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Sorry, We Can't Use Funny
Following the success of his first book, the 2009 sleeper, "Why I Hate Straws," online humor columnist Barry Parham delivers again. Satire at its best!
Includes the award-winning stories "Actuarial Family Theater" and "Perfect!"
Includes the award-winning stories "Actuarial Family Theater" and "Perfect!"
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2010
40 people want to read
About the author
Barry Parham
14 books31 followersBarry Parham is the award-winning author of humor columns, essays and short stories. He is a recovering software freelancer and a music fanatic.
Parham is the author of the 2009 sleeper, "Why I Hate Straws," his debut collection of humor and satire including the prize-winning stories, 'Going Green, Seeing Red' & 'Driving Miss Conception.'
In October 2010, Parham published "Sorry, We Can't Use Funny," another award-winning collection of general-topic satire and humor, and the more targeted "Blush: Politics and other unnatural acts." He followed up in 2011 with "The Middle-Age of Aquarius," a growing-old-but-not-so-gracefully vehicle for the award-winners 'Comfortably Dumb,' 'Snowblind' and 'The Zodiac Buzz-Killer.'
"Full Frontal Stupidity" (2012), Parham's 5th collection of humor, satire and observations, features more award-winning stories, including 'Skirts vs. Skins' and 'Scenes From a Maul.' He followed up the next year with a brace of collections, "Chariots of Ire" and "You Gonna Finish That Dragon?" and most recently published his 8th compilation, "Maybe It's Just Me."
Parham's work has also been featured in three national humor anthologies:
"My Funny Valentine" (2011)
"Open Doors: Fractured Fairy Tales" (2012)
"My Funny Major Medical" (2012)
Parham is the author of the 2009 sleeper, "Why I Hate Straws," his debut collection of humor and satire including the prize-winning stories, 'Going Green, Seeing Red' & 'Driving Miss Conception.'
In October 2010, Parham published "Sorry, We Can't Use Funny," another award-winning collection of general-topic satire and humor, and the more targeted "Blush: Politics and other unnatural acts." He followed up in 2011 with "The Middle-Age of Aquarius," a growing-old-but-not-so-gracefully vehicle for the award-winners 'Comfortably Dumb,' 'Snowblind' and 'The Zodiac Buzz-Killer.'
"Full Frontal Stupidity" (2012), Parham's 5th collection of humor, satire and observations, features more award-winning stories, including 'Skirts vs. Skins' and 'Scenes From a Maul.' He followed up the next year with a brace of collections, "Chariots of Ire" and "You Gonna Finish That Dragon?" and most recently published his 8th compilation, "Maybe It's Just Me."
Parham's work has also been featured in three national humor anthologies:
"My Funny Valentine" (2011)
"Open Doors: Fractured Fairy Tales" (2012)
"My Funny Major Medical" (2012)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 8, 2011
Barry Parham should be writing for Hollywood. "Sorry We Can't Use Funny" is not just a collection of witty stories about life - (that we can all relate to)...EVERY sentence is dripping with hilarity. Clever, dry, witty, brilliant humor. I wanted to pick a favorite story to highlight in this review but it's impossible. Many thanks for the laughs and for letting me know maybe it isn't just me, after all.
October 13, 2010
This guy is funny.
Oh wait ... I AM this guy.
Oh wait ... I AM this guy.
April 2, 2013
Sorry, We Can't Use Funny
Written by Barry Parham
Reviewed by R. Murry
I laughed. I thought and laughed. And I laughed, thought, and laughed with each sentence I read of Mr. Parham’s many off the cuff jesting and jiving. I’m just joking. I think he put much thought into each of his stories, shorts, and ponderings. He writes some intelligent quibbling too, but not to a fault.
I’m glad he put all these interludes with the world in a book. I would get frustrated if I had to wait for a newspaper column to come out each week to enjoy his type of entertainment.
Enjoyed most by me, are his Dear Abby Redux replies to correspondents who propose situations and quibble about the world around them. Mr. Parham answers with appropriate funny words.
In his writing, I get the feeling that he enjoys poking at the current world affairs especially at the leaders of the free world, as we all do. However, Mr. Parham does not insult, but gets right to the point which is funnier in a sad way, because of the truth in his words.
I’m not going to give details, but will say that if you want to have a good time laughing, buy this funny expose of the world and the people in it.
Written by Barry Parham
Reviewed by R. Murry
I laughed. I thought and laughed. And I laughed, thought, and laughed with each sentence I read of Mr. Parham’s many off the cuff jesting and jiving. I’m just joking. I think he put much thought into each of his stories, shorts, and ponderings. He writes some intelligent quibbling too, but not to a fault.
I’m glad he put all these interludes with the world in a book. I would get frustrated if I had to wait for a newspaper column to come out each week to enjoy his type of entertainment.
Enjoyed most by me, are his Dear Abby Redux replies to correspondents who propose situations and quibble about the world around them. Mr. Parham answers with appropriate funny words.
In his writing, I get the feeling that he enjoys poking at the current world affairs especially at the leaders of the free world, as we all do. However, Mr. Parham does not insult, but gets right to the point which is funnier in a sad way, because of the truth in his words.
I’m not going to give details, but will say that if you want to have a good time laughing, buy this funny expose of the world and the people in it.
March 28, 2012
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway.
*Update*
So far it's pretty hilarious. Once I'm further into it, I'll write a real review, but so far it's already one of those books where I constantly want to show passages to people sitting near me while reading, but reconsider it by the time I get to the end so that I can start the next one immediately.
Books like this usually take me a while to read, because I like to savour them. I always try to pick up other books in between so I don't read it in just a couple of sittings, and forget about it a couple months later. Since I know he already has 2 other books out, I might not hold back as much on this one though.
*Update*
So far it's pretty hilarious. Once I'm further into it, I'll write a real review, but so far it's already one of those books where I constantly want to show passages to people sitting near me while reading, but reconsider it by the time I get to the end so that I can start the next one immediately.
Books like this usually take me a while to read, because I like to savour them. I always try to pick up other books in between so I don't read it in just a couple of sittings, and forget about it a couple months later. Since I know he already has 2 other books out, I might not hold back as much on this one though.
April 17, 2012
Really, really bad. I can't believe I purchased this on my Kindle. Not funny.
November 21, 2010
I won this book on First Reads. Thanks, Barry!
The book is a hilarious collection of stories, and I laughed the whole way through!
The book is a hilarious collection of stories, and I laughed the whole way through!
November 7, 2010
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. I loved it! Very funny!
November 15, 2010
I won this book on this website and it was a GREAT read! Thanks so much Good Reads and Barry too!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews