I’m a Frivolous Writer in Serious Times

Is There Something Wrong with That?

I recently wrote a brief rant about a piece of writing advice that has always bugged me:

I was happy with the way it came out. It got my point across, in a way that I hoped was fun to read. When I shared it on Facebook, some readers agreed with my opinion. Others did not.

But? A couple of readers responded by telling me that the piece was offensively frivolous. Given the seriousness of our times, they told me, how dare I write about something so trivial?

I’ve never been a serious writer. I’m a humorist. Even when I (very occasionally) tackle a serious topic, I try to do it in a funny way.

Why? It’s my nature. I don’t take things seriously. I joke around. It’s who I am. (And because it’s who I’ve been for 65 years, I’m unlikely to change.)

And yet? Those critics might be right. There’s a Fascist in the White House, a pandemic is ranging out of control (largely due to the incompetence of the Fascist in the White House) and America, in turmoil, is finally beginning to confront its systemic racism.

And here I am, sitting on the sidelines, cracking jokes and riffing about writing rules.

I can’t turn myself into a serious writer. Nor do I want to. Others are far better than I am at addressing the serious stuff.

At best, I can claim to provide a bit of Comic Relief.

Some readers were quick to defend me from my critics. Even if the world is falling apart, they said, we still need to laugh.

Do we?

( Medium Sherpa and Writing Coach Roz Warren writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times and is the author of Our Bodies, Our Shelves: Library Humor.)