2010 Thurber Prize for American Humor Finalists

The three finalists for the 2010 Thurber Prize for American Humor –the winner will be announced on Monday, October 4 at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City– are:

Why Is My Mother Getting at Tattoo? By Jancee Dunn

©Jancee Dunn

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely

© Bob Riha Jr.

Mennonite in a Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

© Rhoda Janzen

The Thurber Prize for American Humor

Started in 1997, the Thurber Prize for American Humor is the only recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. A panel of national judges selects the three finalists from a selection of seven or eight semi-finalists. Books submitted for a prize year had to have been published the prior year.

The winner is announced at a special awards ceremony at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City where James Thurber once lived. The winner of the prize receives $5,000 and then is the guest entertainment for the annual December Thurber Birthday Gala

1997: Ian Frazier, Coyote v. Acme
1999: The editorial staff of the satirical magazine The Onion for Our Dumb Century
2001: David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day
2004: Christopher Buckley, No Way to Treat a First Lady
2005: Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin and David Javerbaum for America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction
2006: Alan Zweibel, The Other Shulman
2007: Joe Keenan, My Lucky Star
2008: Larry Doyle, I Love You, Beth Cooper
 2009: Ian Frasier, Lamentations of the Father

This program is sponsored in part by the Greater Columbus Arts Council