2007 Humor Stories

(click on photo to read children's story)

Thanks to Gabe Wolf for taking most of the photos.

Jereme Altenberg		J.T. Altenberg has lived in the Bay Area all his life. His most regarded work of his writing career is his most recent memoir, “The Cool Bus.” Altenberg also enjoys listening to and playing all sorts of music. He mainly plays the bass, but also enjoys playing the piano, guitar, and saxophone.
Jill Anderson		Born and raised in Berkeley, Jill lives with her father, mother, and 16 year old brother, in the house next door to the house she was born into. When it comes to college, not wanting to leave the magnificent ocean, she is determined to continue on with her interest in both nutrition and Spanish somewhere along the coast of California.
Lizzy Arnason		Lizzy Arnason has lived in Berkeley her entire life. She currently lives with her mom, her dad and her cat, she has one sister who is away at college but calls a little too often. Lizzy loves shopping, sewing and fashion design, and she believes that one should always dress up for any occasion. Lizzy plans to attend a university in a metropolitan area next year.
Mariel Austin		Sewage and dragons and Communists, oh my!
Maggie Bond		Maggie was born in Oakland, but now resides in Berkeley. Her house is populated by giants, and she spends the majority of her time there standing on chairs to reach things. When she isn’t shamelessly plugging her zine “Evidence”, she is dreaming of college campuses with weather. She has always believed in snow, but in her young life has not yet found it.
Leanne Brotsky		Leanne was born and raised in Berkeley. When she’s not dancing, she likes to read, watch TV, and drive around with friends listening to ’90s pop. Next year she hopes to be on the East Coast studying psychology. Leanne follows the advice of a very wise woman who said, “Tis a far far better thing doing stuff for other people.”
Nadia Brunner-Valesquez		Nadia resides in southwest Berkeley, her hometown since the day her mother birthed her. She enjoys the simple pleasures in life, some include people-watching, chatting, and nutella. One day, she hopes to live in Germany with her five children. She also hopes that you can find some humor in her humor story.
Bobbie Burgos		Bobbie is a chill gal. She's gone to Berkeley schools her entire life, but can't wait to get out and go to college. Bobbie will be attending Humboldt State University in the fall. She hopes to, in the future, fulfill her dream of working at Planned Parenthood. Bobbie hopes that you enjoy her stories because they're pretty amazing.
Kristina Chan		With two English teachers for parents, Kristina often feels pressure to write brilliant stories and inspired essays. Next year, she plans to attend some college and study something.
Laura Cornwall		Laura listens to film scores late at night and loves words more than she ought to. She idolizes Anne Carson (reality is a sound, you have to tune in to it not just keep yelling) and Wes Anderson (of course it's dark, it's a suicide note). She creates art vicariously, this time giving her characters a camera and a blank wall.
Eileen Cullen		Eileen lives with her mom, and luckily, just five houses away from her older brother and his family (which includes her five month old nephew). She loves all music and her friends are the most cherished things in her life. She loves kids and plans to be a second grade teacher when she gets older.
Felicia Evans		Felicia has lived in Berkeley all her life. She's the oldest sibling in her family and she adores writing poetry and short stories Felicia wants to attend Merrit College for two years to study journalism or criminal justice.
Rose Fadem-Johnston		Rose Fadem-Johnston has all ways lived in Berkeley. Because of this her childhood was filled with strange politics, and equally strange family excursions. She believes strongly in smiling at the awkward moments in life, and hopes these moments continue to provide amusement for years to come. She fully plans on riding off into the sunset when all is said and done.
Natalie Gaber		A few years ago, Natalie’s previously straight hair decided to go haywire and transform itself into a huge, frizzy mass. Thanks to years of experimentation and super-strength products, she is now an expert on frizz control. Natalie hopes that Frannie’s story will inspire frizzy-haired girls everywhere to embrace and love their frizz!
Megan Gaebler		A born and raised Berkeleyite, Megan has four siblings. Some might say this is an inordinate amount of children, but Megan can’t imagine life without her three brothers and one sister. Next year, she hopes to attend UCSC and minor in music with an undecided major.
