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I first read Dangerous Laughter, one of his short story collections back in college. It have thought of it often since but only recently picked up a couple more of his short story collections. he might be the best to ever do it. Every time I read a story of his I am like yup, this is it, this is writing. The absolute pinnacle of the form. he is my alpha and omega. you will never ever regret reading a story of his (unless you have shitty taste in literature)
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He wrote for the Marx Brothers (and looked like one). His short comedy prose was jaw droppingly verbose but also laugh-out-loud funny, even to someone reading them a good seven or eight decades past their sell-by date.
The Library of America is reprinting a couple of his classics. Crazy Like A Fox is the place to start.
Feb 9, 2024
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feel the bern...a different bern
the assistant was my entry point, but his short stories are where it's at. stern but crisp reads
Jan 23, 2024
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John Swartzwelder is the funniest writer in the world. I don’t know that I could write about him and do him justice, but he was a longtime Simpsons writer and then started self-publishing books that are so incredibly joke dense it will blow your mind. Here’s a quote from The Time Machine Did It, one of his many books following a strange detective named Frank Burly: “When I first became a detective I had tried solving crimes the way mystery writers do: coming up with the solution to the crime first, then working back to the point where you don't know what the hell is going on. But for some reason every time I tried that I ended up locked in a closet.”
Feb 24, 2022
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Stop pigeon hate! They are so docile and intelligent and gentle and once upon a time they were kept as pets. They’ve done nothing to deserve your ire. I love their sweet little coos.
Feb 14, 2024
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Not well, bitch! Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to!
Jan 25, 2024
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He was so sexy, in addition to being an excellent writer and voracious reader. A cool, cool ass guy.
Feb 17, 2024