Joe Queenan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joe Queenan (born November 3, 1950) is a contemporary humorist and critic from Philadelphia he has written for numerous publications such as Spy Magazine, Movieline, and the New York Times book review. Queenan is a self described "Hatchet Man", and is well known for his acerbic wit and caustic critiques. He has authored several books including Balsamic Dreams, a scathing critique of the Baby Boomers, and Red Lobster, White Trash, and the Blue Lagoon, a humorous tour of low-brow American Pop Culture.

His latest book, Queenan Country, documents his lifelong fascination with Great Britain. In it, he describes the special relationship Americans have with the British (although he notes humorously that the term "British" does not mean anything today, since it technically refers to people who now only live in Wales and would not consider themselves that).

Queenan's work, while widely praised for its humor, is also sometimes criticized for being gratuitous and mean-spirited. One example can be found in his brief public feud with author and humorist A.J. Jacobs, who read all 32 volumes of the Encyclopædia Britannica and wrote about his experiences in a book, The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. In October 2004, Queenan's harsh review of the book in The New York Times led to a brief feud between the two authors. Jacobs referred to Queenan as a "schoolyard bully" and some readers complained about his review as an unnecessary personal attack.

Joe Queenan lives in New York State, and is married to a British woman.