Last year, Redding's resident comedian/actor/author Michael Ian Black wanted to do something special for Mark Twain Library. He went to the library's greatest cheerleaders, board members Pam Robey and Jen Wastrom, on a mission to raise funds while celebrating the art of comedy. Thus, the Pudd'nhead Prize for Outstanding Humor, named after the novel by the king of wit and library founder Mark Twain, was born.
The inaugural prize went to Roz Chast, celebrated New Yorker cartoonist and Ridgefield resident known for her wry worldview and humorously neurotic characters. Her prize was presented during a special fundraising gala at InSitu, Michael Marocco's absolutely gorgeous 8 acre Redding property that has been featured in Architectural Digest and Metropolitan Home.