Misha Gates		Misha has lived in Berkeley her whole life with her mother and dog. She would like to say that if you liked her memoir, then you will like her short story. As you can see there is a consistent theme running through both of them: adoption. The story is sad but refreshing at the same time. Enjoy!
Emily Gee		Emily Gee has lived in Berkeley all of her life, besides the three years she spent in Lawrence Kansas. She’s always enjoyed English as a subject in school, and was excited at the idea of a class concentrating on creative writing rather than the classic essay. Aside from school, Emily’s true passion is music. Music defines her in a way neither writing nor talking can seem to do. In summer of 2006, she ventured to a music camp where her, and her cello Eleanor, had an experience they’ll never forget.
Ian Gill		If some of the details in Ian’s story don’t make sense, it’s because his story is really just a really long inside joke that only he understands (it’s for personal satisfaction, more than anything else). He’ll explain it if you want, but it takes away some of the magic. In his spare time, Ian enjoys badminton, romantic comedies, and abstract expressionism.
Anthony Granados		Anthony Granados was born in Wales in 1960. He lived there for 12 years before moving to California to complete his education. Attending Harvey Mudd College in 1981, he met his future wife Arya in a basket weaving seminar. He returned to his home is Wales in 1989 where he now lives with his wife and two sons, Daxius and Alessan.
Rebecca Hardin		Rebecca Hardin was born in Berkeley California, where she currently resides with her parents and two cats. She hopes to study either business or biochemistry at UC Berkeley next year. She tries to make the best of what life gives her, and lives by the motto, "stuff happens." When she isn't studying, she practices the violin and enjoys playing chamber music.
Evan Hughes		A native of the Bay Area, Evan Hughes resides in the North Side of Berkeley, where he spends his days practicing drums and writing stories. He lives with his two parents, his younger brother, and his identical twin cats. He hopes you enjoy his childrens story. Believe it or not, most elements of this story were based on real events. Evan will attend New York University next year and pursue both academics and music.
Noah Isaacs		Noah Isaacs has lived in Berkeley all of his life. Noah comes from a long line of teachers, but so far has much to learn, and little to teach. Noah’s one passion in life is creativity, whether it is writing stories, making pottery, or composing music.
Tessaly Jen		Tessaly was born in Berkeley and has lived there ever since. She loves dancing, traveling, spending time with her family, and of course eating. Though she doesn’t expect to become a writer she enjoys creative writing, and in particular, short story writing.
Judith Joy		Judith Joy lives in Berkeley, California with her mom. She lost her childhood hero when she was ten years old but hopes to someday find her again. Next year Judith plans to go to college and succeed.
Lucien Kahn		Lucien Kahn was born in Berkeley, California. He loves it in Berkeley but would like to go to a small liberal arts college on the East Coast next year. Lucien’s guiding philosophy is Mayonnaise in Moderation. He really likes alliteration and explaining his motto to curious and eager listeners.
Ariel Krizack		Ariel is a Berkeley native, born and raised. She lives with a small family of mom, dad, and dog. She is a fan of music, art, and food. She reps the B all day, everyday.
Anna McDowell		Anna McDowell was born in Brooklyn and moved to California at the ripe age of 3. Her father was born in Belfast, giving her dual citizenship and more freckles than she can count. She reminds her reader: her life is much less morbid than the tale she has created. Enjoy.
Sophie Meryash		Sophie Meryash was born in Santa Monica, but moved to Berkeley at a tender age of three. Her mother is a Berkeley native and attended the University of Santa Barbara; Sophie aspires to follow in her footsteps. Like Andrew WK, she believes that we should all “party hard,” along with her own life philosophy of working hard. Sophie hopes you will find her memoir both interesting and relatable.
