Dictionary of Literary Biography: American Humorists

Humor has been one of this nation's most abundant and important natural resources from its emergence in regional folklore during the colonial and revolutionary eras to its reflection of urban society during the first half of the 20th century. Literary figures who made significant contributions to American humor are profiled in this volume, which also includes special articles on regional humor, humorous book illustration, newspaper syndication of humor, selected humorous magazines, and a supplementary reading list. "What emerges from even a casual study of the present collection . . . is a perception of the profound role humorists have played in this country," writes comic/commentator Steve Allen in the volume's foreword. "The study of American humor is a serious pursuit which yields its rewards in an understanding of our social history and, ultimately, of ourselves." 72 entries include: Ambrose Bierce, Davy Crockett, Clarence Day, Washington Irving, Ring Lardner, H. L. Mencken, Ogden Nash, Dorothy Parker, Will Rogers, Damon Runyon, Max Shulman, James Thurber, Mark Twain and E. B. White.