The Horrors: An A to Z of Funny Thoughts on Awful Things

Author and stand-up comedian Demers (Vancouver Special) offers insight, both humorous and erudite, on topics such as "D for Depression," "F for Fat," "M for Motherlessness," and "U for Union-Busting" in 26 concise essays. Characterized by Demers's predominantly sarcastic tone, the essays strike a balance between the comic and the absurd, the political and the personal. Demers writes about his life and that of his family%E2%80%94including his mother dying from leukemia and his father coming out to his family as gay%E2%80%94with clarity, transparency and sensitivity. It is clear that politics have, from a young age, charted the course of Demers's character, and his socialist views are inextricable from his personality; many of the essays discuss them either intrinsically or as a side dish. In the second chapter, "B for Bombing," the author writes: "Success in comedy is just as unambiguous as failure." This is the ethos by which Demers's work succeeds%E2%80%94whether he's considering failure or success, his humor reminds the audience that life moves forward. Agent: John Pearce, Westwood Creative Artists. (June)