A WRITER on WRITING

Occasionally, on very rare occasions, I am asked what literary influences have influenced me. Being primarily a humorist, I have been most inspired by the following...
For a body of work during a career: P.G. Wodehouse whom Evelyn Waugh referred to as "...the greatest writer of the 20th century in any genre." No small compliment coming from a man known to have an exceedingly over-sized ego. Wodehouse once reviewed a play rather critically. In closing, he added that, perhaps, he had seen it at a disadvantage because "...when I saw it, the curtain was up".
For a school of humorists: the early New Yorker Magazine gang...Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Ring Lardner, James Thurber, etc.
For the greatest piece of humor ever written: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' by Oscar Wilde. Following his conviction on moral charges and sentenced to Reading Gaol, all of Wilde's plays were banned...all except 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. Even the authorities who had shamed him had to admit that play was a work of genius.
E. B. White, an assistant editor at the New Yorker, advised writers to be aware of "...the sounds that words make on paper". I believe that hearing is the most crucial of the five senses for an aspiring author. It is what helps a person establish his or her 'voice' and provides a guide for the elements of rhythm & cadence that are so fundamental to good prose. Listening to hundreds of hours of the great song writers has been of terrific benefit to me in that regard. I would humbly suggest that all aspiring writers spend time listening to the music & lyrics of Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe and, of course, the incomparable Cole Porter. Those boys exemplified the importance of brilliant phrasing. It's not enough to read what you've written; you must listen to what you've written.
During my 5 years of studying improvisational comedy at Chicago's famed Second City I was fortunate to learn many valuable lessons. For example: Never play (write) below your highest level of intelligence and never pander to the audience. I've always tried to keep those two maxims in mind.
Well, that's all folks. For those of you who are still awake, take 2 aspirins and don't ever call me in the morning.