Painting of thirty-five expressive heads.

Thirty-Five Expressive Heads, by Louis-Léopold Boilly, c. 1825. Musee des Beaux-Arts, Tourcoing, France.

Comedy

Volume VII, Number 1 | winter 2014

Purchase

Preamble

The Solid Nonpareil

By Lewis H. Lapham

From Mesopotamia to Mark Twain, the question has remained the same for thousands of years—who’s laughing now?

More

Black and white photograph of Mark Twain sitting between two men.

Once Upon a Time in the West

By Ben Tarnoff

How a simple story of a man and his talented frog made Mark Twain a national celebrity.

More

Map showing comedic theater tropes from around the world.

Map

The Human Comedy

Theatrical fools and buffoons from around the world and across time.

View

Miscellany

According to his biographer Aelius Lampridius, the Roman emperor Elagabalus would amuse himself at dinner by seating his guests on “air pillows instead of cushions and let the air out while they were dining, so that often the diners were suddenly found under the tables.”

1830 | Eafield

Non-Apology

A wild and drunken night leaves Charles Lamb worse for wear but unapologetic about his actions.More

1838 | Springfield, IL

Abraham Lincoln Loses the Girl

Before he was president, Abraham Lincoln went on a terrible blind date. More

c. 1555 | Paris

Merry Pranksters

A prank-war between a nobleman and the court fool escalates out of control. More

Charts & Graphs

Chart of historical hoaxes and stunts.

Punked!

Historical hoaxes and stunts.

View

Lewis Lapham at his desk

Italian courtier, diplomat, and writer Baldassare Castiglione.

Portrait bust of presumed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey Homer.

Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair.

Image of Renaissance humanist and scholar Poggio Bracciolini.

color photograph of Victor Frankl with his hand on his chin looking pensive

Illustration of Plautus with red robes and hat

There is nothing sillier than a silly laugh.

—Catullus, c. 60 BC

Sculpture bust of Roman teacher and writer Quintilian.

Black and white photograph of American entertainer Joan Rivers.

Quintilian & Joan Rivers

Purchase

Lapham’sDaily

Roundtable

Lapham’s Quarterly Is on Hiatus

By Lapham’s Quarterly

But the American Agora Foundation is already planning for the future. More

The Colosseum, attributed to Robert Eaton, c. 1855.

DÉjÀ Vu

Monumental Mistakes

2023:

Fitness instructor carves his girlfriend’s name into the Colosseum.

c. 1850:

Thompson of Sunderland makes his mark on Pompey’s pillar.

More

Terracotta funerary plaque, Greek, Attic, c. 520 BC.

The World in Time

Robert D. Kaplan

Lewis H. Lapham speaks with the author of The Tragic Mind: Fear, Fate, and the Burden of Power. More

play
pause

00:00

00:00