Late Carlin honored with Twain prize

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. comedian George Carlin was posthumously honored with the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Carlin died last June of heart failure at the age of 71.

The Washington Post said Bill Maher, Lewis Black, Denis Leary, Lily Tomlin, Jon Stewart, Joan Rivers and Garry Shandling were among those who turned out to pay tribute to Carlin at Monday night's event. In the audience were Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin-McCall, and his brother, Patrick.

Black recalled a time when he tried unsuccessfully to talk his father into traveling to a ceremony to see him collect an award.

His father changed his mind when he heard Carlin would be there. "Do you think I could meet him?" Black said his father inquired.

Promised that he could, the elder man booked the trip.

"An 82-year-old groupie!" the Post quoted Black as saying, adding, "Without your presence among us, George, the world is a less funny place."