The Thurber Prize honors the best in American humor. Named in honor of James Thurber the renowned New Yorker cartoonist, it celebrates humor in several formats; cartoon, satire and letters. This is the only award that celebrates American humor writing. Begun in 1997, a panel of judges selects the finalists and determines the award winners.
The winner of the prize receives $5,000,and will be announced at an event at Caroline’s Comedy Club on Broadway in New York City on September 30, 2013.
The finalists for 2013 are: (From the Thurber House website)
Shalom Auslander for Hope, A Tragedy (Riverhead)
Shalom Auslander is the author of the short story collection Beware of Go, the memoir Foreskin’s Lament, and the novel Hope: A Tragedy. Nominated for the Koret Award for writers under thirty-five, he has published articles in Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Tablet, The New Yorker, and has had stories aired on NPR’s This American Life.
Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel for Lunatics: A Novel (G.P.Putnam’s Sons)
Dave Barry is the author of over thirty books. He wrote a weekly humor column from 1983 to 2004 for the Miami Herald, which in 1988 won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. His most recent bestsellers include his Peter Pan prequels, written with Ridley Pearson; Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far); I’ll Mature When I’m Dead; and Insane City.
Alan Zweibel’s books have included the 2006 Thurber Prize for American Humor-winning novel The Other Shulman; a memoir, Bunny, Bunny: Gilda Radner – A Sort of Love Story; a collection of stories and essays, Clothing Optional; and the popular children’s book Our Tree Named Steve. An original writer for Saturday Night Live, he has won numerous Emmys and Writers Guild of America awards for his television work.
Dan Zevin for Dan Gets a Mini-Van: Life at the Intersection of Dude and Dad (Scribner)
Dan Zevin has been a commentator for NPR, the humor columnist for Boston Magazine, and a contributor to print and digital publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker,McSweeney’s, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, and Parents. A former Thurber Prize finalist forThe Day I Turned Uncool, he’s also the author of Entry-Level Life and The Nearly-wed Handbook.
