Without doubt, the scariest and most bad-rapped netherworld figure is The Grim Reaper. But unjustly so, sez I. To most people — Death Metal and Dungeon Synth fans to the contrary — he’s an object of fear...shivering, bone-chilling, knee-shaking fear. But he shouldn’t be. After ...

Though there’s no way to prove it without a time machine, I think I started telling jokes in first grade. I was driven to it, since there was nothing else funny to be had within the Petrova school’s hallowed halls. By second grade I knew enough jokes, puns, riddles and word play to keep ...

Dybbuks, according to Eastern European Jewish folklore, are the malicious spirits of dead people. And because they’re malicious, they raise holy hell with those of us still shlepping on this mortal coil. While I don’t believe in dybbuks, ghosts, haints or other such characters from The ...

I believe there are two kinds of funny. The first is “Funny Ha Ha Ha!” This is the stuff that, in a flash, reduces you to hilarity. A perfect example for me is Mel Brooks’ movies. They’re anything for a laugh — puns, sight gags, slapstick goofs, weird anachronisms and ...

“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “Really moving.” “She” is Heidi Kretser, who’s always a joy to talk with. She’s bright, funny, well-informed, and always alight with enthusiasm and joy unbounded. “It” was something that happened to her at a big city ...

Although a lot of people complain about old age, I’m not one of them. Now, well past the three-quarter-century mark, I find this life stage fascinating. It has all the discoveries and changes of adolescence — just in reverse. In youth, you’re growing bigger, stronger, more aware, more ...