and angstless plotlines make me feel that the world is a beautiful place. Amidst a thousand cynical strips, this one matches "Peanuts" for charm.

All five publications by Patrick McDonnell are a joy to own, read and re-read! With the premature departure of Bill Watterson, Gary Larson and the retirement of the beloved Charles Schulz, Patrick McDonnell has filled the void with his wonderfully witty and wise panels both hilariously funny and yet reminding us of our responsiblity to those who cannot speak for themselves. His work is both satisfyingly current and yet contains the best essence of the earliest cartoons (Krazy Kat, etc.) I await the next compilation! Cheers, Patrick!

This book is easily the best book I've ever written... the only one, actually. Dan Dunn is great. Dan Dunn is me.

Dan Dunn has written a book that is not only freakin' funny, but is also a very informative tome about the history of booze. If you are unable to travel this year, pick up this book, pour yourself a drink and take a trip with Dunn as he traverses the world in search of free booze and food. You will not be disappointed.

"Nobody Likes a Quitter" rocks, which makes sense, because author Dan Dunn apparently likes his liquor on the rocks and, well, in just about any other form. Dunn, a professional booze writer for numerous magazines and newspapers, manages to bundle up his social life, professional life, and the life of the various skid-row bums he calls friends and roommates --- who may or may not be completely real but who are unfortunately at least 75% real --- into a tight roman à clef narrative of debauchery and merriment.

It's hard not to see the parallels to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Dunn's mentor and one-time bothersome Colorado neighbor, Hunter S. Thompson. (The two used to hang together in the 1990s, and Dunn apparently has the crazed late-night voicemail message from Thompson on his machine to prove it.)

Admittedly, and Dunn would have to agree, Quitter isn't as literary as Fear and Loathing --- there's no stated quest to find the American dream, although Dunn seems to be living it; no stated agenda of capturing the essence of generations x, y or z --- but the rhythm and the fun and the spirit (and spirits) are there. Whereas Thompson was on assignment for Rolling Stone and his fuel was his narcotics, Dunn consumes nearly every known mainstream and indigenous intoxicant in North America and Europe while remaining ever so loyal to the Deadline, capital D, and his responsibility to his readers.

Dunn is proud and irreverent, with 12 chapters in Quitter based on AA's 12 steps. This is the stuff he obviously couldn't put into his newspaper columns. Aside from the sex, which is sloppy enough to believe, there's the feeling that any responsible newspaper editor, knowing the true background, would send Dunn to rehab instead of footing the bill for his drinking orgies.

I'd call this required reading for any serious educated drinker. There is a narrative, sort of, in a hazy drunk kind of way: The letters between him and a Fox TV executive about some ill-fated pilot are worth the price of admission, as is the high-as-a-kite Larry King story. Yet layered in here also is the history of booze, in sidebars, and lessons on cocktail making. Like a Long Island Ice Tea, the various poisons somehow mesh in an intoxicating read.

-cw

If you love fiction and comedy, you will love this book. Dan dunn is a unique writer and his book is worth reading. Just take a look at the endorsements and you will know that this book is for those with a sense of humor. Buy, read and enjoy. We did!!

The identity of the man who pens one of America's most widely circulated booze columns is illusive. From humble beginnings as a local newspaper columnist in Aspen, Colorado, to rubbing elbows with the rich and famous at swank L.A. mixers, the public truly knows little about this man of mystery, despite a career that threatens to bleed through three or four decades. His mystique remains uncompromised in the pages of Nobody Likes a Quitter. Dunn's episodic remembrances are seasoned with recipes for cocktails and shots, tips for selecting premium spirits and advice on who to drink them with. For the modern bathroom and subway reader, this format is ideal--this way you can pick up or leave off anywhere in the book without loosing your orientation. No matter when-- no matter where-- no matter if you're sipping straight Johnnie Walker Blue or chugging from a Dixie cup of Franzia boxed wine-- you're going to have a good time with this book.

I spotted this book in my wife's beachbag while on vacation in Hawaii last week. Bored with the political non-fiction I was reading I picked up Planet Idiot and randomly read the chapter on buying art. What a riot! I read the whole book that afternoon and was laughing so hard I was in tears. At times I had to stop reading because my eyes were watering so much from laughter. Not only is this book funny but it makes a point that I think we should all follow. Don't take ourselves too seriously. I would recommend this book to anyone. Even the idiots.

Planet Idiot: A Survival Guide by newspaper columnist Lindsey Stokes is unafraid to say aloud the secret realization that lurks within the mind: that yes, the Earth is indeed full of idiots top to bottom. From idiots behind wheels to insincere idiots, bureaucratic idiots and health club idiots, they are everywhere and surviving among them is a challenge in and of itself. The greater focus on Planet Idiot is in teaching the reader how to prosper in spite of worldwide idiocy, through personal priorities, optimism, embracing challenges, altering expectations, and learning to laugh. Planet Idiot is funny, insightful, satirical, eclectic, and highly recommended reading.

Stokes knows how to be funny and astute without being so damned mean. Because I've never mastered that practice, that particular skill goes a long way with me. Her voice and style and chosen topics are undeniably likeable- she probably is too.

Read it and expect to laugh, both at yourself and at others. She'll gently remind you of some important lessons, none of which you learned in Kindergarten.

Planet Idiot by Lindsey Stokes was a breath of fresh air in literary humor. It provided a great deal of thought-provoking insight as well as plenty of laughs. It took my mind off all my troubles and gave me a new way to look (and laugh) at my problems. Erma Bombeck has nothing on Lindsey Stokes!!!

I loved this book. It's a book that makes you laugh out loud about the crazy things she is describing about people...and then realize that you are one of the people she is describing! I really laughed a lot. And, it made me think twice about a few things I do everyday that just don't make any sense. My fiance enjoyed the book as much as I did, so it is definitely a book for both sexes. Enjoy!

