Arizona Humoresque: A Century of Arizona Humor

Arizona Humoresque , a collection of always humorous and often hilarious writing edited by noted Western folklorist C. L. Sonnichsen, adds a new chapter to the social history of the state. Covering the past century, excerpts range from Alfred Henry Lewis's Wolfville series, which poked fun at the unhurried citizens of frontier Tombstone, to Barbara Kingsolver's side-splitting account of trying to get a job and a place to stay in modern-day Tucson. In the years between, a variety of humorists sniffed out the ridiculous in all corners of the state and in all levels of its society. Byrd Baylor does it for the Papago Indians living in Tucson. Mo Udall does it for the politicians. Country people, city people, and the state's great liars have their innings, too. Arizona Humoresque is good for browsing, but it has historical and literary value for those who want to look closer. It introduces some of Arizona's best writers to a generation that might otherwise forget them. Sonnichsen came to Texas in 1931 and taught for 41 years at what is now the University of Texas at El Paso. In 1972 he moved to Tucson to be editor of the Journal of Arizona History. The author of 29 books, including Roy Bean: Law West of the Pecos, he died in June of 1991 at the age of 89. With Arizona Humoresque he has left an enduring legacy.