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Elissa Bassist

Humor Writer of the Month: Elissa Bassist

Elissa Bassist is the editor of the “Funny Women” column on The Rumpus and author of the tragicomic memoir Hysterical, a semifinalist for The Thurber Prize for American Humor. As a founding contributor to The Rumpus, she’s written cultural and personal criticism since the website launched in 2009. Her next book, a comedy writing craft book, is forthcoming from Grand Central Publishing in 2026. Elissa teaches humor writing at The New School, 92NY and elsewhere, and she is probably her therapist’s favorite. 

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House Calls

My wife and I are in better shape than our house. That’s saying something — I don’t know what, but it probably can’t be repeated in polite company — because Sue and I are 70 and our house is 50.

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For Erma: when the real writers come back home

Barbara Fant, Erma Poet Laureate, wrote and performed this beautiful poem at the 2024 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. Like Erma, she dared to say "yes" — and inspired every writer in the room.
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