Dave Barry has been a professional humorist ever since he discovered that professional humor was a lot easier than working.
For many years he wrote a newspaper column that appeared in more than 500 newspapers and generated thousands of letters from readers who thought he should be fired. Despite this, in 1988 Barry won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary, although he misplaced it for several years, which is why his wife now keeps it in a secure location that he does not know about. He was selected “for his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns.”
Some have compared him to famed humorist Mark Twain, but Barry often humbly described his work as a series of jokes about bodily functions. All humility aside, he crafted columns on every topic, from the lowly toothpick to presidential politics. One of Barry’s columns was largely responsible for the movement to observe International “Talk Like a Pirate Day” every year on September 19. This is probably his most enduring achievement.
Barry has written dozens of books, including the novels “Big Trouble,” “Lunatics,” “Tricky Business,” and most recently, “Insane City”. He has also written a number of books with titles like “I’ll Mature When I’m Dead,” which are technically classified as nonfiction, although they contain numerous lies. Two of Barry’s books were the basis for the CBS sitcom Dave’s World, which can probably still be seen on cable TV in certain underdeveloped nations.
Barry lives in Miami with his family and a dog that is determined to urinate on every square inch of North America.
Categories: Author and Writer, Human Interest, Humorist
