New Treasury of Great Humorists

by Russell Baker, Dave Barry, Joan Rivers

Performances of selected excerpts from the humorous works of various authors.

Genres: Humor

4 pages, Audio Cassette

First published January 25, 2010

About the author

On August 14, 1925, US journalist, humorist and biographer Russell Baker was born in Loudoun County, Virginia. His father died early on and his hard-working mother reared him and his sisters during the Great Depression. Baker managed to get himself into Johns Hopkins University, where he studied journalism.

Baker’s wit as a humorist has been compared with that of Mark Twain. “The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer,” wrote Baker, “and this notion rested solely on my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn’t require any.” In 1979, Baker received his first Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary in his “Observer” column for the New York Times (1962 to 1998). His 1983 autobiography, Growing Up earned him a second Pulitzer. In 1993, Baker began hosting the PBS television series Masterpiece Theatre.

Neil Postman, in the preface to Conscientious Objections, describes Baker as "like some fourth century citizen of Rome who is amused and intrigued by the Empire's collapse but who still cares enough to mock the stupidities that are hastening its end. He is, in my opinion, a precious national resource, and as long as he does not get his own television show, America will remain stronger than Russia." (1991, xii)

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Keillor and Trillen were funny. But mostly meh. Call me old fashioned, but I like my humor funny.

[Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this on audio cassette (about 14 years ago). It was hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and a little dated, but worth the lift in spirits.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, The New Treasury of Great Humorists is a gloriously stupid, over-the-top blast, and I'm not sorry I read it. Russell Baker throws in a rogue robot vacuum, a corrupt mayor, and a rooftop chase that has no business working, but somehow does. It never pretends to be anything but silly, which I respect. The jokes start to repeat toward the end. For readers who want pure popcorn. Pass if you like your stories grounded in reality.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Great humorists?" Decidedly. "Great humor"? Definitely mixed; I am decidedly getting jaded. I certainly am familiar with the artists, and I have been known to laugh, even. But I was hoping for great belly laughs of humor, and that was definitely not the case. I was probably expecting unreasonably too much which set me up for disappointment. Sigh. Probably entirely my own fault.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a some funny stories though I wished there were more. My thoughts are they could have dug deeper rather than just a cursory of writers.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some Pinkwater and Dave Barry, but no Robin Williams, Bill Cosby or George Carlin...so pretty bland.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

from the library ILL
1995 4 cassettes

there were some surprising contributions that were autobiographical like from Joan Rivers, and Daniel Pinkwater.

Dave Barry; Russell Baker; Art Buchwald; George Burns; Andrei Codrescu; Bill Geist; Garrison Keillor; Mark Leyner; Art Linkletter; Daniel Manus Pinkwater; Joan Rivers; Andrew A Rooney; Calvin Trillin; Bailey White; Jonathan Winters; John Ritter; Arte Johnson


Side 1.; Dave Barry's greatest hits /; Dave Barry (John Ritter (perf.)) --; Side 2.; Leaving home /; Art Buchwald --; Jonathan Winters finally captured /; Jonathan Winters --; Side 3.; A gala evening of readings /; Calvin Trillin --; A gala evening of readings /; Garrison Keillor --; Sweet and sour /; Andrew A. Rooney --; Side 4.; Sweet and sour (con't.) /; Andrew A. Rooney --; Enter talking /; Joan Rivers --; Side 5.; Monster trucks and hair in a can /; Bill Geist --; Fax your prayers /; Andrei Codrescu --; Side 6.; Among the mushrooms /; Bailey White --; I smell Esther Williams /; Mark Leyner --; Side 7.; The rescue of Miss Yaskell and other pipe dreams /; Russell Baker (Arte Johnson (perf.)) --; Kids say the darndest things /; Art Linkletter --; Side 8.; Of dogs and men /; Daniel Pinkwater --; An evening with George Burns /; George Burns.