Rick Reilly and David Rakoff Finalists for Thurber Prize

Nominees for the 2011 Thurber Prize for American Humor have been announced, and Rick Reilly and David Rakoff are among the finalists for the annual humor writing prize. Reilly has been nominated for his book Sports from Hell: My Search for the World’s Dumbest Competition, and Rakoff has been nominated for his book Half Empty.

Also nominated was Mike Birbiglia, for his book Sleepwalk with Me: and Other Painfully True Stories.

Previous winners include Ian Frazier; Joe Keenan; David Sedaris; and Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, and David Javerbaum. This year’s winners will be announced during a ceremony on October 3rd at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, where James Thurber once made his home. The winner will receive a $5,000 prize. Click here for more information about Thurber House and the award.