The Washington Post had a couple of articles last week on the Mark Twain award to Richard Pryor. They're well worth seeking out: maybe they're still at washpost.com. There are some good comments in one of the articles from those who organized the prize. Also included is something I had forgotten, Pauline Kael's review of the Pryor concert movie from (?) around 1980. In that review, Kael claimed that Pryor was the only working comedian who rose to the level of art. (I think she said poetry; but I don't think she compared him to Mark Twain.) I'm already on record as believing that Pryor was an inspired choice. I like Baker, Keillor, Vonnegut, et. al., but let's face it, they're establishment figures. Their humor is comfortably provocative. They don't threaten fundraising week (after week after week) on PBS. Mark Twain's humor could always be dangerous, and I think that's the sense in which Pryor is his true heir. Those who haven't seen the Pryor concert film, I recommend it. Just send the kids out of earshot. And probably grandma and granddad too. Also hope you don't run into Reverend Jones when you're checking it out of the video store. Glen Johnson