In his latest collection, The Best I Can Do, award-winning humor writer John Branning includes essays, lists, comedic verse, lists, and more comedic verse. Also, a few more essays. As always, his humor is self-deprecating -- except for the times when he deprecates on others (rarely his wife and son, occasionally his cats, and quite frequently a certain former President).
Among the topics covered in this delightful read, he explains diacritical marks in a way that doesn't clarify their use at all; reveals how yoga makes him mindful of the time he could be spending doing something else; recasts popular love songs with lyrics revised by certain public servants who have been caught with their pants down (in some cases, quite literally); reflects on the aging process and how he plans to file an exemption from it, and uses some mad rhyming skills to point out the foibles of a variety of newsworthy events (including but not limited to the distressing actions of the aforementioned former POTUS as well as other headline-worthy oddities).
And were "lists" mentioned? There's a whole section of 'em -- poking holes in what passes for conventional wisdom with unconventional responses.
John's first collection, Selfie-Facing, was named one of "The Best Self-Published Books of 2016" by the Huffington Post (the only "Humor" title so honored). Since then, he's chased after other prizes, including a MacArthur "genius" grant and an elusive Pulitzer. (Visualize, if you will, a writer doggedly chasing after his own tale... er, tail.)
Mark Twain, James Thurber, Calvin Trillin, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry -- these are the names of some famous humorists.
Just thought they were worth a mention.