Bob Newhart Names “Mad” Kane Winner of 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor
Back in June I was thrilled to announce that I was a 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor Competition finalist. (The humor column that got me onto the finalists list is Guide For The Opera Impaired.)
Well, I’m now beyond thrilled because Bob Newhart, the finalists judge, picked me as the FIRST PRIZE winner.
Mr. Newhart even sent me a handwritten personal note (reproduced below) explaining why he named me for the top Robert Benchley Society humor award.
Right now I’m verging on euphoria —a dangerous condition for a satirist. But just to be mentioned in the same sentence as Mr. Benchley and Mr. Newhart is almost beyond comprehension.
Here’s Mr. Newhart’s note. (Needless to say, I plan to frame the original.)
UPDATE: I’m very pleased that my award has generated a fair amount of publicity. This article in Gannett’s Journal News is probably the best of the stories. And it has a fun companion video of me reading one of my humor columns.
Technorati Tags: Robert Benchley Society, Bob Newhart, Humor Awards, Writing Competitions
July 31st, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Wahahahahahaha! Congratulations! Of course you won! Yay!
Oh my God! Bob Newhart! I loved “The Button-down Mind”!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
congrats, mad!
August 1st, 2008 at 1:06 am
WE ARE NOT WORTHY.
Congratulations!
August 1st, 2008 at 2:26 am
No one does it better
Than Mad, Lady of Letters.
She knows the score
Gives an opera tour,
And next: she takes on Goethe.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:28 am
The award itself is a marvelous achievement, but to have Newhart the one who gives it to you…that’s like being annointed by the comedy gods. Great news! Congratulations!
August 1st, 2008 at 9:37 am
This better not be a dream sequence or I’m going to have to kick the shins of Larry, Darryl and his other brother, Darryl, severely.
It’s about time that the Humor Gods recognized the goddessliness of such mortals as yourself, Maddie.
You certainly earned it. Congratulations!
August 1st, 2008 at 10:08 am
Congrats, Madeleine. You are an inspiration to us all…
August 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am
Truly deserved — great congrats!
Don
August 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
That is so awesome! I have watched and loved Bob Newhart since I was a little girl in the 70’s, and to be paid such a compliment in such a personal way….Wow!
August 1st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
The only thing which would make this more perfect is a Newhart phone bit on this ;)
August 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Thanks so much to all of you.
I still can’t quite believe it. :)
August 1st, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Congratulations!
August 1st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
congrats
August 1st, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Oh, and I’m glad to see everybody’s a Newhart fan, so let toss some love to Benchley.
Somewhat inebriated, Benchley once came out of a New York restaurant and bumped into a uniformed man standing near the door. “Would you get us a taxi, please?” he asked. “Sir, I happen to be a rear admiral in the United States Navy,” the man huffed. “All right, then,” said Benchley, “get us a battleship.”
August 1st, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Woo-hoo!! Congratulations, Mad, on a well-deserved award!
August 1st, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Congratulations!
August 1st, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Wow! What a huge compliment…Congratulations. Bob Newhart always delivered his comedy with such panache, and I hugely admire him.
Thank you for entering the Soup to Nuts Carnival First Course.
August 1st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Good for you! Keep up your fine writing.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Aaaiiiyyy! So awesome! Keep up the great work, Mad.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
That’s wonderful! Congratulations!
His vibrato sounded wide, don’t you think? and Pavarotti’s no Pavarotti. still have me chuckling.
Bravo ;)
August 7th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Thanks so much to all of you for your congratulations and kind words.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:57 am
what a major accomplishment! i bet you are still in 7th heaven!
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Congratulations, Mad! This is wonderful news. I hope it’s okay that I have spread the news, quoting “The Uniform Opera Plot Act” section’s 3-part structure for my writers group of friends:
http://daytimewriters.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-about-three-acts-structure.html
You are so witty. Thanks for spreading the wit over the blogosphere for us all to read.
~~~ Bonnie
September 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Mr. Newhart is a true gentleman and one of the most original talents this country has ever produced. This is the kind of accolade a person dreams about–congratulations!
September 17th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Congrats! That is awesome news.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:42 am
mad!!!! congratulations.. i am so proud.. and so thrilled for you.. thank you for sharing this moment with us,, it gives us all a moment in the spotlight just knowing that we knew her when…….
September 18th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Congrats!!! Benchley was my introduction to humor - I started reading him when I was all of seven or eight years old, so his essays and writings shaped my idea of sophisticated, adult humor. To this day, I compare everyone to him - and you are truly a worthy recipient of this honor! Weee!!
December 1st, 2008 at 12:31 am
Dear Mad Kane ~ Mazel tov! Congratulations on the award. I love your work and am so glad to have found your web site and especially enjoy your haiku. I will return often to read.
all the best
Debby