Blog Posts by Subject: Humor

Who is Harpo? How does one describe him? What is his role in the Marx Brothers' films? What is his role in the universe? Sometimes he is a hero; sometimes an anti-hero. He is always unique, on par with the greats: Chaplin, Red Skelton, Emmet Kelly. He is spontaneous, in continuous action, even when he freezes or stares (which are actions in themselves). He's a part of a group, but sometimes stands alone. Is he everyman, or the product of a long line of clowns?

How do we love Christopher Walken? On his 70th birthday, let us count the ways. Star of film, TV, and NYPL's own iBook Point, somehow everyone has a favorite film that stars him, be it The Deer Hunter, True Romance, or Pulp Fiction. The consummate villain, he faced off Batman and James Bond with his signature dead stare that transforms at the drop of a hat into a Rockwellesque boyish grin. By the time his fancy footwork stupefied us in Spike Jonze's Fatboy Slim video, few knew Walken was already a 30-year Broadway veteran, sharing the stage with Liza Minnelli and Raul Julia. What? Read on, share movie quotes, or just look at the pictures!

Have you seen the Library's long-running exhibition "Lunch Hour" yet? If not, this is your last chance, for it closes on Sunday, February 17. To whet your appetite, I'd like to present a delightful volume that was recently added to the Spencer Collection.

Talullah Casey is off to change her life in a very different environment. She’s going to be taking classes at a performing arts college. She will be living on the dramatic, damp, and windswept Yorkshire Dales where she can pretend to be Cathy looking for her Heathcliff. And yes, there will be snogging involved.

We have started offering internships for aspiring judges here at the Institution of Judging Books by their Covers, and our first intern is a jubilant Young Adult patron of the New Dorp Library, Stacey.

Today we will attempt to judge the book The Sylvia Game by Vivien Alcock.

If you're a fan of live music and comedy, there is no better city to live in than New York City. Every day there is something exciting going on, somewhere in the city. More importantly, a lot of these events are free or very cheap. In the past year, I have seen Foster the People, MGMT, Santigold, Metric, Jimmy Cliff, Matt & Kim, Crystal Castles, the Roots and the Silversun Pickups for absolutely free! I have also seen Lewis Black, Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo, Wyatt Cenac and many more perform stand-up for $5 or less! Even better, sometimes these events also have free food and drinks. Keeping in the spirit of the Library to provide excellent free or cheap resources, 

Spring is my favorite season, as we (in this hemisphere, anyway) emerge from the winter doldrums (albeit this winter really presented us with little to complain about). April, however, has been labeled "the cruelest month" because of the looming possibility of a (short-lived) regression into colder temperatures. I enjoy April because of it's status as "National Humor Month."

Do you like to laugh? Of course you do. That's why we at the @AwesomeLibrary have put together a #LaughLibrary. What better place to find a good, inexpensive laugh than at your local library?

The mission statement of the #LaughLibrary is "to assemble for the public a collection of the Library's funniest DVDs, CDs, and books, by the world's greatest comedians." The #LaughLibrary puts these comedic materials in the forefront.

The year 2012 has arrived. Cope with the increasing number of failed New Years resolutions throughout the year with laughter. As a New Yorker, this is pretty easy, as we have a great comedy scene. Below is the #LaughLibrary's list of must-see comics. Most of these comics have work that you can sample at The New York Public Library. Let's begin!

"It's the jokes. I need the jokes."

This is something a young library patron said to me the other day. He wanted me to find him a DVD of Abbott and Costello’s greatest movies and routines.  I felt an instant kinship with the boy, whom I’ll call Hal. “Yes,” I thought as I took to the catalog. “It’s the jokes.”

It is my day off and I have some errands to do! However, that shouldn't keep me from what I really love: WRITING BLOG POSTS.