麻豆淫院

The role of the fool has deep origins in human society. In the past, kings and queens recognized the value鈥攔eally, the necessity鈥攐f appointing fools who would speak openly and even festively of uncomfortable matters that would otherwise proliferate and fester.

By breaking the spell of caution, timidity and fear that held others under its power, fools dissipated and dispelled a society鈥檚 accumulation of bad luck. Composed of the world鈥檚 strangest blend of wisdom and nonsense, this tradition fell into disrepair because of a mistaken notion that fools were no longer needed in democracies. The Center of the American West does not believe this is true!

On April Fool鈥檚 Day 2015, Patty Limerick, official University of Colorado fool as well as听official fool emerita of Yale University and Harvard University, spoke on the 鈥淔ool鈥檚 Enterprise: A Personal History.鈥� The talk also kicked off the , an enterprise conceived to celebrate those individuals whose skills and temperaments support the central conviction of the Center of the American West: A dose of good humor is essential to constructive public discussion, and not coincidentally, to public health.

The centerpiece of the Humor Initiative is the Distinguished Visiting Fool for a Day Award, which is presented once a year on the CU Boulder campus. This year, the Fool for a Day Award has been given to father-daughter duo Ian Frazier and Cora Frazier, both humorists who write for The New Yorker magazine and a host of other outlets.

On April 4, the Fraziers will accept their award and听join Limerick for a discussion on applying humor to a range of contemporary issues. Don鈥檛 expect a dour evening filled with flow charts and analytics. This night will feature free-roaming conversations, jokes, readings, plenty of laughter听and perhaps even a surprise treat for the audience!

The听event will be held on campus at Old Main Chapel and is free and open to the public.