Fantastic, one of my favorite cat books. Every time I pick it up, I change my mind about what the best poem is.

I actually remember lines from these poems sometimes, in circumstances where less happily placed people would recall lines from the original
poems !

By the way, 'Beowulf' is about the least wonderful, perhaps because the original was of no interest to me; too bad that that is the one Amazon used as the excerpt.

I've read some of these as "friendly email" forwards, with no attribution. Folks, always use accurate attributions; People like Henry Barber (the 'editor' of these works) deserve to make a living out of what they produce. :-)

Also by the way, 'French for Cats' by Henri B. The little furfaces gather when I practice the French phases in it. Tell me French is not the natural language of cats! :-)

Readers of Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse by Henry Beard will notice how much influence humans have on cats. Cats will not enjoy having this pointed out. They work hard to protect their free will and try to dictate the terms of their relationships with humans. You can not just pick up a cat and expect it to be happy being held; you have to wait until the cat is ready. Cats will not play with toys just because you want to play. Cats appear to think independently, but their poetry betrays them.

Here is a bit of verse written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's cat:

I chased a mouse beneath the stair,
It went to ground, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it ran, my sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

Sound familiar?

There is more. Samuel Taylor Coleridge's cat wrote the following:

In Xanadu did Kubla Kat
A splendid sofa-bed decree
With silken cushions soft and fat
A perfect feline habitat
Set on a gilt settee.

Here is another sample, this time by William Shakespeare's cat:

To go outside, and there perchance to stay
Or to remain within: that is the question:
Whether `tis better for a cat to suffer
The cuffs and buffets of inclement weather
That nature rains on those who roam abroad
Or take a nap upon a scrap of carpet ...

Have you noticed a trend? It appears that cats listen more than they let on, and they even identify with the humans with whom they relate. They certainly borrow verse as freely as they claim their favorite chairs.

Cats do deserve some credit for knowing what poetry to borrow and adapt as their own. They are able to turn bits of Chaucer, Keats, Frost, or Ginsberg into works that serve their purposes, such as catching goldfish, breaking vases, or berating Whitman for sleeping too late. In near unison they raise their voices to complain about their vets.

One thing that surprises me about Poetry for Cats is that Henry Beard never reveals the cats' names. I can not imagine that Emily Dickinson had a nameless cat!

Poetry for Cats is an attractive book with colorful illustrations and is still in print after eleven years. I found our copy when inventorying the poetry collection. I am afraid few people have borrowed it lately, so I am going to put it on display. The cats need to be heard.

The only thing wrong with this book is that one has to both love cats and be educated in poetry. (In other words, there's no one else I know who can appreciate this book!) I like some of Henry Beard's poems even better than I do the originals. I'm especially glad that he chose to interpret some of my favorite poems (e.g., "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Xanadu.") Henry Beard is extremely talented; this sort of thing is very hard to do. (I know; I've tried.) This is a MUST for anyone and everyone who loves cats and poetry.

Henry Beard has both a good knowledge of the original poems and of cats. His spoofs are tremendously clever, and he chooses the most common poems in English literature, so most people will recognize them. I laughed myself nearly sick. It's as good as jogging! ;-)

This book is funny in and of itself; however, if you are familiar with the poems on which these are based, you're in for a special treat. Beard doesn't just substitute words: his premise is that the poets' cats wrote these poems, which makes "She Walks In Booties" or "Abyssinias" even more feline, er, sublime...

Joe Keenan's second novel is even better than his first! The farce gets wilder, and it remains consistantly funny. Joe makes it look so effortless that he shames those of us who have turned our own hands to the comic novel and turned out lesser work than his. This time out Donald and Ivana Trump are satirically lampooned, or more accurately, harpooned, disguised by a microscopic veneer of fictionalization. This book is hysterical. If you don't laugh at it, I can only pity your humourless existence.

This is a great follow up to Blue Heaven, which should be read first since they refer to some scenes in this book. The same cast of zany characters come to life again here, in equally as insane scenarios. Similar character acts comparison: Lucy and Ethel.

Joe Keenan's "Putting on the Ritz" is a novel that is like watching Rosalind Russell in "Auntie Mame", quick, witty, full of laughs and the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. It is a sequel to his first novel "Blue Heaven" and surpasses it with engaging characters and a dizzying plot that keeps you turning page after page. I have read the novel several times and enjoyed it more with each reading.

Now that Mr. Keenan has proved himself successful on television as a writer and producer for Frasier on NBC, perhaps he will take pity on his fiction fans, take a season off and catch us up on Philip Cavanaugh's latest adventures.

Please Joe, we want another book!

Does anyone know Joe Keenan personally? He has got to be convinced to keep this going. I can't tell you how many times I have read this and Blue Heaven - I simply never tire of them. Also, I am wondering if someone knows of other similarily genial books in this genre that I can get my hands on. I can't help but think that the rest will be disappointing knock-offs but I'm willing to try anything!

Even better than the first book, Keenan's humorous take on gays and New York is entertainment of the first rank. Anyone who can do analogies to Gershwin, Philip Glass and Charlotte Corday has lots going for him in my book. This time Philip Cavanaugh gets roped in by Gilbert Selwyn into an on-going feud between rival millionaire publishing magnates. Philip knows better than to get involved in another of Gilbert's schemes, but gets trapped by love--the initiator of the plot is this beautiful man named Tommy Parker who Philip falls madly for. Of course, Claire gets involved as well (without knowing Gilbert's involvement or the actual scheme) and the books is an exciting ride to the last page.

My only disappointment is that, as far as I know, Keenan hasn't written any other books. Someone hurry up and give that man a contract!