LAUGHING THEIR WAY

An anthology of excerpts from the writings of some fifty women from 1834 to the present day, all selected for the purpose of proving that women have a sense of humor. A difficult task, from this approach, since that which amuses one generation leaves the next one cold. Today we delight in the thrusts of Dorothy Parker and the subtle humor of Cornelia Skinner, but the observations of Samantha Allen and Tish Carberry's inanities lack savor. Comparatively few of the authors comprising this group are familiar names today. Many dusty tomes must have been taken off the shelves as the collaborators picked and pruned. The extracts are grouped under various headings; Local Colorists of the South, The Feminists, Introspective Poets, The Versifiers, Human Interest Stories, Character Studies, Satire, The Columnist, The Skit. The value of this book is chiefly for public library reference shelves. I doubt whether the wise cracks of the past will win readers today.