James Thurber
James Thurber (1894–1961) was an American writer and cartoonist whose comic stories, essays, and drawings include “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: A 1939 short story about a henpecked man whose daydreams cast him as a series of daring heroes. Its fantasies and ordinary interruptions exemplify Thurber’s blend of escapism and comic frustration.
Short story: A brief work of prose fiction organized around a limited set of characters and events. Many of Thurber’s most enduring comic narratives use the short story’s concentrated form.
E. B. White: An American essayist, author, and editor who worked at The New Yorker with James Thurber. White was Thurber’s colleague and collaborator on the 1929 book Is Sex Necessary?.
Columbus, Ohio: The capital and largest city of Ohio, where James Thurber was born and spent much of his youth. Thurber’s Midwestern upbringing supplied settings and social details for much of his writing.
The Thurber Prize for American Humor: An annual American literary award for humor, established in 1996 in James Thurber’s honor. The prize carries Thurber’s name forward as a benchmark for American humor writing.
The Catbird Seat: A 1942 short story in which a mild office worker plots against an intrusive colleague. Its precise comic escalation shows Thurber’s skill at turning workplace resentment into farce.
New Yorker: An American magazine founded in 1925, known for journalism, fiction, criticism, and cartoons. Thurber’s long association with the magazine shaped the venue and audience for much of his work.
Harold Ross: An American editor who co-founded The New Yorker and edited it from 1925 until 1951. Ross published Thurber’s work and helped define the magazine where his career flourished.
Ohio State University: A public research university in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1870. Thurber attended the university but left without graduating after failing a required language course.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947 film): A 1947 American comedy film starring Danny Kaye, loosely based on James Thurber’s story. The adaptation made Walter Mitty a screen character, though it substantially changed the story.