I have so much to say about this excellent post over at ebookclassics that I don’t think I have time to get to it all today. I can’t resist posting a little piece on it today, though, and I hope you all will post your opinions on it!
The basic facts: Lawrence Hill interviewed Rudy Wiebe and asked if writing comedy was a laudable thing to do and Rudy Wiebe responded with this ridiculous statement: “Laughter is not a way to understand.” Then, Russell Smith published a fabulous satirical article in response to Wiebe’s statement in the Globe and Mail. It was brilliant and you should all go read it.
My responses right now:
1. Poor, poor Rudy Wiebe. I know from experience that when being recorded, things come flying out of your mouth that you come to regret later. But seriously, dude. That was just not a smart thing to say from any standpoint.
2. Canada is famous for understanding the world through laughter – why disregard that? We’re good at it and it’s important.
3. I feel my familiar rant about awards/critics/important-sounding-people rarely giving credit to joyous books, only to those books that are dark/melancholy/troubling. Making people laugh or be joyous is a tremendously difficult thing to do well.
4. Wondering what Kirtles thinks of this as he has been having trouble finding real humour in Canadian books lately.
writereads 
I hate laughter. Especially the laughter of children. – Kirt
Ha ha … oh Kirt. Thanks for mentioning my post. I am equally fascinated by this topic and have vowed to search out and read more funny Canadian books.
I completely agree with this (and I commented on C.J.’s post as well)! I think writing truly funny books would actually be harder than writing the serious, heavy books. That’s why the serious, heavy ones are so much easier to find. Now, I love the serious, heavy books, but I also a love a good laugh or at least some witty remarks in my reading, too, from time to time. And, Canada has lots of it!
As Canadians, I think we are know for our humour. Just look at SNL. And I do think writing humour must be quite difficult. Especially it it is intelligent humour, which is everybody’s fav. Poor Rudy Wiebe