International Society for Humor Studies

ISHS News and Newsletter

 
 

Recent News from the Society

The ISHS Newsletter—The Humorous Times

2012 ISHS Conference

 

2013 Book Discounts

 

The ISHS Scholarship Fund

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

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 has 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. Beginning with the Fall 2012 Issue, The Humorous Times will also feature book reviews of recent publications in Humor Studies.

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 Fall 2012 Issue of The Humorous Times.

2012 ISHS Conference in Kraków, Poland
The 24th International Society for Humor Studies Conference was held from June 25 to June 29 on the campus of Jagellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Conferece Convener Wladyslaw, Chlopicki and his colleagues at Jagellonian University organized a wonderful program! The 2012 Conference began with five pre-conference tutorials on Monday, June 25. Christie Davies offered a workshop on Jokes: A comparative and social analysis; Jessica Milner Davis presented on Comedy and humour: How do literary genres relate to humour studies; Giselinde Kuipers taught Humor and social boundaries: Studying humor from a social science perspective; Victor Raskin, Christian Hempelmann, and Julia Taylor reviewed On the Road to the Ontological Semantic Theory of Humor, and Willibald Ruch offered Humour and Laughter: How does psychology define, measure and study them? From June 26 through June 29 the Conference included 12 plenary presentations and 183 presentations covering topics such as comedy, health, psychology, Polish humor, media, and literature. This year, the Conference included two additional events: The Humor TAP conference in Polish and two special sessions of LAFAL2 (Linguistic Approaches to Funniness, Amusement and Laughter). The Conference ended with the ISHS general assembly at whch Christie Davies received a lifetime achievement award for his humor research in the area of sociology
2013 Book Discounts
ISHS is pleased to announce the continuation of special members-only book discounts from Mouton DeGruyter, Wayne State University Press, and Transaction Publishers. For 2013, 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 and 25% discounts on books in Transaction Publishers' Humor Studies series.
     
Members, you can contact the ISHS Executive Secretary to receive your Wayne State and Transaction Publishers promotion codes. Click here to see a list of selected Mouton-DeGruyter, Wayne State, and Transaction's Humor series books.
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. 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 2013 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

 

ISHS Newsletter Archive

In consultation with Mouton DeGruyter, the International Society for Humor Studies is pleased to provide its members with online access to the current issues of the Society's Newsletter and pre-2006 issues that also appeared in the Society's journal, HUMOR: International Journal for Humor Research. For more information on our journal, please visit the Journal pages on the ISHS or the Mouton DeGruyter websites.

The ISHS Newsletter Archive currently contains the Society's Newsletters from Winter 2000 (Volume 13, Issue 1) through the current issue. Click on Volume 25, Fall 2012, to read the current issue of The Humorous Times. Current members, to access earlier issues of the Newsletter, you must enter your 2013 ISHS password.

Volume 25:   Winter 2012 & Spring 2012        Summer 2012     Fall 2012

Volume 24:   Winter 2011      Spring 2011      Summer 2011     Fall 2011

Volume 23:   Winter 2010 & Spring 2010        Summer 2010     Fall 2010

Volume 22:   Winter 2009           Spring & Summer 2009          Fall 2009

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