Robert Benchley Society

Join the Boston Benchley Chapter for Cocktails Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will meet for cocktails on Thursday, May 16th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Downtown Harvard Club, One Federal Street.

From the Mail Bag

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:45:00 +0000

Dear Mr. Trumbull,
I am looking for a story by Robert Benchley and I wonder if you would help me. A favorite childhood memory is of my father reading Benchley aloud to us. One of our family's favorites, one that always resulted in our laughing ourselves out of breath, was his woeful tale of substituting at his wife's afternoon bridge party. I remember the way he described the silence at his table amidst the hum that arose in the room as the players finished their hands and began their postmortems: "at our table there was no postmortem, but not because there had been no death." I have lost this story; I don't remember it's title or what book it is in. Can you help? Sincere best wishes from a life-long Benchley lover, Linda W.

Dear Linda,
Thank you for contacting the Robert Benchley Society. The essay you seek is called "Not According to Hoyle" and appears at page 77 of the book Of All Things. The book is available for purchase through a link to Amazon.com on our website at http://www.robertbenchley.org/shop/index.htm. The work is in the public domain in the United States and is available to view or print out free on our website at http://www.robertbenchley.org/oat/index.htm. Yours, David Trumbull

Join the Boston Benchley Chapter for Cocktails Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:59:00 +0000

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will meet for cocktails at 5:30 p.m. at the Downtown Harvard Club, One Federal Street.

Join the Robert Benchley Society for Cocktails at the Harvard Club on Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:08:00 +0000

Join the Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society at the Downtown Harvard Club's Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Night!

Thursday, March 21, 2013 One Federal Street, 38th Floor 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Complimentary Hors d’Oeuvres
Irish eyes will be smilin’ at the Downtown Club as it hosts its annual St. Paddy’s Day Pub Night! Come celebrate the grandest of all Pub Nights.

"The worst part about a radio audience is that it is so cold. ... You get a stony silence that hasn't been equaled since they asked for a rising vote of thanks to Tad Jones at a Harvard Club dinner. ...but it's always the same old story about two Irishmen." -- Robert C. Benchley, from "On the Air" as published in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or David Copperfield," 1928. (Originally published in the Detroit Athetic Club News.)

For information on Thomas Albert Dwight "Tad" Jones see his entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._A._Dwight_Jones

Join the Boston Chapter of the RBS for Cocktails at the Harvard Club Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:39:00 +0000

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will hold its monthly Roundup at the Downtown Harvard Club, high above Boston town on the 38th floor of One Federal Street, in the Financial District. We'll gather at the Crimson Pub on Thursday, February 21st, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
We'll be well into the first full week of Lent; nevertheless, the Club will be offering a Mardi Gras-themed evening with:

Aged Cheddar Cheese Spread with Crackers,
Vegetable Crudités,
Cajun Deviled Eggs,
Crab Florentine Stuffed Mushrooms,
Bayou Fried Shrimp with Cajun Remoulade,
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, and
Muffuletta Sliders.

Dress code is informal or business casual. For more information, contact David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.

2013 NSNC Conference: Lifestyles and the Writing Life

noreply@blogger.com (Rose A. Valenta) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 23:46:00 +0000

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) will hold its annual Conference in Hartford, CT, June 27 - 30, 2013 at the Hartford Hilton. Registration is now open, as is the annual writing contest. Click here for details: 2013 NSNC Conference

The entire NSNC Board of Directors nominated a Program Committee and has worked diligently, since the untimely death of its president, Larry Cohen, and a few other mishaps, to pull this exciting conference together. Many impressive headliners will be there, including Dave Barry, who is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award; original SNL writer, Thurber Prize winner and co-author of Lunatics, Alan Zweibel; popular public speaker and author of a hilarious new book It's Not That I’m Bitter, Gina Barreca; and many others.

There are still sponsorship opportunities open! If you are interested, please contact the NSNC Executive Director (director@columnists.com). The publicity will be amazing.

Who can register?
The NSNC says "If you’re reading this, you are. Whether you write for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, trade journals or other periodicals or for radio or video … whether you’re on staff, a freelancer, syndicated, self-syndicated or independent. We heartily encourage online and multimedia columnists, bloggers and similar Web reporters, commentators, analysts, humorists and essayists. We welcome retired or former columnists, journalism scholars and collegian columnists. And all those who want to write columns or blogs… And your guests!”

