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ERMA BOMBECK WRITERS' WORKSHOP NEWSLETTER
University of Dayton
March 2007
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Dear writer:
Here's the break you've been waiting for. Ray Lesser, co-publisher and editor of The Funny Times,
is looking for submissions. If you haven't heard of The Funny Times, it's a monthly humor
publication that's been around for 20 years and has more than 70,000 subscribers.
Ray recently told me that he's looking for talented writers and cartoonists. He accepts
reprints and pays a minimum of $60 for a column or article. The Funny Times has featured
many nationally-known humorists, including Dave Barry, Garrison Keillor, Andy Borowitz,
Lynda Barry, Matt Groening, and hundreds of others. You can read all the submission
which allows anyone -- even if they can't draw a lick -- to make and publish cartoons. Check it out.
If you get published by The Funny Times, let me know, and I'll mention it in this newsletter.
Keep writing!
Tim Bete
Latest news...
YOU TUBE CELEBRITIES
Shmuel Tennenhaus, an aspiring comedy writer who gained a modest following on YouTube for his droll question-and- answer clips and other spots featuring his grandmother "Bubby," is being wooed by the site's competitors, including Metacafe, ManiaTV and others. Read more.
FUNNIEST FAKE NEWS ONLINE IS FROM NEW JERSEY
HUMOR ME
When it comes to being funny, Conan O'Brien can't help himself. Read more.
TV WRITER ALLEN RUCKER CONFRONTS DISABILITY WITH HUMOR
Award-winning television writer Allen Rucker's book, The Best Seat in the House: How I Woke Up One Tuesday and Was Paralyzed for Life, talks about his rare condition called transverse myelitis. Rucker describes how at age 51 he became paralyzed from the waist down in the course of an hour and a half. Read more.
COMEDY WRITERS ON SERIOUS TRACK
TV scribe Joe Keenan spent most of his career writing for multi-camera half-hour comedies -- and even exec-produced one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the past decade, "Frasier." But when CBS unceremoniously dumped his followup, the under-rated "Out of Practice," Keenan knew the writing was on the wall. Read more.
COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL NAMES STEPHEN COLBERT AS PERSON OF THE YEAR
Three-time Emmy award recipient, Stephen Tyrone Colbert, was named Person of the Year at HBO's Comedy Arts Festival held March 2nd in Aspen. Read more.
"CAVEMEN" ADS EVOLVE INTO TV PILOT
Those Geico “cavemen” shouldn’t be so upset after all – they may get their own TV series. Read more.
Humor writer of the month
TRACY BECKERMAN
Tracy Beckerman has been a columnist for five years with the weekly Independent Press newspaper in New Jersey. Her column, LOST IN SUBURBIA™ was recently picked up by 44 newspapers in North Jersey Media Group. In addition to her column, Beckerman has written for the NJ Jewish News and wrote the bi-monthly cover story for two years for the Home and Garden section of New Jersey’s largest daily newspaper, The Star-Ledger. Visit her Web site.
Book giveaway
Each month we give away a book on writing to a few subscribers to our newsletter. If you're subscribed, you're entered to win! This issue's winners are:
* Kathee Brewer
* Susan Pinkowski
* Andrea Feldman
Who's publishing what?
WORKSHOP FACULTY
YOGA FOR THE FUNNY BONE: Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant's book, Yoga for Your Funny Bone: Exercises to Strengthen Your Comedy Writing, won the 2007 Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) Award for the best nonfiction book written by, or edited by, a member of AATH that reflects and advances the understanding and application of humor and laughter for their positive benefits.
KIRKLAND TO RELEASE NEW COLLECTION: Canadian author, syndicated columnist, and entertainer Gordon Kirkland has completed his fifth collection of short humor. His material has made him a reader and audience favorite throughout Canada and the United States. The book will be published by AuthorHouse in the United States and launched June 1st at BookExpo-America in New York, where Kirkland will be one of the featured signing authors.
The new book is tittled, I May Be Big, But I Didn’t Cause That Solar Eclipse.
REINHART AND STANFA AGAIN: Susan Reinhardt and DC Stanfa were featured authors at an event at a combination bookstore and beauty shop in Texas. The shop is called Pulpwood Queens.
PAST WORKSHOP ATTENDEES
LONSDALE GOES FREELANCE: Sharyn Lonsdale left her full-time staff writer and columnist job at the Herald-Tribune in Sarasota to pursue a freelance writing career. She has since had features published in Lee Magazine, Charlotte Life Magazine and on a Florida travel Web site. She is also a writer and the contributing editor for Childconnections magazine and continues to work as a correspondent, writing features, including first-person humor essays, and restaurant reviews for the Herald-Tribune.
HOUGHTON IN BELLA: Kristen Houghton has been published in Family Lobby Magazine and writes a column for BellaOnline Magazine.
PHILLIPS GETS REGULAR: Rachael Phillips has been promoted to "regular contributor" at Marriage Partnership magazine, published by Christianity Today. She was also a contributor to the Guideposts' anthologies, Miracles of Healing and Miracles and Children.
OTHER PUBLISHING NEWS
ULTIMATE GUIDE BOOK FOR NEW YORK SURVIVAL: Only in a city like New York will you find a step-by-step guide on how to pee on the city streets. A 40 Point Guide To Peeing In New York was written by Ray Tempus.
Markets, contests and more
SUBWAY STORIES WANTED: Looking for essays (up to 3000 words), non fiction shorts, "Top 5" lists, photos, or any general musings about the New York City subway system. Read more.
SEA STORIES WANTED: Looking for first-person stories, poems, and artwork about the sea, coast, and sea-life from people from all walks of life: scientists and beachcombers, students and vacationers, fishermen and seafood-eaters, coastal residents and inland ocean-lovers...and professional writers and artists too. Read more.
TAINTED MIRROR ANTHOLOGY: Looking for unpublished nonfiction original stories from anyone who has broken free from addiction, abuse, neglect, depression, co-dependency, low self-esteem or stinking thinking. Read more.
INDIE EXCELLENCE: The 2007 Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards competition is open to all POD, self-published and small press titles with publication dates from 2005-2007. Read more.
SINGLE MOMS: The editor of the bestselling Cup of Comfort (Adams Media) book series is (desperately) seeking personal stories for publication in an anthology for and about single mothers. Stories can be humorous or poignant or both, and must be original, positive, and based on real people and actual events. Copy and paste the story into the body of the email; no attachments. One story per email. Send to Colleen at wordsinger@aol.com.
WRITING CONTEST: Christian Women Online in conjunction with Art Bookbindery is sponsoring the “Her Life Reflected,” writing contest. They are looking for stories that illustrate how your mother, or a mother that you know has reflected the heart of God in her life. Read more.
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NETWORK WITH OTHER HUMOR WRITERS: Network with other humor writers. Join the e-mail discussion group for past attendees of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop and those who would like to attend in the future. Join now.
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SUGGEST A RESOURCE: If you have a favorite book or Web site, let us know at bete@udayton.edu.
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Copyright 2007, University of Dayton
