The ISHS Newsletter—The Humorous Times

From 1988 through Winter 2005, the ISHS Newsletter appeared as a separate section of the Society's journal, HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research. Its first two editors were Alleen Nilsen (Arizona State University), who served from 1988 through 2003, and Amy Carrell (University of Central Oklahoma), who served for 2004 and 2005.

    

In Fall 2005, Ralph Mueller (University of Fribourg) became the third editor of the ISHS Newsletter, and under his direction the ISHS Newsletter adopted a new name—The Humorous Times—and a new look. As an e-newsletter, The Humorous Times continues to report on international activities, but it also includes special features on humor research as well as squibs and short humorous writings. With the Fall 2012 Issue, The Humorous Times began to feature book reviews of recent publications in humor studies. The Humrous Times is currently produced through the Society's home base at Holy Names University.

Current ISHS members receive the the ISHS newsletter electronically and can access it online here on the News page of the ISHS website. Current ISHS members can also access past ISHS Newsletters in the Newsletter Archive also found on this page.

 

Click Here for the Summer 2019 Issue of The Humorous Times.

2019 ISHS Executive Board Election
Every two years, the International Society for Humor Studies holds an election for ISHS President and for two new Members-at-Large to the ISHS Executive Board. The new ISHS President will serve for two years, from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021, and will take over from Wladislaw Chlopicki (Jagiellonian University, Poland), who will continue on the ISHS Board as the immediate Past President. The new Members-at-Large will replace Liisi Laineste (University of Tartu, Estonia) and Sharon Lockyer (Brunel University, United Kingdom) who have served on the ISHS Board since January 2016. The new Board Members will serve for four years from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023.

Balloting for the 2019 Election opened on November 14 and closed on December 23, 2019. Patrice Oppliger (Boston University, USA) was elected as 2020-21 ISHS President, and Jennifer Hofmann (University of Zurich, Switzerland) and Villy Tsakona (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece) were elected as Board Members-at-Large. We thank all of the candidates who participated in this election.

2020 Book Discounts

ISHS is pleased to announce the continuation of special members-only book discounts from Mouton DeGruyter, Wayne State University Press, and John Benjamins. We are also pleased to announce that Taylor and Francis will provide ISHS Members with discounts on its humor research library. For 2020, ISHS members can receive sizable discounts on books in Mouton deGruyter's Humor Research series as well as 20% discounts on other books published by Mouton deGruyter. Members also receive 40% discounts on books in Wayne State University's Humor in Life and Letters series, 30% to 50% discounts on Humor Research books from John Benjamins, and 25% discounts on humor research books from Taylor and Francis.
     

2020 members, you can contact the ISHS Executive Secretary to receive your Wayne State and Taylor and Francis promotion codes. Click here to see a list of selected Mouton-DeGruyter, Wayne State, Taylor and Francis, and John Benjamins humor research titles.

The ISHS Scholarship Fund

In 2006, Holy Names University in Oakland, California established a special ISHS fund, so that the Society could receive contributions to support and recognize graduate students and notable humor researchers. Scholarships may be awarded to help a student or scholar complete important humor research or to present at one of our annual conferences. In 2012, the Society further established the Don and Alleen Nilsen Young Scholars Award to recognize notable student achievements at the Society's Conferences. In 2018, the Society established the Christie Davies Award to recognize notable graduate student and young scholar work in the Social Sciences. An Awards Committee, established by the ISHS Executive Board, currently determines the number and the size of each award based on merit, need, and the availability of funds. If you wish to contribute to this scholarship fund you can make a donation with your 2018 membership application.

The procedures for applying for these awards can be found in Working Rules appended to the ISHS Constitution.

Twenty Five Years of Developing a Community
of Humor Scholars by Alleen & Don Nilsen

Recently, Alleen and Don Nilsen wrote for the Journal of the American Humor Studies Association an article on their 25 years of service to humor scholarship in the United States and internationally.  ISHS is pleased to provide this article online to our members and others interested in humor studies. You can read the Nilsen's story as well as a recent Danish University of Education intereview with Don Nilsen by clicking on the links here.

    

Twenty Five Years of Developing a Community of Humor Scholars           JASH Table of Contents           Don Nilsen Interview

Volume 21:   Winter 2008 & Spring 2008        Summer 2008     Fall 2008

Volume 20:   Winter 2007      Spring 2007      Summer 2007     Fall 2007

Volume 19:   Winter 2006      Spring 2006      Summer 2006     Fall 2006

Volume 18:   Winter 2005 (One issue only)

Volume 17:   Winter 2004 & Spring 2004       Summer 2004      Fall 2004 

Volume 16:   Winter 2003     Spring 2003      Summer 2003      Fall 2003

Volume 15:   Winter 2002     Spring 2002      Summer 2002      Fall 2002

Volume 14:   Winter 2001     Spring 2001      Summer 2001      Fall 2001

Volume 13:   Winter 2000     Spring 2000      Summer 2000      Fall 2000