Edited and with a new introduction by Regina Barreca There's plenty to poke fun at in these United States-and as this volume proves, comedy may be the truest democracy of all. Smart, subversive, and surprising, this anthology shows us what makes Americans laugh. Includes the works of: Ambrose Bierce • Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner • Ralph Ellison • Fannie Flagg William Goldman • O. Henry • Langston Hughes • Molly Ivins • Erica Jong Jean Kerr • Alan King • Fran Leibowitz • Merrill Markoe • H. L. Mencken • Bill Nye Edgar Allen Poe • Mae West • Edith Wharton Herman Wouk • and many others