Archive for the ‘Writing & Publishing Humor’ Category
Monday, September 13th, 2010
The Washington Post runs a yearly limerick writing competition as part of its Style Invitational and has just announced this year’s winners. No, I didn’t win, but I was pleased to receive an Honorable Mention.
If you’d like to read some clever, well-written limericks, I recommend reading the winning limericks.
And now, a limerick about writing limericks:
An Ode To The Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Writing lim’ricks is sometimes confusing
Cuz the rules can be tricky and bruising.
But their sing-songy beat
Can be fun — just don’t cheat.
Write them right and they’re very amusing.
Tags: Poetry Writing, Style Invitational, Washington Post Limerick Contest, Writing Limericks
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limerick Writing Contest, Limericks, Poems About Poems, Poetry Contest, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
An infamous author named Gene…
Here’s mine:
Infamous Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
An infamous author named Gene
Was obnoxious and often obscene.
He was paid a steep price
For his writing, concise.
His prose was, like Gene, lean and mean.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Limerick-Offs.
Tags: Authors & Playwrights, Poetry & Prompts, Writers, Writing Prompts
Posted in Authors & Playwrights, Behavior & Personality, Creativity Verse, Language Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 25 Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Mother’s Day isn’t this week’s only important holiday. What else is there? International Limerick Day, of course, which celebrates the May 12th birthday of Edward Lear. After all, nobody’s done more than Edward Lear to popularize the limerick.
I’ve written a limerick two limericks to celebrate Lear and National Limerick Day, and I hope you’ll write one too:
Limerick Ode To Edward Lear
By Madeleine Begun Kane
It’s Limerick Day — did you hear —
On May 12th for the birth of Ed Lear.
In his honor that day
Rhyme A-A-B-B-A.
And thank him for spreading good cheer.
Update: I’ve written Edward Lear a 2nd limerick:
Edward Lear was a poet quite witty,
Who wrote verse rather brief, even bitty.
His birthday’s 12 May,
So we treasure that day
In thanks for the limerick ditty.
(Note: I’m also celebrating National Limerick Day on Facebook too.)
Tags: Edward Lear, Holiday Poetry, May Holidays, National Limerick Day, Poetry & Prompts, Writing Limericks, Writing Prompts
Posted in Authors & Playwrights, Birthday Verse, Holiday Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 13 Comments »
Friday, March 5th, 2010
Yesterday I celebrated National Grammar Day by writing this limerick. Well, on the theory that syntax mockery ain’t a sin, I’ve written another:
Yet Another Limerick Ode To National Grammar Day
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Sometimes grammar rules feel like a yoke,
Like a jailer you’re dying to poke.
Though they live for a reason,
To break them ain’t treason.
Cuz guidelines are meant to be broke.
Related Post: Stop Yelling!!!!!!!!!!
Tags: Grammar Limerick, March Holidays, National Grammar Day, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Communication Humor, Holiday Humor, Language Humor, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 4 Comments »
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
I just found out that today, March 4th, is National Grammar Day. So I decided to celebrate with a limerick:
Limerick Ode To National Grammar Day
By Madeleine Begun Kane
It’s National Grammar Day. Wow!
Is syntax important? And how!
Though the rules may confuse,
You should never abuse
Our great language. So rules them learn now!!!
Related Posts: Stop Yelling!!!!!!!!!! and Yet Another National Grammar Day Limerick.
Tags: Grammar Limerick, March Holidays, National Grammar Day, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Communication Humor, Holiday Humor, Language Humor, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 3 Comments »
Saturday, January 30th, 2010
My humorist pal Rose Valenta recently created a Kindle version of her blog and inspired me to do the same. Why? Because many employers are getting strict about web access, blocking employees from reading their favorite blogs and sites — even while they’re on a break or at lunch.
But your boss can’t control what you read on your Kindle. And Amazon makes it easy for bloggers to create Kindle blog editions, allowing fans to bypass their bosses and keep up with their reading.
That brings me to my latest limerick:
Fight Firewalls With Kindle
By Madeleine Begun Kane
You’re at work, but on break — want to read.
But your boss did a dastardly deed:
Your fav’rites are blocked.
Your net access is locked.
But he can’t stop a Kindle blog feed.
My News: I’ve created Kindle versions of both my blogs. So if you’d like to read this general humor blog on your Kindle reader you can subscribe right here. And if you’d like to read my other political satire blog on your Kindle device, you can subscribe right here.
Attention Fellow Bloggers: If you’d like to publish your own blog on Amazon Kindle, Amazon makes it pretty easy and has a helpful Kindle Blog FAQ here. You can also find some useful info over at Mashable and some Kindle badges and icons here.
Warning: Reading blogs on Kindle isn’t free, except for the 14-day free trial for each blog. Monthly Kindle blog subscription fees are controlled by Amazon and priced at either $0.99 per month or $1.99 per month. Moreover, only 30% of the revenue goes to the blogger.
And Now For The Sales Pitch: Each of my two blogs is priced at $0.99 per month.
So if you’re a Kindle owner, I hope you’ll give the Kindle version of this humor blog and/or the Kindle version of my political satire blog a try.