Benchley 1914 Piece Uncovered

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Fitzpatrick) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:44:00 +0000

Sept. 9, 1914, New York Tribune, "The Conning Tower"

Thanks to independent historian Stuart Y. Silverstein of Los Angeles and Chicago, the editor of Not Much Fun, the Lost Poems of Dorothy Parker, we can now read something Robert Benchley wrote in 1914 for "The Conning Tower" of the New York Tribune. Benchley was just two years out of Harvard, and the Algonquin Round Table was five years off on the horizon.

The piece, "Blank Form To Be Handed to Returning Tourists," was submitted to the editor of the column, Benchley's mentor, Franklin P. Adams. As all "contribs" to "The Conning Tower" it was signed with Benchley's initials, not his byline. It ran Sept. 9, 1914. Mr. Silverstein says, "Note that it refers to the First World War - which started July 28, 1914 - just 6 weeks earlier. This item appeared less than a week before Benchley's 25th birthday."

Thanks, Mr. Silverstein, for digging up what we believe is the first appearance of Benchley in a New York newspaper, and sharing it with us.

(If the image is hard to read, here is a transcription)

Blank Form To Be Handed to Returning Tourists

Please fill in blanks and return with photograph showing yourself with mouth open.

The first inkling I had of the war was in _____. I was with my _____ (and my _____) at the time, and we had just come from a delightful trip through _____. One evening, the _____th of _____, we heard _____ and I said to our _____friend--, "_____?" He replied: "_____!" Immediately the streets were thronged with enthusiastic _____, all singing "_____." We had time only to get our _____ and stand _____ hours in the station for the train to _____. We were grossly insulted on the border by a _____ who insisted on _____. On reaching _____ we had to stand like cattle before the _____ left for _____. I tell you, the old Statue of Liberty looked pretty good to me. I don't know, of course, but take it from me, the war won't be over until one side is victorious and that won't be for _____.

R. C. B.

Boston Benchleyites to Meet Thursday, February 21st, at Downtown Harvard Club

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:40:00 +0000

Aged Cheddar Cheese Spread with Crackers,
Vegetable Crudités,
Cajun Deviled Eggs,
Crab Florentine Stuffed Mushrooms,
Bayou Fried Shrimp with Cajun Remoulade,
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, and
Muffuletta Sliders.

Dress code is informal or business casual. For more information, contact David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.

2013 Thurber Prize for American Humor Submissions are now being accepted!

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:12:00 +0000

A new year means a new Thurber Prize for American Humor, and from now until April 1, Thurber House will be accepting submissions for the 2013 prize! Books published in the U.S. in 2012 are eligible. Entry guidelines, rules, and application forms are available on our website. The winner receives $5,000, a commemorative plaque, and is invited to be a guest at a special ticketed event in Columbus, Ohio the following year.

The judges for the 2013 prize are Laurie Notaro, two-time Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist; Nate DiMeo, 2012 Thurber Prize for American Humor finalist; and Lisa Birnbach, co-author of The Official Preppy Handbook and True Prep: It’s a Whole New Old World. The winner will be announced at an event at Caroline's Comedy Club on Broadway in New York City on September 30, 2013.
Past winners include Calvin Trillin, David Rakoff, Christopher Buckley, David Sedaris, and others.

Entries must be submitted no later than Monday, April 1, 2013. Visit their website (http://thurberhouse.org/thurber-prize-for-american-humor.html) for more information and to download the entry guidelines and the application!

Proposed New Yorker Benchley/Parker Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Dear David,

Hi, I'm an entrant in the New Yorker Eustace Tilley contest and my entry is a playful tribute to Robert Benchley & Mrs. Parker.

It's currently posted at the New Yorker website. I doubt if I'll win, but I wanted to see Sweet Old Bob represented at his magazine! Regards,

Eileen Mitchell

http://www.newyorker.com/online/photocontests/eustace_tilley_2013/entry537501244?previousId=537501481.

Sounds like something to highlight on a resumé: Bilingually deficient.