Adam Miller		Adam Miller was born at Alta Bates hospital in Berkeley, CA, and has lived in the same house ever since. He has one older brother, and two great parents. The memoir written here deals with great experiences gone bad, and what good can come out of it. He feels you cannot take life too seriously, or it could slip by you in a fit of worry. He hopes to attend Pratt Institute in New York to study industrial design next fall
Alex Mokhtari-Fox		Alex was born and raised in Berkeley. His story deals with some teenagers who find themselves in a predicament after one character gets a girlfriend. He believes you shouldn't think too much and just let your hands and heart do the writing.
Mari Monosoff-Richards		Mari is going to college! Burger King will have to wait until she's applying to grad school or to med school.
Andrea Morris		Andrea Morris resides in Oakland, California. Growing up, she came to believe that every creature has an individual spirit. She has expanded this to include kitchen appliances. Now she wakes up to see her microwave grinning at her. Enjoy!
Caitlin Morrissey		Caitlin Morrissey loves writing children’s stories. She thinks that it’s because as a child, she loved children’s books and would always make her parents read her to sleep every night. She thinks it also could be that she is still very child-like even as a grown adult, and often wishes she could be a princess. Who writes children’s stories in Mr. Bye’s class.
Sara Nazeer		People are different from one another. A lot of times we convince ourselves on one decision that makes us believe in what we see in one particular person and then we make observations from that. I would like to proof that this is wrong.
James Nolting		James lived in Las Vegas for half his life and had a very large pool, but he likes Berkeley better. He has no ambitions or goals in life yet, so he should probably get started on that. In his memoir, he talks about a llama dying, so if you really like llamas, you probably shouldn't read it.
Caitlin O'Donnell		Caitlin O’Donnell grew up in Berkeley, California. She loves creative writing and hopes you enjoy her story.
Sam Pardee		Sam Pardee has lived in Berkeley all his life. He’s heard every joke about his name so don’t even bother. In fact, he doesn’t like boring family vacations, though it’s possible his memoir would lead you to believe he does.
Mary Pinto		Mary has lived in Berkeley her entire life. Her dream is to attend the prestigious and fictional Pennbrook College. After graduating, she plans to move to Queensland, Australia. Ideally, Mary wants to start a kangaroo and koala farm and fine-tune her Aussie accent.
Lindsay Rotblatt		Born and raised in Berkeley, CA, for pleasure, Lindsay enjoys sipping frothy lattés and reading the New York Times or Washington Post. She revels in good political discussion and frequents Los Angeles when Berkeley begins to give her headaches. She studied french this summer in Nice, France and hopes to study Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California or some other school with good weather.
Ben Rubin		Born in Summit Hospital in Oakland, Ben has lived in Berkeley his whole life. He has had an interest in science and mountain biking throughout high school. Next year, he hopes to attend a small liberal arts school on the east coast.
Jacob Rubin		Jacob Rubin has lived in three places, more than half of which are in the Bay Area. His family has been described as "literate" and "adjusted" by popular news sources. Jacob's story might be the greatest thing you've ever read. He's cocky about that sort of thing. He aspires to be a 40-year-old art student.
Ada Ruzer		Ada like many people in this world is…not funny. She attempts to hide it in corners of rooms, underneath couches, behind the television set, but more often than not, people rat her fiercely hidden secret out. She hopes that you the reader will have enough empathy to withstand her sometimes biting but often times ‘special’ (to say the least) humor.
Alina Schnake-Mahl		Alina Schnake-Mahl’s birthday is January 23. The very day, coincidentally, that this assignment was due. Her story has nothing to do with her birthday, but the date of her birth is a useful bit of information. She hopes you will store it in your brain, and read her story.
Sebastian Schwelm		Sebastian was born in San Francisco and moved to Berkeley in 2002. He swears he isn’t clumsy or accident prone, but he does admit to making haphazard decisions every once in a while. Accordingly, Sebastian has a very “let-it-happen” mentality that probably gives fate too much credit. He hopes to study music in college, and avoid the obvious temptation of dropping out and becoming a ski bum.
