Wednesday, March 28, 2018

The Roaring Twenties in the United States

It was an era of wealth and poverty, Prohibition and speakeasies, flappers and revivalists, when America was a world power that didn't want to get involved with the world, when the business of America was business, and silent films were in their heyday. For the first time in its history, the United States had more people living in urban communities than in the country, and this social transformation reverberated through its politics and culture. We'll look at politicians and criminals (sometimes the same people), writers living abroad, laborers barely getting by at home. Chronological and bibliographical handouts provided.

Starting April 5, 2018, the Cambridge (Massachusetts) Center for Adult Education will be offering a six-week course on this fascinating period. The instructor has confirmed that cultural icons such as Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker will be part of the mix. Learn more or sign up at https://ccae.org/

Benchley Beside Himself

Get your own REPLICA OF THE BUST OF BENCHLEY seen in this movie clip.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Winners Named in the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition

Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry and award-winning novelist and short story writer Bonnie Jo Campbell, finalist judges in the 2018 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition, have selected four winners and awarded 14 honorable mentions. Betsy Bombeck, a social worker, community volunteer and daughter of the legendary humorist Erma Bombeck, will deliver the keynote address at the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, at the Centerville Library, 111 W. Spring Valley Rd. It’s free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Read more HERE.

Robert Benchley Society

For more information about the Robert Benchley Society, local chapters near you, our annual Award for Humor, and our Annual Gathering, visit The RBS Website