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:39:00 +0000

Carol C. of Los Angeles sent me this message last evening:

In checking out the chapters of the Robert Benchley Society, I came across the Los Angeles Chapter. On the RBS website, this fifth chapter is called “e-p-i-s-l-o-n,” which sounds like “He pissed on.” I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to say “epsilon.” Spell check keeps confirming this; every time I try to type “e-p-i-s-l-o-n” it corrects it. That’s why I have to write it with dashes in it
Check it out:
http://www.robertbenchley.org/rbs/chapters.htm.

Bad enough that I am dyslexic; now she informs me that I am dyslexic in Greek as well as English! However, who would not have trouble with Greek, a tongue that says "nay" for "yes" and "okay" for "no." --David T.

Boston RBS Life Drawing Event Set for January 18th

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 20:11:00 +0000

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society has planned a January event: "Barefoot up to Her Chin," the name of our next life drawing session, is taken from the title of H. Allen Smith's interview with Sally Rand. Smith, a newspaperman and humorist of the mid-20th century, was a friend and great admirer of Robert Benchley.
We'll have food delivered at six and start drawing at seven. As in the past, we'll supply the food, drinks, and art supplies. Cost will be $25 for Robert Benchley Society members and $30 for non-members. Skilled artists are welcome, but the event is directed toward beginners. Write-ups of past life drawing events are available at www.trumbullofboston.blogspot.com. For more information, mail David at david@robertbenchley.org.

Just in Time for the New Year...

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:32:00 +0000

...the Robert Benchley Society announces that our Commemorative Tenth Anniversary Edition of Love Conquers All is available for purchase on Create Space and at Amazon. (If you buy using the Amazon link, be sure to buy from Amazon to get this commemorative edition. Other resellers on Amazon offer Love Conquers All in other editions lacking our valuable additional materials.)
Originally published in 1922 by Henry Holt and Company, this volume contains 63 Benchley essays, previously published in Life, The New York World, The New York Tribune, The Detroit Athletic Club News, and The Consolidated Press Association. The illustrations by Gluyas Williams are also from the 1922 edition.

The RBS 10th Anniversary Edition features a new forward written for the Society by humorist Bob Newhart, an introduction by Society chairman, David Trumbull, and a thoughtful essay on Benchley's humor style and influence by Ed Tasca.
That's not all. This volume has the essays by the first place winners of the Society's annual humor-writing competitions:
W. Bruce Cameron, Horace Digby, Tim French, Madeleine Begun Kane, Daniel Montville, and Mike Tuck.
Humorists Dave Barry, Arte Johnson, and Mark Russell also contributed material in this edition, which is "must have" item for any fan of witty humor in the Benchley mode.

Published by award-winning Glendower Media.

Robert Benchey Society's Boston Christmas Party

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:25:00 +0000

The "We've Come for the Davenport" Boston Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society met for Christmas cocktails at the Harvard Club of Boston on Thursday, December 20, 2012. This was the inaugural of the Chapter's new arrangement to have a Benchley Roundup at the Harvard Club of Boston every third Thursday of the month. For more information contact David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.

Boston Chapter Christmas Party December 20th

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:05:00 +0000

Join the Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society for cocktails and holiday festivities, Thursday, December 20, 2012.

We'll meet at the Downtown Harvard Club's Crimson Pub. The clubhouse is located on the 38th floor of One Federal Street, in Boston's Financial District. We’ll have fantastic drinks and complimentary hot & cold hors d’oeuvres from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Parking in the One Federal Street Garage is just $7 for the entire evening. There’s no charge for admission. Dress code is business casual.

Happy the Home Where Humor is Read

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 22:51:00 +0000

The following column appeared in the October 19, 2012, issue of the Post-Gazette, the Italian-American Voice of Massachusetts.

I write from West Hollywood, California, where we just gave out the 2012 Robert Benchley Awards for Humor Writing. During our festivities, which featured Arte Johnson from TV's Laugh-In presiding at the award ceremony, we announced the publication of a book of humorous short essays, titled Love Conquers All and consisting of 63 classic Robert C. Benchley essays of 90 years ago, plus the winning entries from our annual humor-writing competitions.

