Josh Kornbluth is, well, not funny.

• Author: Westphal, Scott
• Position: Letters to the Editor - Brief Article - Letter to the Editor

Andrea Lewis ("Josh Kornbluth Is Funny," December issue) must have been at the end of the line when the big guy was handing out senses of humor. She cites a mildly positive L.A. Times review of Haiku Tunnel and lists adjectives describing Kornbluth--"straight ahead," "friendly," "intriguing," "and, well, unusual"--that are so innocuous that the reader should get the point that Josh Kornbluth is, well, not funny.

Pedigree--so amply detailed by Lewis in the case of Kornbluth--is no substitute for the qualities of an artist's actual work (or the substance of someone's progressive politics). Kornbluth lacks a deep political or aesthetic sense and seemingly avoids making much of any statement in his...