But I do want to mention something I think I heard Calvin Trillin say once, when he came to talk to a writing class circa 1982. He said people were always asking him how he managed, again and again, to write humor that was just a little bit funny — gently humorous, civilized, New Yorkerish — but not super laugh-out-loud, bust-a-gut, knee-slapping, spittle-spewing hilarious. Trillin’s answer: “Actually, I’m going pedal to the metal.”