The Editors On the Web Excerpts: Selections from "Hokum: An Anthology of African-American Humor," chosen by Paul Beatty, the book's editor, who wrote an essay for the Book Review this week.

Hokum: An Anthology of African-American Humor (2006)

On the Real Side: Laughing, Lying, and Signifying-The Underground Tradition of African-American Humor that Transformed American Culture, from Slavery to Richard Pryor.

ON THE REAL SIDE: Laughing, Lying, and Signifying - The Underground Tradition of African-American Humor That Transformed American Culture, From Slavery to Richard Pryor.