A humorist is a writer or performer whose main goal is to make people laugh and see the funny side of life. Mark Twain was one of America's greatest humorists, writing stories and essays that made readers laugh while also making them think. Erma Bombeck wrote newspaper columns about the humor in everyday family life, turning ordinary frustrations like messy kitchens and cranky kids into comedy.

Humorists differ from comedians in an important way: while comedians usually perform their humor live on stage, humorists typically write their comedy in books, essays, or articles. Some humorists do both.

What makes someone a humorist rather than just a funny person? Humorists craft their humor carefully, choosing exactly the right words and timing. They often find humor in situations everyone experiences but hadn't quite noticed were funny until the humorist pointed it out. A humorist might describe the awkwardness of a school assembly or the chaos of a family road trip in a way that makes you laugh out loud because it captures something true you recognize. Great humorists help us laugh at life's difficulties without being mean-spirited, finding the absurd and amusing in the world around us.