Word: thurberism
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...junior-year English class, the professor, William Lucius Graves, read aloud a student theme entitled, My Literary Enthusiasms, in which the dime novels of the day were wittily treated. Before he had a chance to announce the writer's name, the bell rang, and the students streamed out. Thurber found himself walking alongside Elliott Nugent, who was everything on the campus that Thurber was not-athlete, social success, best actor in the dramatic club, class president, idol of the coeds...
...that was a swell piece, wasn't it?" Nugent remarked to the weedy stranger beside him. "I wonder who wrote it." Thurber swallowed. "I did," he said in a dim voice. Nugent stared at Thurber, then introduced himself. The two became best and lifelong friends...
Nugent made Thurber get his hair cut and buy a new blue suit, then got him into his own fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi. Thurber blossomed and expanded. He became an editor of the college daily and editor in chief of the humorous monthly, acted for the dramatic club, was elected to the senior honor society...
Fourth Estate. After returning from Paris in 1920, Thurber went to work as a reporter on the Columbus Dispatch, where he stayed three years, mostly covering the City Hall beat. To Thurber's city editor, the pattern of a perfect lead for all stories whatsoever was: "John Holtsapple, 63, prominent Columbus galosh manufacturer, died of complications last night at his home, 396 N. Persimmon Blvd." Any attempts by the staff to get wit or originality into the paper usually landed on the spike. The city editor, who began by addressing Thurber as "Author" and "Phi Beta Kappa," came...
...Thurber married Althea Adams, then a sophomore at Ohio State and one of the prettiest girls on the campus. He was chafing to write something better than city council doings, but had little confidence in his ability to make good outside...