JAMES THURBER
James Thurber, one of the outstanding American humorists of the
twentieth century, is known for his distinctively funny cartoons and
short stories. His concise, witty prose spanned a breadth of genres,
including autobiography, fiction, children's fantasy, and modern
commentary, and two of his short stories, "The Catbird Seat" and
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," are among the best-known classics
of American literature.
Thurber was born in Columbus on December 8, 1894. His father was a
clerk who often served politicians, and his mother was an eccentric
woman who would be an influence for many of his stories. Thurber had
two brothers. As a young boy, Thurber lost sight in one of his eyes
while playing "William Tell" with his brothers, an accident which
eventually caused him to go completely blind later in life. Still,
Thurber had a fairly normal childhood. Thurber attended local public
schools. He went to the Ohio State University from 1913-1917, when
the Thurbers rented the house at 77 Jefferson Avenue, which is now
Thurber House. Due to his eye injury, Thurber never completed a
compulsory ROTC course and did not graduate from Ohio State, though
he received a posthumous degree.
Thurber launched his professional writing career as a reporter for
the Columbus Dispatch in 1920. He began writing for the New Yorker
in 1927 after friend E.B. White (Charlotte's Web) got him a job at
the magazine. Thurber started as an editor for the magazine but
quickly became a writer. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930,
when White dug some of Thurber's drawings out of the trash and
submitted them to be published in the New Yorker.
Though hampered by failing eyesight, Thurber wrote nearly forty
books, including collections of essays, short stories, fables, and
children's stories. He won a Tony Award for his popular Broadway
play, A Thurber Carnival, in which he often starred as himself.
Thurber died of complications from pneumonia on November 2, 1961. He
is buried in Columbus' Greenlawn Cemetery.
James Thurber, one of the outstanding American humorists of the
twentieth century, is known for his distinctively funny cartoons and
short stories. His concise, witty prose spanned a breadth of genres,
including autobiography, fiction, children's fantasy, and modern
commentary, and two of his short stories, "The Catbird Seat" and
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," are among the best-known classics
of American literature.
Thurber was born in Columbus on December 8, 1894. His father was a
clerk who often served politicians, and his mother was an eccentric
woman who would be an influence for many of his stories. Thurber had
two brothers. As a young boy, Thurber lost sight in one of his eyes
while playing "William Tell" with his brothers, an accident which
eventually caused him to go completely blind later in life. Still,
Thurber had a fairly normal childhood. Thurber attended local public
schools. He went to the Ohio State University from 1913-1917, when
the Thurbers rented the house at 77 Jefferson Avenue, which is now
Thurber House. Due to his eye injury, Thurber never completed a
compulsory ROTC course and did not graduate from Ohio State, though
he received a posthumous degree.
Thurber launched his professional writing career as a reporter for
the Columbus Dispatch in 1920. He began writing for the New Yorker
in 1927 after friend E.B. White (Charlotte's Web) got him a job at
the magazine. Thurber started as an editor for the magazine but
quickly became a writer. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930,
when White dug some of Thurber's drawings out of the trash and
submitted them to be published in the New Yorker.
Though hampered by failing eyesight, Thurber wrote nearly forty
books, including collections of essays, short stories, fables, and
children's stories. He won a Tony Award for his popular Broadway
play, A Thurber Carnival, in which he often starred as himself.
Thurber died of complications from pneumonia on November 2, 1961. He
is buried in Columbus' Greenlawn Cemetery.