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Author: David Sedaris. Summary: The essay recounts Sedaris’s surreal experiences working as an elf at Macy's department store during the holiday season.

Author: Joan Didion. Summary: In this reflective essay, Didion humorously mourns her youthful illusions about New York City, which she eventually outgrew and left behind.

Author: Chuck Klosterman. Summary: Through a series of essays, Klosterman provides humorous observations and analyses of popular culture and the absurdities of modern life.

Author: E.M. Forster. Summary: Forster humorously comments on the effects of property ownership on human character, temperament, and social interactions after purchasing some woodland.

Author: H.P. Lovecraft. Summary: While not outright humorous, this long essay does contain Lovecraft’s wry observations on the nature of horror in literature, tracing its roots with a sardonic tone.

Author: Bill Bryson. Summary: Bryson's essay captures his return to America after two decades in Britain, humorously commenting on the quirks and novelties of American life.

Author: Bertrand Russell. Summary: Russell humorously advocates for a societal shift towards appreciating leisure and reducing work hours, arguing that idleness is necessary for a happy life.

Author: Meghan Daum. Summary: This collection of essays offers a satirical and often ironic look at the author’s experiences in the struggle with cross-generational cultural expectations.

Author: Ambrose Bierce. Summary: More a collection of satirical definitions than traditional essays, Bierce’s work humorously redefines common words in a cynical and biting manner.

Author: Mark Twain. Summary: A comical essay where Twain imagines the mundane and absurd aspects of daily life at the South Pole, poking fun at human adventure and exploration.

Author: David Sedaris. Summary: This essay recounts the author’s experiences while trying to learn French in Paris, humorously exploring the struggles and anxieties of learning a new language.

Author: Junot Díaz. Summary: This essay is a satirical take on the rituals of dating, structured as a set of instructions to a young man navigating racial stereotypes and social expectations.

Author: James Thurber. Summary: This humorous essay details the hassles and social intricacies involved in preparing and attending a cow's party, showcasing the absurdity of social norms.

Author: Amy Poehler. Summary: In this autobiographical essay collection, Poehler shares humorous stories and thoughts on a variety of topics, blending comedy with moments of genuine introspection.

Author: Virginia Woolf. Summary: This essay isn’t traditionally humorous, but it uses light irony to meditate on the nature of life and death as Woolf observes a moth struggling against its inevitable demise.

Author: Richard Hofstadter. Summary: This political essay uses subtle humor to analyze American political culture's tendency towards conspiracy theories and grandiose fears of perceived enemies.

Author: Jonathan Swift. Summary: This essay is a satirical piece that suggests the poor Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food to rich gentlemen and ladies.

Author: David Foster Wallace. Summary: Originally published as a review of the Maine Lobster Festival, the essay delves into the ethics of boiling lobsters alive, intersecting gourmet food critique with a philosophical musing.

Author: Henry David Thoreau. Summary: Thoreau occasionally uses humor in his reflections on simple living in natural surroundings, but the work is mostly transcendentalist in nature.