"The instrument in my hand is a pen of freedom. The pen is mighty for it can declare things that are true. The mighty pen has the power to influence for good or incite evil. It creates in the mind of a reader intent and purpose.Ideas will flow from the heart and mind. Down the arm and through the wiggling hand to the end of the pen and onto the paper, where the journey begins. Not all pens are alike. But they are all at the disposal of the hand that picks them up. As long as there is ink in the pen work can be done. A working pen means ideas can be shared, feelings conveyed, and notes written. People can feel chastised, praised, bored or entertained with a few swipes of a pen. Notes can be verbose or they can be terse. Pen, paper, words and intent combine to change the world or just a perception of it. History was made and continues to change with just the swipe of a pen."

From the author of The Ginger Man: A “very funny” tragicomic tale of unrequited love in postwar Dublin (The New York Times Book Review). In this follow-up to The Destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman, called “a delightful romp” by the Los Angeles Times and “racy [and] raunchy” by the Plain Dealer, Darcy Dancer, the young squire of a crumbling mansion in the Irish countryside known as Andromeda Park, falls madly in love with the lissome Leila—but disaster dogs his heels, as usual . . . “One of the most accomplished and original writers of our time.” —Joseph Heller, bestselling author of Catch-22 “A comic writer rivaling Waugh and Wodehouse.” —Life

A mega-collection of 185 of the most intriguing and clever crostics ever created from Middleton's prestigious series, selected and updated from out-of-print books.

First published in 1988, this book contains entries on famous American Humorists. Humor has been present in American literature, from the beginning, and has developed characteristics that reflect the American character, both regional and national. Although American literature was, in the past, treated as inferior to British literature, there has always been a large popular audience for the genre, which this book shows. The figures with entries in this encyclopedia not only amuse in their writing, but also aim to enlighten- setting out to expose the foibles and foolishness of society and the individuals who compose it. It is the manner in which these authors try to accomplish this end that determines whether they appear in the volume. Indeed, the book will demonstrate that the best humor has at its base, a ready understanding of human nature.