Cover of Wolfe's Woofers

    In his book, Dennis credits the idea for the "Woofer" column to former San Pedro Sun Editor Victoria Collins who hired a man to write jokes for the newspaper. When he ran out of jokes, Dennis stepped in with plenty of ammunition, happily provided by friends and family. In his acknowledgement, the author humbly refuses to take credit for the writing by saying, "I'm just the guy who re-tells the stories told by others. Without people to tell the stories to me, there would be no Woofers." The Woofer column also sparked a challenge from fellow SP Sun columnist Don Pearly ("Been there - done that") who took on Dennis week after week in a "joke off," - a contest eventually won by the Master Woofer!

    With a wealth of material, Dennis went to work. Putting his own "twist" on things, he began substituting the names of well-known "locals" in place of the characters in the jokes. Much of his humor has been a result of sitting around the "BS" table at Estel's Restaurant on the beach. Dennis's family, especially his wife Dulce, is often the butt of his jokes, although he does not discriminate. "If someone gives me permission to use them in a joke, I abuse the privilege completely." Frequent subjects, such as Casey Moore, Jo Castleberry or Barbara and Bill Wilkinson, can testify to this. His apology to those he has offended also appears in the book. (A warning to those Dennis has not made famous: There remains a "hit list" of victims - he is just waiting for the right joke to come along!)

    Material has never been a problem according to Dennis. If the local comedy well runs dry, the large number of international subscribers reading The San Pedro Sun replenishes it to overflowing. Generous as this may seem, it takes a sizeable amount of time to "clean up" a number of these submissions. "Some would cause my mother to faint and others would make a sailor blush," explained Dennis, who now receives an average of 15 jokes a day by E-mail. Contributions also arrive by "snail mail," decorated with stamps from not only the US but Canada, Mexico, England, Denmark and even Kosovo (as well as other truly exotic places like Caye Caulker and Louisiana).

    A creative and talented singer, songwriter, composer and performer, Dennis Wolfe also entertains the masses at popular nightspots on Ambergris Caye, as well as during his weekly performance on neighboring Caye Caulker. Well-known Texas recording artist Jerry Jeff Walker, a part-time SP resident, recorded Dennis's most famous song, an original composition entitled, "Just Another Gringo in Belize". Dennis has also produced two of his own CDs (Down by the Ocean and Gringo in Belize) and has another currently in the works.

    In his interview with The Sun, Dennis took time to thank all of the people who have helped him in so many ways. He gave special recognition and praise to his wife Dulce who he says "put the book together, complete with layout and design, and got it printed, too!" Ever the comedian, Dennis continued, "She knows I am too lazy to do anything but write, so she did all the hard work herself." To this remark, Dulce lovingly replied, "That's why I stay with him - music and laughter bring happiness!"

    Dennis and his wife Dulce reside on Ambergris Caye and are the parents of Melody (19) and Dennisito (13). Dulce is also the author of the book "Cooking with an Attitude," a compilation of local Belizean recipes handed down through her family.

    Anyone wishing a copy of Wolfe's Woofers, a first edition packed full of fun, may E-mail the author at denwolfe@btl.net or purchase the book at a variety of resorts, local gift shops, and bookstores on Ambergris Caye. It is the perfect gift for any occasion (or no occasion) and a classic addition to every home library (bathroom)!