Reddy Seelam		Reddy is a dot dot Indian, form a distant city called Milpitas. He spent most of his life in India and came back in 2002 to be with is parents after 6 years of separateness. he likes the guitar, but when he tried to play it, it broke. so he just listens to the music, but never dared go near it again. he likes books, computers and cars. But now he is going back again to India to do medicine for another 5 years. "damn my life sucks."
Jacob Shandling		Jacob was born in Oakland, California at Children’s Hospital, and has lived in Berkeley for his entire life. He has always had a fondness for the outdoors, music, and other forms of art. He tries to hold highly the idea that it is of the utmost importance to keep the important things in life at the center of it.
Ruby Shapiro		Ruby Shapiro has lived in Richmond ever since she was two. She is the fourth member of her family to attend Berkeley High School in the last twenty two years. Even though Ruby is allergic to dust, dirt, and grass she has played softball her entire life. She is not happy about getting older but is excited about a new college setting.
Joe Shemuel		Joe is proud to have lived in Berkeley all his life. An only child, he spends his time with headphones on his head, a pen in his hand, and sandals on his feet. Stemming from an abbreviated line of relatively unknown writers, Joe hopes for the sake of his under-inflated ego that you’ll find his humor story… err… humorous. Enjoy.
Eunjie Song		Eunjie, better known as Angie, hopes her readers will not find her story too offending. She loves dancing, but by no means would she ever even consider entering such a career as the one depicted in her novel. She is originally from Korea and moved into the U.S. in 2002 so her father could become a Lutheran pastor. She attends church weekly and steers clear of the corner of Fourth and Fremont. She just likes to read articles about social issues a lot, that's all.
Amelia Starr		Amelia Starr divides her time between Berkeley and Moraga. She loves pie and highlighting. Amelia often feels that she might as well sleep at JLAC because she is there so often for crew practice. She is partial to green M&M’s. Amelia loves Berkeley, but wants to go to college somewhere that has seasons.
Megan Stimpson		Megan has lived in Berkeley all her life. She thinks her family is amusing (which is why she chose to write about them).
Maddy Trumble		Maddy has lived in Berkeley all her life and absolutely loves it. She enjoys dancing and singing, and on occasion, doing them both at the same time. Maddy lives with her mom and little sister, and her brother when he visits from New York. Maddy plans to attend The University of Michigan this fall, and will major in Musical Theater.
Ari Usher		Arielle Usher has wandered in a haze of questions since her first waking moment. She finds herself now, in her final moments of high school, no less confused than when she started out. But that is just fine for the time being, as she plans to spend the rest of her life dispelling said confusion.
Kiara Vaughn		Kiara has lived in Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Fresno at some point in her life. Each city has given her an experience to add to her list of events that she plans to put in her autobiography sometime in the future. She plans to attend Holy Names College in the fall of 2007 and study forensic psychology.
Sterling Weaver		Sterling has grown up in Berkeley most of his. At sixteen years old, He is an aspiring firefighter and, hopes to attend Florida A&M University, in Fall of 2007, where he will major in either criminal justice, or fire science.
Melissa Wee		Melissa tried writing three different humor stories. Finally, she stuck with one and gave a finished draft to her editor (her little sister) who read it and said, “I hate it. It’s sad. It makes me want to kill myself.” Melissa really hopes you can take her humor story lightly and that it doesn’t make you want to kill yourself.
Theo Wilson		Think suicide is funny? Then read this! Theo would very much like you to read his story. He says that it is very humorous, and guarantees that you will laugh on every page—all 18 1/2 of them!
Gabe Wolf		Gabe has lived in Berkeley all his life, and is a 5^th generation Bay Area native. He enjoys traveling, and spends his spare time playing ice hockey, hanging out with friends or generally having fun. If Gabe was an ice cream flavor, he would be mint chocolate chip.
David Yu		David Yu was born in San Francisco. He has resided in Boston, Maryland, San Mateo, and Berkeley. David feels a strong connection to his family and friends. He enjoys reflecting on his past and analyzing the moment, a true Apollonian. David hopes to attend Harvard next year.