Early American almanac humor /

Some of the earliest examples of American humor to appear in print were published in the numerous almanacs issued in the 18th century as they evolved from calendars and predictions about the weather and crops into popular anthologies of essays, sketches, and jokes. Dodge has culled those published between 1776 and 1800 for this first collection of humor from the pages of the almanacs, a generally neglected source for the study of early American culture. Many are clearly European in origin, but the anecdotes already demonstrate the process of Americanization at work and some will show up later as folktales and literary sketches in the 19th century. Dodge has conveniently arranged the pieces in seven categories (comic heroes, the Yankee, tall tales, ethnic humor, the sexes, professional stereotypes, and soldiers and sailors), with a miscellaneous section; and he has provided succinct and useful introductions. Regrettably, there is no index to names. Although only a few of these pieces will elicit a laugh today, they tell us a lot about the national character, and the book belongs in all libraries with a serious interest in American culture.-M.T. Inge, Randolph-Macon College