I watched Bill Maher receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a man who – whatever your feelings about him – adheres closer to the spirit of Twain, in his biting social commentary, than most of the previous recipients. Though he is, like all of them – with the exception of Neil Simon – primarily an entertainer. Looking over the list – Billy Crystal, Carol Burnett, Kevin Hart, Tina Fey – you wonder why there are no writers like Nora Ephron, Garrison Keillor, Roy Blount Jr., Dave Barry, David Sedaris, or even Fran Lebowitz who, like Twain, now makes a living as a public speaker.
