Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall of an American Humorist

Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall of an American Humorist

Ellis, William E.

Hardcover

Entertainment & Performing ArtsBiographies GeneralHumor

ISBN10: 0813173981
ISBN13: 9780813173986
Publisher: Univ Pr Of Kentucky
Published: Sep 29 2017
Pages: 292
Weight: 1.20
Height: 0.90 Width: 6.30 Depth: 9.20
Language: English

Humor is merely tragedy standing on its head with its pants torn.--Irvin S. Cobb

Born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky, humorist Irvin S. Cobb (1876-1944) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the early twentieth century's most celebrated writers. As a staff reporter for the New York World and Saturday Evening Post, he became one of the highest-paid journalists in the United States. He also wrote short stories for noted magazines, published books, and penned scripts for the stage and screen.

In Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall of a Southern Humorist, historian William E. Ellis examines the life of this significant writer. Though a consummate wordsmith and a talented observer of the comical in everyday life, Cobb was a product of the Reconstruction era and the Jim Crow South. As a party to the endemic racism of his time, he often bemoaned the North's harsh treatment of the South and stereotyped African Americans in his writings. Marred by racist undertones, Cobb's work has largely slipped into obscurity.

Nevertheless, Ellis argues that Cobb's life and works are worthy of more detailed study, citing his wide-ranging contributions to media culture and his coverage of some of the biggest stories of his day, including on-the-ground reporting during World War I. A valuable resource for students of journalism, American humor, and popular culture, this illuminating biography explores Cobb's life and his influence on early twentieth-century letters.

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