I wrote the Forward weeks ago, and I've substantially expanded it to acknowledge the key roles played by many of you in the genesis of this manuscript:
Introduction by Timothy Murphy
Able Muse is an ezine devoted to metrical poetry, the creation of the very dedicated Alex Pepple. Its affiliate, Eratosphere, is an immense on-line poetry workshop. Our thousands of visitors include everybody from raw beginners to the likes of Robert Mezey and Anthony Hecht.
One of our boards is Musing on Mastery, presided over in the course of its existence by Alan Sullivan, yours truly, and the gifted young poet, A. E. Stallings. Contemporary verse is rarely posted there, unless it’s by Wilbur, Hecht, or other very well established poets. But one day, for a lark, I posted a thread called Classic Jokes, which included “Cushioning the Blow,” a sonnet I loved by my English friend, David Anthony. I also posted my “Peg-leg Pig,” and "Advice for Bear Country,” which Richard Wakefield had just sent me from Seattle. The response was overwhelming. Ireland’s Jim Hayes and New York’s Bob Schechter began pelting me with crackerjacks. A few days later, I joked “What have I started, an anthology?” Versified jokes came pouring in from Canada, Scotland, England, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and last but not least, the United States. X.J. Kennedy and R.S. Gwynn, whom I do not blush to call living masters of light (and heavy) verse, contributed.
Just as the manuscript was spinning out of control, Carol Taylor joined the fray. Carol is the Eratosphere’s most senior staffer and a word-processing whizz. She contributed her own hilarious verses and helped me organize this pile of paper, internet postings, and email into book form. From hundreds of submissions, we have selected the best versifications of the worst jokes.
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