James Grover Thurber American writer, cartoonist and eminent humorist. Date of Birth: 08.12.1894 Country: USA

James Grover Thurber: American Writer, Cartoonist, and Humorist

James Grover Thurber was an American writer, cartoonist, and outstanding humorist. He is best known for his work in "The New Yorker" magazine. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Thurber grew up in a family that greatly influenced his future creativity. His father, a clerk and small-time politician, became the prototype for the main characters in many of Thurber's stories. Thurber referred to his mother as a natural comedian and one of the best humorists in the world.

During childhood, while playing William Tell, Thurber was accidentally shot in the eye with an arrow. Despite medical efforts, he lost vision in that eye and eventually became almost completely blind. Unable to participate in sports or active games, Thurber relied on his highly developed imagination. Later, it was theorized that Thurber's incredible creative abilities were a result of his injury. Individuals who are mentally healthy but have vision problems can experience complex visual hallucinations, known as Charles Bonnet syndrome.

From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University. However, he was unable to complete his degree due to vision problems that prevented him from completing the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps course. It was not until 1995, after his death, that Thurber was awarded the degree posthumously. From 1918 to 1920, Thurber worked as a code clerk at the U.S. Department of State, first in Washington, D.C., and then at the American Embassy in Paris.

Upon returning to Columbus, Thurber began writing. From 1921 to 1924, he worked as a reporter for the "Columbus Dispatch," writing reviews of books and films. He also had a column called "Credos and Curios," which later became the title of a posthumous collection of his works. Thurber returned to Paris for a period, where he collaborated with several renowned publications, including the "Chicago Tribune." He quickly gained a reputation as an exceptional writer among his colleagues, and readers appreciated his simple yet slightly surrealistic drawings.

Many of Thurber's stories were humorous fictional memoirs. However, he also wrote darker works, such as "The Whip-Poor-Will." Thurber's more than 75 fables, most of which were included in the collections "Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated" and "Further Fables for Our Time," were often outrageous and centered around the adventures of anthropomorphic animals, always concluding with a fitting moral.

Thurber began drawing cartoons in 1930 after his colleague and friend Elwyn Brooks White saw some of his amateur drawings and published them in a newspaper. Some of these drawings were later reissued in color. In the 1950s, Thurber regularly published both cartoons and stories.

Thurber was married twice. In 1922, he married Althea Adams, but the marriage ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave birth to Thurber's only child, a daughter named Rosemary. In June 1935, Thurber remarried Helen Wismer.

James Thurber passed away in 1961 at the age of 66 from complications of pneumonia.