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The ISHS Newsletter—The Humorous Times Twenty
Five Years of Developing a Community |
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.
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.
2007 Executive Board ElectionFor its 2007 Board Election, the Society had three open positions: one for President and two for Executive Board Member-at-Large. The candidates for President were Christie Davies (Sociology, University of Reading) and Delia Chiaro (Translation, University of Bologna), and the candidates for Member-at-Large were Janet Bing (English, Old Dominion University), Martin Fuhr (Educ. Psychology, Danish University of Education), Christian Hempelmann (Chief Science Officer, Hakia.com), and Sven Svebak (Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology). Ballots went out with the Fall ISHS Newsletter on November 12 and balloting ended on December 20, 2007. The election winners were Christie Davies, Martin Fuhr, and Sven Svebak.
On January 1, 2008 Christie Davies succeeded Rod Martin as ISHS President, and Martin Fuhr and Sven Svebak replaced retiring Board members Alleen Nilsen and Masumi Muramatsu. The President's position carries a two-year term, running from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009. The Board Member-at-Large positions each carry four-year terms, running from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2011.
ISHS is pleased to announce special members-only book discounts from Transaction Publishers and Wayne State University Press. Through September 1, ISHS members can receive a 40% discount on three new publications in Transaction Publishers' Humor Studies series. For 2008, ISHS members can also receive 35% discount on books in Wayne State University's Humor in Life and Letters series, which contains the recent Understanding Humor in Japan.
Members, you can contact the ISHS Executive Secretary to receive your Transaction and Wayne State promotion codes. Click here to see the complete list of Transaction's Humor Studies and Wayne State's Humor in Life and Letter books.
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. 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. In 2006, the Society awarded three Graduate Student Awards. If you wish to contribute to this scholarship fund you can make a donation with your 2008 membership application.
Read the Winter 2006 Issue of The Humorous Times for additional information on the scholarship fund and the Society's Scholarly Contribution and Graduate Student Awards. The procedures for applying for these awards can be found in Working Rules appended to the ISHS Constitution.
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