He is the retired Emeritus Professor of Communication at the University of Michigan, where he also served for ten years as a department chairman. He spent a year in England as a Fulbright scholar, and he has authored or co-authored five books about television and radio.
Welcome to EdgarEWillis.com
Edgar E. Willis, retired Emeritus Professor of Communication at the University of Michigan continues to write books and star in videos while teaching us a life perspective that one can only gain from the wisdom of being 98 years old!
There’s a digital book example of Edgar’s World War II memoir and How to be Funny on Purpose. The Video page includes How to be Funny on Purpose video series and his interview about Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform.
Honor Flight Network -Edgar Takes Off
Edgar recently took part in Honor Flight. Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.
Click the links below and see more about Edgar’s Honor Flight:
>Toledo Blade: 98-year-old becomes oldest from area to make trip to WWII Memorial
>Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune: WWII vet, 98, makes Honor Flight trip
>FoxToledo.com: Honor Flight shuttles oldest vet to DC
>WTOL.com – Channel 11 Toledo: 2011’s last Honor Flight takes off for Washington D.C.
God bless our troops and God Bless America: Honor Flight Network
Of all of the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation—and as a culturally diverse, free society. Now, with over one thousand World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.
Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II
At 96, Edgar E. Willis completed his memoir of World War II. This memoir does not proceed chronologically but details how a civilian converted into a naval officer reacted to navy life. He found that the first captain of the USS Alaska was a rank incompetent. The second, who commanded the USS Alaska during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, performed his duties brilliantly. Further, the author found that the navy was governed by some rules that can be described as quaint or illogical. The Alaska suffered only one wartime casualty, but the author was in close proximity to where 300 ships were sunk and thousands of young Americans lost their lives.
Visit our Video page and watch the interview where Edgar reads from his memoir, discusses life on a Navy ship, and talks about his life before and after World War II.
Video: How to be Funny on Purpose – An Anatomy of Humor: Part 1 of 5
| It’s more than how to be funny. Edgar E. Willis breaks down why jokes are funny, what it takes to be funny, and how to set up jokes so they are funny. It’s the anatomy of humor… And Then Some! The How to be Funny series shot in 1995. This video might be a little grainy and old, but the teachings are sound.
You’ll find the rest of How to be Funny on Purpose video series plus Edgar’s interview about his memoir on our Video page. |
How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor
For centuries illustrious thinkers have speculated about what inspires the beguiling and uplifting sound of laughter. With their ideas in mind, Edgar Willis takes an innovative and sometimes startling approach to the subject. Its key element is a precise and practical set of instructions for turning the momentary flicker of an idea into a full-fledged and funny joke. He provides further enrichment with lively discussions of such relevant topics as: good jokes and bad ones, the often hilarious consequences of unintended humor, and the perils of being funny. He uses hundreds of jokes to illustrate techniques of joke making and shares anecdotes about his adventures and misadventures with humor. Most importantly it can amplify the response and sharpen the appreciation of people who relish hearing funny stories, and that includes almost everyone.
