This weekend, Tom Hanks—the celebrated actor, short story author, and iconic nice guy—made light of his recent bout with coronavirus. He’s fully recovered now. But since his diagnosis, he quipped in a Saturday Night Live monologue recorded at his home, “I have been more like America’s dad than ever before. Since no one wants to be around me very long and I make people uncomfortable.”
As Hanks obviously knows, humor is a superb coping mechanism. A little levity not only lifts the spirits, but also, medical research suggests, can lead to better physical health. And sometimes topical humor à la Hanks really hits the spot, like an anesthetizing ointment slathered on a wound. Sometimes, though, we all need a reprieve from current events. If a bit of comedic escapism sounds like just the ticket right now, try one of these laugh-out-loud offerings from the Mechanics’ Library cyber-shelves:
I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
This Book Will Put You to Sleep by K. McCoy
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
The Best of the Harvard Lampoon: 140 Years of American Humor