Fools, April and literature have shared a long and dangerous tradition. When St. Chrysostom lastingly defined the Fool in the third century as "he who gets slapped," the slapping had already been going on for some time. Dialogues from ancient Greece and Rome show professional buffoons like 'Philip the laughter-maker' topping philosophers who should know better, like Socrates. The best slapschtick was collected, and jest-books of routines and one-liners -- literal 'best hits' -- were treasured reading for the Fools on the banquet circuit. ... FULL STORY »
