Thanks, Terry, for expressing my sentiments, exactly!  I don't understand why Garrison Keillor isn't the obvious choice for the award, for all the best reasons (no one like him for his range and talent as story teller and humorist extraordinaire, social critic and satirist, sophisticated wit....promoter of general wisdom and love for human beings and their foibles...), but last time I mentioned that on this list a few years ago,  he was panned by one poster (likened to "watching paint dry"!!) and not defended by anyone else.  I'm completely baffled by this response from Twain afficionados. But I'm plugging for him anyway.

Ben



On Sep 23, 2011, at 10:11 AM, "Ballard, Terry" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> They should rename this the Henny Youngman award, clearing the way for an a=
> ctual Mark Twain award to be given to writers like Kurt Vonnegut, who deser=
> ved it more than any 10 comedians I can think of. That would reflect the Ma=
> rk Twain who wrote books like the Mysterious Stranger. Unfortunately, this =
> won't happen, so we can wait a year to hear that Jay Leno is the next winne=
> r.
> 
> Terry
> 
> Terry Ballard
> Assistant Director of Technical Services for Library Systems
> New York Law School, Mendik Library
> 185 W. Broadway
> New York, NY, 10013
> Telephone: 212-431-2106
> Web: www.terryballard.org
> Blog: librariansonedge.blogspot.com
> Tweets: twitter.com/terryballard
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Harold Bush
> Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 8:54 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: This year's winner of the MT Award is . . . .
> 
> Will Farrell.
> 
> not sure if that tidbit has gotten out here on the LIST or not.
> 
> personally I think Farrell is really very funny.  he's one of those guys, l=
> ike Twain, Steve Martin, etc., who can walk out on a stage, not say a word,=
> and still seem funny.
> 
> My wife finds him pretty adolescent, and barely above Adam Sandler, but of =
> course opinions do vary.  As in years past, the award producers seem pretty=
> driven by ratings and notoriety, and so as a result the younger crowd gets=
> honored while the older, lifelong contributors to American humor get overl=
> ooked again and again.
> 
> I really do wonder about that -- Farrell could win 20 years from now -- whi=
> le the likes of Robin Williams, Woody Allen, Dick Van Dyke, David Letterman=
> , and so many other veterans (___________ fill in your name here) continue =
> to be ignored.  At least Carl Reiner, Bob Newhart, and Jonathan Winters got=
> it in the early days of the Award.
> 
> As usual I assume some LIST members can now feel free to sound off on the n=
> aming of this year's awardee.
> 
> past winners =3D
> 
> 
>   - 1998 - Richard Pryor <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pryor>
>   - 1999 - Jonathan Winters <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Winters=
>> 
>   - 2000 - Carl Reiner <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Reiner>
>   - 2001 - Whoopi Goldberg <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopi_Goldberg>
>   - 2002 - Bob Newhart <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Newhart>
>   - 2003 - Lily Tomlin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Tomlin>
>   - 2004 - Lorne Michaels <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Michaels>
>   - 2005 - Steve Martin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin>
>   - 2006 - Neil Simon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Simon>
>   - 2007 - Billy Crystal <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Crystal>
>   - 2008 - George Carlin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin>
>   - 2009 - Bill Cosby <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby>
>   - 2010 - Tina Fey <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Fey>
>   - 2011 - Will Ferrell <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Ferrell>
> 
> 
> --
> Harold K. Bush, Ph.D
> Professor of English
> Saint Louis University
> St. Louis, MO  63108
> 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h)
> <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>