[Alan Sullivan]

Alan here, at Sam Gwynn's house in Beaumont, Texas. Earlier this evening Tim Murphy read a generous selection of the versified jokes to the 69th annual CCTE (Conference of College Teachers of English). You should have seen and heard the reaction to such chancy fare as John Beaton's "Sharing" and Richard Wakefield's "Business as Usual." At the punch line, gasps and titters, then a pause for breath, then laughter, laughter, and more laughter.

At the end Tim invited co-editor and contributor Carol Taylor to stand for a well-deserved ovation. I wish Jim, Roger, John, Richard and everyone else associated with this project could have attended, but be sure that the future book got a boost tonight.

Overheard by Gwynn in the men's room afterward:

"You ever heard any of those jokes before?"

"A lot of 'em. But not like that."

[Michael Juster]

Superb!

[Tim Murphy]

I read Taylor, Beaton, Hayes, Murphy, Schecter, Anthony and Wakefield for thirty minutes, and not a joke fell flat. It was the last gig in a busy week, preceeded by Alan's paper and my reciting the Beowulf at the plenary session that opened the conference, and by my reading my own stuff at Lamar the night before (and by a reading in Minnesota two days before that!) All told, it was great fun.

[John Beaton]

Thanks for posting this, Alan, and for doing the recitation, Tim. It's great to hear of audiences enjoying what's written here.

John

[Roger Slater]

Thanks! This isn't the first time I've helped make a college English teacher laugh, but the first time I did so intentionally. Thanks for reading the poems, and thanks for letting us know they went over well.

Bob