Tags: Amazon Humor, Blogging Verse, Bosses, Computer Humor, Employer, Firewalls, Kindle Publishing, Kindles, Privacy Humor, Technology Advice, Web Access
Posted in Advice Humor & Poems, Blogging Humor, Blogging Tips, Computer Humor, Internet Humor, Kindle Humor, Limericks, Privacy Satire, Technology Humor, Workplace & Career Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | Comments Off on Fight Firewalls With Kindle
Sunday, July 19th, 2009
It sounds like something out of George Orwell: E-book editions of 1984 and Animal Farm have been vanishing from people’s personal Kindles. I might add that these e-books have been purchased and fully paid for.
Amazon, at the request of an Orwellian publisher, has been repossessing these e-books without permission and refunding the purchase price. (More commentary here, plus my three verse limerick about this outrageous invasion of privacy, plus an update about Amazon’s welcome Kindle policy change.)
Update: If you would like to read this general humor blog on your Kindle reader you can subscribe right here.
If you would like to read my other political satire blog on your Kindle device, you can subscribe right here.
And my limerick about Kindle blogs is here.
Tags: E-Books, Kindles, Orwellian, Privacy
Posted in Business Humor, Computer Humor, Crime & Punishment Humor, Internet Humor, Kindle Humor, Legal & Lawyer Humor, Limericks, Media Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Privacy Satire, Technology Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 5 Comments »
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
Happy birthday to The NetWits, a group of Internet humorists launched ten years ago. I’m proud to be one of its founding members.
A Limerick For The NetWits
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A decade ago, way back when,
The NetWits was born. Now it’s ten:
Filled with laugh-loving folks
Posting columns and jokes,
Waxing witty with keyboard and pen.
Tags: Humorists, July Holidays, NetWits
Posted in Authors & Playwrights, Personal, Writing & Publishing Humor | Comments Off on A Limerick For The NetWits
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Luddite Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A hard-working author named Fink
Insisted on writing with ink.
He hated computers
And called them polluters.
Some claim he’s our long Missing Link.
By the way, in addition to being a recovering lawyer, I’m a recovering luddite and recovering technophobe. In fact, the first anthology my essays ever appeared in was Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club: Second Thoughts on the Electronic Revolution.
(Feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, please join my friends in that same activity in my limerick-offs.)
Tags: Authors & Playwrights, Computers, Electronic Revolution, Limericks, Luddites, Polluters, Technology, Writers, Writing Prompts
Posted in Books, Computer Humor, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Technology Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Aim for brilliant
In just one-forty characters.
Settle for inane.
Tags: Creativity, Microblogging, Twitter
Posted in Communication Humor, Computer Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Internet Humor, Mental Health Humor, Technology Humor, Twitter Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | Comments Off on My Twitter Motto (Haiku)
Monday, February 16th, 2009
Many Facebook users are angry or at least concerned about Facebook’s revised and more aggressive terms of service (TOS).
Consumerist has some good info here about Facebook’s perpetual content rights grab, and WebTechLaw explains the legal ramifications and what Facebook’s revised terms mean for your content.
I’ve never been a Facebook fan and now I like it even less. But at least it’s provided inspiration for a new limerick:
Facebook Face-Off
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Greedy Facebook has published new rules
Which play all its users for fools.
It’s a content rights grab—
A perpetual nab
Of your stuff just for using its tools.
UPDATE: Facebook has reversed itself about these new rules as a result of bad press and membership ire. I’ll be activating my account and I’ll see how it goes.
Tags: Content Rights, Copyright, Facebook, Law, Law Limerick, Technology, User TOS
Posted in Blogging Humor, Blogging Tips, Computer Humor, Copyright Infringement, Legal & Lawyer Humor, Limericks, Technology Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 6 Comments »
Friday, October 10th, 2008
I sure hope many of you use (or at least are familiar with) Twitter. Because Twitter is today’s limerick and haiku topic. First, my limerick:
Twitter Jitters
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I really don’t mean to sound bitter,
But it’s hard to fit humor on Twitter.
Posting tweets so damn short
Is a challenging sport,
Cuz there’s no time for laughs — just a titter.
And now my Twitter haiku (senryu):
My tweets on Twitter:
Memories, links, mutterings.
Fragments of a life.
As you might have guessed, I use Twitter. If you’d like to, you can follow my Twitter Tweets here.
But now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about Twitter. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your verse about Twitter in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Creativity, Internet Verse, Microblogging, Prompts, Tweets, Twitter
Posted in Communication Humor, Computer Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Internet Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Mobile Web, Poetry & Prompts, Technology Humor, Twitter Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 8 Comments »
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
Back in June I was thrilled to announce that I was a 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor Competition finalist. (The humor column that got me onto the finalists list is Guide For The Opera Impaired.)
Well, I’m now beyond thrilled because Bob Newhart, the finalists judge, picked me as the FIRST PRIZE winner.
Mr. Newhart even sent me a handwritten personal note (reproduced below) explaining why he named me for the top Robert Benchley Society humor award.
Right now I’m verging on euphoria —a dangerous condition for a satirist. But just to be mentioned in the same sentence as Mr. Benchley and Mr. Newhart is almost beyond comprehension.