We believe there is a want for witty clean comedy. The Robert Benchley Society is filling that want by turning back to humor written in, or in the style of, the 1920s. The funny thing is, just how contemporary, how of today, that humor is. Benchley is contemporary when he writes about the man who gets intimidated by the clerk at the department store, mirrors that seem to take perverse delight in making one's reflection look bad, and the, um, joys of reading the Sunday "funnies" aloud to the kiddies. Contemporary, yes, because the themes are universal, but so unlike many of today's comics in presentation.

The difference is that today humor has edge: it is "transgressive." While formerly it was thought that art might sometimes outrage conventional sensibilities, now, anything that outrages is "art." Offensiveness being more common than true artistic talent, this new definition has the advantage of greatly increasing the supply of "artists." Judging from some recent comedic offerings, one might conclude that the sole criterion to be a "comedian" is to have a reasonably functional body with its full complement of fluids, excretions, and naughty bits. It also helps to use the words that you can't − or at least used not be able to − say on television.

As Arte said in his remarks to us after dinner, "We've had the escalation of the scatological conversation, smut that gets tossed in for comedy -- that's not funny, it's not funny." Contrast that with Benchley, who wrote two essays entirely about bathrooms without even once using "bathroom humor."

The Robert Benchley Society hopes you enjoy reading this collection of short essays. Copies will go on sale shortly and the profits will be used to give out free copies to libraries, schools, hospitals, and to our men and women serving abroad in our military. If this book leads to more people reading and writing laugh-out-loud, sophisticated humor, then the Society, now at our tenth anniversary, will have justified its existence.

Don't Miss this Opportunity to Meet Fellow Benchley Fans in L.A. at a Private Dinner with Arte Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:40:00 +0000

The Robert Benchley Society announces its "Very Interesting" Tenth Anniversary International Annual Gathering, to be held Friday through Sunday, October 12th through 14th, in Los Angeles, California. The highlight of the event will be the Annual Awards Dinner with guest presenter, Arte Johnson. For more details or to register, go to www.robertbenchley.org/AG2012/registration.htm.

Register Now for Oct. 12-14 Benchley International Annual Gathering in L.A.

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 20:41:00 +0000

New York Walking Tour Sept. 17

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Fitzpatrick) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 03:33:00 +0000

The monument was dear to Benchley.

If you are a fan of Robert Benchley, you know that he was obsessed with the Amiable Child Monument that is across the street from Grant's Tomb. He visited it on his birthday. For several years, I have done the same thing on Sept. 15. This year I am organizing a walking tour around the event that Benchley took part in during the 1930s and 1940s. The information:

Robert Benchley Birthday-1920s NYC Walking Tour

Monday, Sept. 17, 4:30 p.m.
Meet at Grant’s Tomb, West 122nd Street & Riverside Drive, NY, NY, 10027

New York City’s “Fascinating Crimes” chapter of the Robert Benchley Society is sponsoring the walking tour. It meets in front of the General Grant National Memorial, better known as Grant’s Tomb, at 4:30 p.m.

The walking tour will include sites related to Benchley, starting with the Amiable Child Monument. The walking tour will include Riverside Park and the Upper West Side homes and haunts of 1920s figures, including Polly Adler, Babe Ruth, Dorothy Parker, William Randolph Hearst, George and Ira Gershwin, Heywood Broun, Edna Ferber, and many others.

We will see landmarks, historic sites, and noted architectural sites. The walk is led by Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, a licensed New York City sightseeing guide, author of “A Journey into Dorothy Parker’s New York,” president of the local Robert Benchley Chapter, and founder of the Dorothy Parker Society.

The walk will encompass approximately 25 blocks. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring a MetroCard because we will be boarding an MTA bus to skip over some blocks. The tour will end up approximately 6:15 in a cocktail lounge.

The walk is $10, or free for all Robert Benchley Society members. It is open to the public of all ages; dogs are welcome (but can’t go in the Memorial). For more information: email Kevin Fitzpatrick (Kevin @ dorothyparker DOT com), call 917.526.0597 or sign up on Facebook.

It's Okay to Stare

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:18:00 +0000

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will have a Round-up on Saturday, September 15, 2012, the anniversary of Mr. Benchley's birth. We have hired artists' models for an afternoon/evening of life drawing. For $25 ($30 for non-members), which covers the cost of the models and artists' supplies, beer, wine, tonic, and food, you can join us for sketching, food, drinks, and conversation. Maybe someone will read Mr. Benchley's essay "Artist’s Model Succumbs" to put us in the mood.

