James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, author, journalist, playwright, and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories, published mainly in The New Yorker magazine and collected in his numerous books. One of the most popular humorists of his time, Thurber celebrated the comic frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people.

James Thurber
James Thurber in 1954
Born	James Grover Thurber December 8, 1894 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Died	November 2, 1961 (aged 66) New York, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Humorist
Nationality	American
Period	1929–1961
Genre	short stories, cartoons, essays
Subject	humor, language
Notable works	My Life and Hard Times, My World and Welcome to It

Career

Uniquely among major American literary figures, he became equally well known for his simple, surrealistic drawings and cartoons. Both his skills were helped along by the support of, and collaboration with, fellow New Yorker staff member E. B. White, who insisted that Thurber’s sketches could stand on their own as artistic expressions. Thurber drew six covers and numerous classic illustrations for The New Yorker.

View James Thurber’s full biography on Wikipedia.