(If that last one doesn’t ring a bell, feel free to Google Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Nathaniel Hawthorne.) And, while we’re at it: Letters of introduction; letters of recommendation; and, ...

Over the years, I have written about 1,200 columns. I find that people are curious about the humor writing process. So, this week and next will not be humor columns; they will be columns about humor.