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Last edited by Drini
October 25, 2023 | History
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James Thurber

The author of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and the creator of numerous New Yorker magazine cover cartoons, was born in Columbus, Ohio on December, 8, 1894. One of the foremost American humorists of the 20th century, his inimitable wit and pithy prose spanned a breadth of genres, including short stories, modern commentary, fiction, children's fantasy and letters.

Thurber's father, Charles, was a civil clerk, and his mother, Mame, was an eccentric woman who would influence many of her son's stories. Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. One day while playing "William Tell" with them as youngsters, Thurber lost the sight in one eye when an arrow pierced it. Ultimately, he would go blind in both eyes, but that never stopped him from writing or drawing.

Thurber CarnivalFrom 1913-1917, Thurber attended the Ohio State University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. It was at this time that the Thurbers rented the house at 77 Jefferson Avenue, which became Thurber House in 1984. Due to his eye injury, Thurber was not able to complete a compulsory ROTC course so OSU would not let him graduate, although they did give him an honorary degree later.

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.

Thurber wrote nearly forty books and 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.

--Thurberhouse.org

Photo of James Thurber

American cartoonist, author, journalist, playwright (1894–1961)

Born 8 December 1894
Died 2 November 1961

176 works Add another?

  • Cover of: Julius Caesar and Related Readings (Literature Connections)

    First published in 1996 — 3 editions
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  • Cover of: Prentice Hall Literature: Bronze
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    Cover of edition literature00pren_0 Cover of edition prenticehalllite07koel First published in 1991 — 3 editions
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  • Cover of: New Jersey: Prentice Hall Literature
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    Cover of edition alabamaprenticeh0000feld Cover of edition prenticehalllite0000unkn First published in 2007 — 3 editions
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  • Cover of: Prentice Hall Literature: Copper
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    Cover of edition prenticehalllite0000koel First published in 1991 — 3 editions
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  • Cover of: Prentice Hall: Literature: Copper
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    First published in 1994 — 3 editions
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  • Cover of: Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: Reader's Companion: Bronze Level
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    Cover of edition litereaturetimel00pear First published in 2003 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: In a Word

    First published in 1989 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Selected Shorts: Timeless Classics (Selected Shorts series)

    First published in 2006 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: THURBER

    First published in 1982 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Years With Ross
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    First published in 1985 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: The 13 clocks ; and, The wonderful O

    First published in 1966 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Better to Have Loafed and Lost
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    First published in 2002 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Muchas Lunas

    First published in 1993 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: My Life and Hard Times (Rep)

    First published in 1990 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: My World--And Welcome to It (Harvest Book)
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    First published in 1969 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: The unicorn in the garden and other fables for our time

    First published in 1986 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: The beast in me and other animals: a new collection of pieces and drawings about human beings and less alarming creatures
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    First published in 1948 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: The Britannica Library of Great American Writing: Volume II
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    Cover of edition unset0000unse_l1c2 First published in 1960 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Prentice Hall Literature: Reader's Companion: Bronze Level
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    First published in 2004 — 2 editions
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  • Cover of: The Thurber letters: the wit, wisdom, and surprising life of James Thurber
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    First published in 2002 — 2 editions
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Photo of James Thurber

American cartoonist, author, journalist, playwright (1894–1961)

Born 8 December 1894
Died 2 November 1961

Subjects

Fiction, American wit and humor, Juvenile fiction, Children's fiction, Pictorial American wit and humor, American literature, Literature, American Humorous stories, Drama, Fiction, general, American fiction (fictional works by one author), Humor, Humorous stories, Readers (Secondary), Classic Literature, Fairy tales, Juvenile literature, Reading Level-Grade 11, Reading Level-Grade 12, Social life and customs, Study and teaching (Secondary), short story, Biography, English literature, Families

Places

United States, Massachusetts, Alabama, Baker Street, London, Owl Creek Bridge, Amazon rainforest, Caribbean, Italy, New England, Ship-Trap Island, Tibet, Verona, Andover, Barbados, China, Eastern Europe, England, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Salem, Salem (Mass.), Salem Village, Soviet Union, Florida, Fountain of Youth

People

Devil, James Thurber (1894-1961), Archie, Duncan Ross, Jabez Wilson, John Clay, John H. Watson, Mr. Merryweather, Peyton Farquhar, Police Inspector Jones, Sherlock Holmes, Vincent Spaulding, Abram, Balthasar, Benvolio, Escalus, Friar John, Friar Lawrence, General Zaroff, Goodman Brown, Gregory, Ivan, Juliet Capulet, Lady Capulet, Lady Montague

Time

20th century, 1890, 1861-65, 1600s, 1692, 1861-1865, 19th century, American Civil War, Antebellum era, Civil War, 1861-1865, Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775, 20th Century, Civil War, Colonial period, December, Siglo XX, ca. 1600-1775, carnival, early 20th century

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Alternative names

  • James THURBER
  • Thurber, James, 1894-1961
  • Thurber, James and White, E. B.
  • James Thurber & E B White
  • James and E. B. White Thurber

History

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October 25, 2023 Edited by Drini merge authors
August 12, 2022 Edited by Gustav-Landauer-Bibliothek Witten dates of birth and death, links
December 14, 2021 Edited by tmanarl merge authors
February 5, 2021 Edited by Gustav-Landauer-Bibliothek Witten links
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user initial import