Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop

A Hotel (Room) of My Own

I recently spent two weeks living and writing in the Dayton Marriott, a prize supported by humorist, Anna Lefler, and named in honor of my first newspaper crush, Erma Bombeck. As a mother of three, I’m constantly playing catch-up. Today, I stretched two pieces of lunch meat into four sandwiches. Last week, my son wore… Read More

Au Revoir, Dayton

“Comparison is the thief of joy, Mom.” The nerve of this kid. Even as I basked in the glow of being selected as an Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, the fruit of my loins had written an essay of his own. I was excitedly preparing for the singular opportunity to hole… Read More

Wallow in Words

“Who wouldn’t want this honor because Erma is the G.O.A.T.,” one writer wrote in a pitch to be selected for A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck | Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence Program. All applicants told us they thirst for a block of uninterrupted time to lock themselves in a hotel room and write. “My… Read More

May We Introduce Our Judges?

We have lined up dozens of remarkable authors, bloggers and humorists to review and rank the 2023 entries in A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck | Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence Program. The judges, all established writers, will narrow the field for final judging by improvisor Dion Flynn, best known as Barack Obama (and other… Read More

Entertainers Extraordinaire

Improvisor Dion Flynn, best known as Barack Obama (and other characters) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and comedy writer Monica Piper, head writer for the #1 children’s animated series Rugrats, will select two humor writers for a fun, unconventional writing residency that promises winners the gift of time to hole up in a hotel, write —… Read More

Two Words: Clean Towels

“Two words: clean towels,” one writer wrote in a pitch to be selected for A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck | Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence Program. The University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop is once again offering two emerging humor writers the opportunity to compete for an all-expenses-paid trip to Dayton, Ohio… Read More