Author: David Leonhardt
Date:   11-07-03 14:29

It is said that the best writing is deeply personal, when you can feel the author's pain. Does that apply also to a humor writer?

I write a humor column, and I faced that challenge when I wanted to write about the very traumatic birth of our second daughter 12 days ago. I found myself doing more editing (mostly "delete, delete, delete") than usual.

The result is posted at:
http://thehappyguy.com.birth-story.html

In the end, I think it is indeed one of my better columns, but it was definitely a tough one to write.

Author: danielle S
Date:   11-07-03 18:30

David,I would love to read the article but I keep getting a timeout message. I promise, I'm not a two-year-old and I don't bite, throw tantrums or wet my pants.

Author: David Leonhardt
Date:   11-07-03 19:59

Thanks. Sorry about the typo. I'll blame it on those four-hour nights. :-)

David.

Author: Mitchell Warren
Date:   11-07-03 22:00

Well humor is a defense mechanism. So sometimes when authors use humor to document difficult times in their lives, they're actually as serious as can be. Humor is simply they're way of handling the feelings that arise.


A clown that used to beat me told me that.

Author: Gary Kessler
Date:   11-07-03 22:18

Back to the top comment, I agree that some of your best writing can come out of your deep personal experiences. I also think, however, that the reader need not connect these directly to the writer. I like to take the essence of the deep personal experience and twist it around so that the story is about entirely different people and events--and maybe even making a different point--but the essence of the original emotion is still at the core.

Author: Pamela Taylor
Date:   11-08-03 12:10

Hey Dave,

I think your column is one that a lot of people will relate to. The angst you went through is clear. That you are able to look back on it with a sense of humor is a testament to the resilliency of the human nature.

Pamela

Author: David Leonhardt
Date:   11-08-03 18:50

This is wonderufl to get all this feedback. I am glad some people could relate to it.

David