Bob Newhart Names “Mad” Kane Winner of 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor
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
Wahahahahahaha! Congratulations! Of course you won! Yay!
Oh my God! Bob Newhart! I loved “The Button-down Mind”!
congrats, mad!
WE ARE NOT WORTHY.
Congratulations!
No one does it better
Than Mad, Lady of Letters.
She knows the score
Gives an opera tour,
And next: she takes on Goethe.
The award itself is a marvelous achievement, but to have Newhart the one who gives it to you…that’s like being annointed by the comedy gods. Great news! Congratulations!
This better not be a dream sequence or I’m going to have to kick the shins of Larry, Darryl and his other brother, Darryl, severely.
It’s about time that the Humor Gods recognized the goddessliness of such mortals as yourself, Maddie.
You certainly earned it. Congratulations!
Congrats, Madeleine. You are an inspiration to us all…
Truly deserved — great congrats!
Don
That is so awesome! I have watched and loved Bob Newhart since I was a little girl in the 70’s, and to be paid such a compliment in such a personal way….Wow!
The only thing which would make this more perfect is a Newhart phone bit on this ;)
Thanks so much to all of you.
I still can’t quite believe it. :)
Congratulations!
congrats
Oh, and I’m glad to see everybody’s a Newhart fan, so let toss some love to Benchley.
Somewhat inebriated, Benchley once came out of a New York restaurant and bumped into a uniformed man standing near the door. “Would you get us a taxi, please?” he asked. “Sir, I happen to be a rear admiral in the United States Navy,” the man huffed. “All right, then,” said Benchley, “get us a battleship.”
Woo-hoo!! Congratulations, Mad, on a well-deserved award!
Congratulations!
Wow! What a huge compliment…Congratulations. Bob Newhart always delivered his comedy with such panache, and I hugely admire him.
Thank you for entering the Soup to Nuts Carnival First Course.
Good for you! Keep up your fine writing.
Aaaiiiyyy! So awesome! Keep up the great work, Mad.
That’s wonderful! Congratulations!
His vibrato sounded wide, don’t you think? and Pavarotti’s no Pavarotti. still have me chuckling.
Bravo ;)
Thanks so much to all of you for your congratulations and kind words.
what a major accomplishment! i bet you are still in 7th heaven!
Congratulations, Mad! This is wonderful news. I hope it’s okay that I have spread the news, quoting “The Uniform Opera Plot Act” section’s 3-part structure for my writers group of friends:
You are so witty. Thanks for spreading the wit over the blogosphere for us all to read.
~~~ Bonnie
Mr. Newhart is a true gentleman and one of the most original talents this country has ever produced. This is the kind of accolade a person dreams about–congratulations!
Congrats! That is awesome news.
mad!!!! congratulations.. i am so proud.. and so thrilled for you.. thank you for sharing this moment with us,, it gives us all a moment in the spotlight just knowing that we knew her when…….
Congrats!!! Benchley was my introduction to humor – I started reading him when I was all of seven or eight years old, so his essays and writings shaped my idea of sophisticated, adult humor. To this day, I compare everyone to him – and you are truly a worthy recipient of this honor! Weee!!
Dear Mad Kane ~ Mazel tov! Congratulations on the award. I love your work and am so glad to have found your web site and especially enjoy your haiku. I will return often to read.
all the best
Debby
mazel tov!
This major award PLUS a handwritten note from Bob. Wow!
Thanks so much everyone for your enthusiasm and congrats. I really appreciate it!
Inspired by praise from Newhart and comparison with Benchley, truly inspires me to offhandedly say…
Matching what both Roberts can do,
proves what humour comes from you,
but more, I would crave
like straight from his grave,
get Ogden Nash to praise you too.
LOL! And thanks, Gerald. Such praise would probably scare the hell out of me.
Well, button me down and shut my mouth, this is about the coolest thing ever!! First, because it’s the Benchley award, and he was one of the driest wits (and acted one of the best drunks in movies), and second, because Bob Newhart is in that same style… dry, clever, beyond the pale.
CONGRATULATIONS, HONEY!!!
There once was a poet named Kane
Whose lim’ricks drove readers insane
They were funny as hell
But as far’s I can tell
Sides were split, and her wit gave us pain
Amy Barlow Liberatore
Amy, thanks so much for your enthusiastic words and your limerick! This award really was quite a thrill! Even though it happened in 2008, still can’t quite believe it. :)