Pun Times: The O. Henry Museum Presents Screenings in the Square

Happy 146th birthday, William S. Porter! Join the party at Brush Square Saturday night by watching two films that celebrate the pun-loving short story writer who called himself O. Henry. Mr. Porter spent several years in Austin, where he wrote, sang, worked odd jobs and was accused of embezzlement – setting an example for many a subsequent slacker and guaranteeing that his place of residence is now treated as a virtual shrine to Keeping it Weird.

The reel entertainment (sorry, we were contractually obliged to include one bad pun) begins with a showing of O. Henry’s Full House, a film version of five short stories featuring the likes of Marilyn Monroe and John Steinbeck. After that it’s time for Pun Smoke, a film documenting the 2002 O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships, the strategic wordplay battle that pits one “have-wit” against another until someone is named top “punslinger.”

Puns may be considered the lowest form of humor, but you have to admit there’s something innocent and old-fashioned about them. And, as opposed to other language butcherers we’ve been hearing from lately, O. Henry devotees and their carefree puns don’t send shivers down our spine. You betcha we’re still cringing at the though of last Thursday’s overdose of Wassilliness, so sitting down for a round of more sophisticated linguistic demonstrations sounds like the perfect way to restore our faith in the power of a well-chosen word.