WHEN: Afternoon of Saturday, September 15, 2012.

WHERE: Beacon Hill, Boston, Mass.

HOW MUCH: $25 for Robert Benchley Society Members; $30 for non-members

NOT AN ARTIST? Don't worry. The idea is to expose ourselves to something new -- sketching -- in a fun atmosphere with friends. No one will judge your work.

Our models for this session are curvaceous Thea and muscular (welterweigh mixed martial arts fighter) Mike "The Stuntman."

Benchley in Worcester

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:40:00 +0000

Theatre - Performance
Thursday, August 23, 2012, 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Worcester (Mass) History Museum's Fletcher Auditorium

Have a glass of wine -- or two -- and enjoy the wit and whimsy of some of Worcester's greatest writers. "Benchley, Behrman, & Bishop," the final in the a three-part performance series, will be on August 23 and promises laughs with a reading of "The Sex Life of the Polyp," from Robert Benchley's 1928 outrageously hilarious short film, which documents a dim-witted doctor attempting to describe the sex life of a polyp to a women's club. Excerpts from "The End of Summer" by S.N. Behrman will also be performed. Considered to be one of Behrman's best-written plays, "The End of Summer" details the story of a liberal household threatened by a devious psychoanalyst who is able to play upon their weaknesses in his desire for wealth and power. Poetry by Elizabeth Bishop will also be read.

An honor bar and hors d'oeuvres will be available.

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 18:36:00 +0000

RBS Announces Preliminary Schedule of Events for 2012 Annual Gathering

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:36:00 +0000

DATES: Friday through Sunday, October 12 through 14, 2012

LOCATION: Los Angeles, California

WHERE TO STAY: We do not have a block of rooms; however, a half dozen or so of us have already booked at
LeParc Suites
733 N. West Knoll Dr.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-855-8888
www.leparcsuites.com
reservations@leparcsuites.com

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012

Afternoon private reception at the Venice Beach studio of Helen Garber.
Helen is the world's premier neo-noir photographer and a huge fan of Mr.
Benchley and Mrs. Parker. Those who were at her 2006 reception for the RBS
can attest that this is an event you must not miss.
www.helenkgarber.com

Dinner to be arranged.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012

9:45 a.m. Private tour of the J. Paul Getty Museum
www.getty.edu/museum
Paul O'Day of the Washington "Lost Locomotive" Chapter has arranged this
private event. Paul is friends with Rocco C. Siciliano, a leading patron of the arts and civic affairs in California, whose activities include being a board member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association (having served as President and then Chairman), Director of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and Trustee Emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Luncheon TBA

Evening. Annual Awards Dinner
Jonathan Beach Club
Santa Monica, CA 90403
This year's presenter will be Arte Johnson, star of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
Rocco C. Siciliano (our Getty Museum connection) will be attending and has a fascinating biography
(http://crdl.usg.edu/people/s/siciliano_rocco_c/?Welcome)
Also attending will be "Mad Men" costar Meghan Bradley
Dress for the Annual Awards Dinner is black-tie with option of 1920s-1940s period.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012

Brunch
Canter's Fairfax Delicatessen and Restaurant
Los Angeles, California 90036
www.cantersdeli.com

Then off to the corner of Hollywood & Vine for a guided tour. See Robert Benchley's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the stars of Benchley contemporaries, associates, and followers nearby. The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California. The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, fictional characters, and others. The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust.

All Comedy Radio Comes to Boston, Other American Cities.

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:51:00 +0000

According to a post on Radio Insight, Clear Channel Communications will be launching about a score of all-comedy radio stations over the coming weeks. Here in Boston, the formerly all-talk AM 1200 has already switched to Matty's Comedy 1200. The website has a search engine where you can enter the name of the comedian to get more information. A search of Benchley yielded Nat's recordings of his grandfather's stories. However, I could not find a play list with times to expect particular artists.

Benchley in Worcester

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Theatre - Performance
Thursday, August 23, 2012, 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

Worcester (Mass) History Museum's Fletcher Auditorium