I suppose there’s always bad news, but the last few weeks feel incredibly heavy. No matter your perspective, my guess is we all want the same outcome: harmony, peace.  Oh yes, and for reputable news sites to do their due diligence in reporting.

My escape from the bad news? Humor. I seek it everywhere. Thankfully we’re not at a loss for funny, from tv (Modern Family and the new Blackish are both hilarious) to late night talk shows and brilliant humorists like Tina Fey, Chris Rock, and Amy Poehler. (Do I wish sometimes that my first job was writing for SNL in the 90s? Do you dream of Caribbean beaches in February?) And when it comes to satire, the New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs, the Onion and McSweeney’s are three favorite humor sites.

That’s why I’m thrilled this week to have a piece in McSweeney’s: The Rise and Fall and Rise of a Middle School: A Tragicomedy in Three Acts. I hope you’ll read it, laugh and be reminded that thankfully, there’s still plenty of material for the budding satirist. And also, this holiday season, save some pity for hapless bureaucrats the world over. It’s not always a fun job. Unlike this writing gig.