Stories from a Moron: Real Stories Rejected by Real Magazines

By Ed Broth and Jerry Seinfeld

Book Overview

"Sorry, there's no way we can use this."- "Plumpers Magazine" "As a word of advice, it always helps for writers to be familiar with the publications they submit material to."- "Fencers Quarterly Magazin"e Ed writes short stories. He's prolific. And desperate to get published. But he sends his stories to the wrong magazines. As for the magazines? Well, they don't mind telling him so: "Dear Ed: I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry..." "Dear Ed: Thank you for your recent submission to "Steamboat Magazine"; it was wonderful to hear how much our magazine has touched you..." "Dear Ed: We do not publish stories about individuals like Conugal Cal, or about underwear-no matter how often references are made to fencing." "Dear Mr. Broth: Thank you for providing the editors with an opportunity to review your manuscript, 'Luau Lester'..." "Dear Mr. Broth: Thank you for the opportunity to review your article, 'My Car Ride with Daddy, ' for possible publication in "Mushing.".." With this book, Ed Broth finally sees his work published. His "Stories of Hope & Inspiration" and his "Stories of Meaning & Sacrament" plus his passionate pitches to place his writing in our nation's premier publications-from "Pest Control Magazine" to "Arthritis Today"-are all to be found in the book you hold in your hands. Some might have advised Ed not to send his story "I Love Dogs" to "I Love Cats Magazine "or to stop submitting revised stories to editors who have already turned them down. But, well, that's just not the way Ed's mind works. Studded like a rich cranberry strudel with nuggets of genius -from cartoons and advertisements to actual newspaper articles from across the country - "Stories From a Moron" is an addictive journey into the mind of a great talent.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312326769
• ISBN13: 9780312326760
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

ABSOLUTELY BIG TIME FUNNY!!!!

Wow! This is like the craziest book I have ever read. It is that FUNNY! These are truly stories from a moron. I love Ed Broth! Whoever he is. He just keeps adding revisions to his already ridiculous story so that it becomes some weird mutant concoction that a magazine editor has no use for. Yet they patiently try and explain that to him. But Ed just keeps going on. Got a story about dirty laundry, sending it to a steamboat cruise company? They say it's not right for them. They're about fun old tyme cruises. Ed adds some steam boating, banjo playing, and good time Mark Twain fun to his dirty laundry story and re-sends it back to the Steamboat Magazine. They patiently explain it's now even more wrong for their readers. Ed then sends that mess to an Exterminator Magazine. They write him back & say they're a magazine that goes to exterminators and their readers want bug spray info, not steam boating or dirty laundry. Ed adds some exterminating and bug squishing to the story and resends it to the Exterminator Magazine. And so on and so on... This is a hilarious exchange of stories and letters back and forth between smaller magazines and a moron. A true comedy gem. Who is Ed Broth? This book is sensational!

Hysterical

The best thing about it is the stories inetrtwine. You'll be reading one, not sure if the guy is totally on drugs, and a few chapters later something will come up that causes tears to well up from laughter. A perscription to cure depression and bad moods.

I laughed so hard I couldn't breath

I read "Stories from a Moron" recently, and I laughed so hard at times that I couldn't catch my breath. If you like absurd humor - you'll love this book. If you think that "Letters From A Nut" is funny, you haven't seen anything yet.

Wonderful book!

Its great to hear one of the people who actually had correspondence with Ed respond. This is by far one of the best books that Jerry Seinfeld wrote (aka Ted L. Nancy, Ed Broth). I own the complete "Letters From A Nut" series and still laugh out loud every time I read it. Whether its "Conjugal Cal" or Ed's "possessed" shorty pajamas this book has it all with such submissions to odd magazines such as "Steamboat Magazine," "Muzzle Blasts," and "Sandlapper Magazine" surely ensue hilarity. This is a must read for anyone! Those who have read "Letters From A Nut" will find it even funnier with all the past references (Sandlapper, George Harrison Meatloaf)

A Very, Very Funny Book

Review By Nick Evangelista: I was one of "Ed Broth's" editorial contactees for this book (FENCERS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE). From day one, I just thought this individual was a raving looney. He kept submitting stories to me about his underwear and shorty pajamas, which really had nothing at all to do with the type of magazine I publish. My greatest fear was that "Ed" would show up unannounced on my front porch dressed in said shortie pajamas. The guy seemed kind of obsessed about his p.j.'s. It was a great relief to find out that his submissions were actually part of a book. With that said, "Stories from a Moron" is very funny. In fact, it gets funnier on subsequent readings (I think). "Ed Broth's" unflagging literary assaults on reality, pushing his stuff energetically at the wrongest of wrong magazine markets, over and over and over again, made me laugh so hard, my wife, who is a nurse, thought I was choking on food. "Stories from Moron" is the funniest book I've read in a long time.