Here’s Mr. Newhart’s note. (Needless to say, I plan to frame the original.)
UPDATE: I’m very pleased that my award has generated a fair amount of publicity. This article in Gannett’s Journal News is probably the best of the stories. And it has a fun companion video of me reading one of my humor columns.
Tags: Bob Newhart, Humor Awards, Robert Benchley Society, Writing Competitions
Posted in Bob Newhart, Contests, Humor Columns & Humorous Essays, Robert Benchley Society, Writing & Publishing Humor | 11 Comments »
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Sorry for the delay, but though my cast is finally off, I’m still having wrist problems.
Today’s limerick, haiku, and senryu theme is vacations. First, my limerick, which was inspired by my husband Mark:
Vacation Verse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My husband is swimming outdoors.
I expect he’ll be back when it pours,
Which it threatens to do
Ev’ry day, so he’s blue.
Yes, vacations are rain guarantors.
And now my haiku (senryu):
I’m on vacation,
Yet here I am writing verse.
Give it a rest, brain.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about vacations. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have until August 1st to post it.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your vacation-related verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Rain Limerick, Swimming Humor, Vacation Verse, Weather Poem, Writing Haiku, Writing Prompts
Posted in Family Verse, Haiku & Senryu, Holiday Humor, Leisure Time Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Marriage Humor, Outdoors Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Sports Humor, Vacation Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 11 Comments »
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
I’ve written a couple of posts & poems on my political humor blog that readers of this blog might find interesting.
The first is about New Yorker Magazine’s Barack Obama cover controversy. My poem about the challenges of creating satire begins:
A Humorist’s Lament
Madeleine Begun Kane
A humorist like me sure knows
How tough it is to write, compose,
And sketch satiric toons and prose
And poems. It’s not without its woes.
For instance, Barry Blitt’s lampoon,
New Yorker’s well-intentioned toon, …
The other is about a federal judge who lambasted plaintiff’s lawyer via judicial limerick.
Tags: Barack Obama, Barry Blitt, Judicial Limerick, New Yorker, Writing Satire
Posted in General, Legal & Lawyer Humor, Social Satire, Writing & Publishing Humor | Comments Off on Versifying About Satire & Law On My Other Blog
Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Today’s limerick, haiku, and senryu theme is blogging. First, my limerick, which was inspired by The Ominous Comma’s request for humorous advice for new bloggers:
Dear Newbie
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Newbie, I feel for your plight —
You are anxious for links to your site.
But please do not send
Link requests, when you’ve penned
A mere pittance of blog posts, all right?
And now my haiku (senryu):
My blog bullies me,
Demanding ideas, words, wit.
This will have to do.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about blogging. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have until July 18th to post it.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your blogging-related verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Advice Limerick, Blogging Advice, Blogging Verse, Link Humor, Newbie Bloggers, Writing Prompts
Posted in Advice Humor & Poems, Blogging Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Cool news! I’m a 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor Competition finalist. (The humor column that got me onto the finalists list is Guide For The Opera Impaired.)
“We had a delightful time selecting our top ten finalists this year,” said Robert Benchley Society chairperson David Trumbull. “It is a true honor to turn the job of selecting the top four essays over to Bob Newhart.”
“All of the entries are read blind. No one knows who wrote which essay until the judging is finished. This keeps the competition entirely merit based,” said Horace J. Digby, a past Benchley Society Award winner…
Newhart’s selection and ranking of the top four winners for this year’s Robert Benchley Society Awards will be announced the week of July 6th.
The Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor is an international writing competition dedicated to the warm, self-effacing comic writing style that made Benchley so beloved during his lifetime. …
I thought I’d celebrate with a limerick:
I can barely maintain my sobriety
Cuz the great Robert Benchley Society
Held a contest and wow,
I’m a finalist now.
Will I win the top prize? High anxiety!
Tags: Award for Humor, Bob Newhart, David Trumbull, Horace J. Digby, Robert Benchley Society
Posted in Bob Newhart, Contests, Humor Columns & Humorous Essays, Limericks, Robert Benchley Society, Writing & Publishing Humor | 5 Comments »
Friday, March 21st, 2008
Today’s limerick and haiku theme is poems about poems or, if you prefer, poems about writing. First, my limerick about writing haiku:
Ode To The Haiku
By Madeleine Begun Kane
It’s seventeen-syllable verse —
Maybe less — yes it has to be terse.
What a challenge to do —
This form called haiku,
Whose brevity’s blessing and curse.
And here’s a pair of haiku about poetry, the first about writing limericks, the second about poetry writing in general:
Anapestic twists,
AABBA rhyme scheme.
Add wit and you’re home.
Ideas, thoughts, fragments
Of inspiration surge forth.
Poetry is born.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write a limerick or haiku (or both) about poetry and/or writing in general. When you’ve posted your verse, please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry.
(If you need some tips on limerick or haiku writing, I link to some helpful sites here.)
Tags: Poetry Poems, Writing Haiku, Writing Limericks, Writing Prompts
Posted in Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 6 Comments »
