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Dave Barry

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For other people named Dave Barry, seeDave Barry (disambiguation).

Dave Barry
Barry at the 2011 Washington Post Hunt
Barry at the 2011Washington PostHunt
BornDavid McAlister Barry
(1947-07-03)July 3, 1947(age 77)
Armonk, New York,U.S.
OccupationHumorist
Author
Alma materHaverford College(BA)
SpouseAnn Shelnutt (1969–19?)[1]
Beth Lenox
​
​
(m.1976;div.1993)​

​
(m.1996)​
Children2
Signature
Dave Barry signature
Website
davebarry

David McAlister Barry(born July 3, 1947) is an American author and columnist who wrote a nationallysyndicatedhumor column for theMiami Heraldfrom 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor andparody,as well ascomic novelsandchildren's novels.Barry's honors include thePulitzer Prize for Commentary(1988) and theWalter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism(2005).

Barry has defined a sense of humor as "a measurement of the extent to which we realize that we are trapped in a world almost totally devoid of reason. Laughter is how we express the anxiety we feel at this knowledge."[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Barry was born inArmonk, New York,where his father, David W. Barry, was aPresbyterianminister. He was educated at Wampus Elementary School, Harold C. Crittenden Junior High School (both in Armonk), andPleasantville High School,where he was elected "Class Clown" in 1965. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English fromHaverford Collegein 1969.[3]

As an alumnus of aQuaker-affiliated college, heavoided military serviceduring theVietnam Warby registering as a religiousconscientious objector.[4]Notwithstanding his father's vocation, Barry decided "early on" that he was anatheist.[5]He said, "The problem with writing about religion is that you run the risk of offending sincerely religious people, and then they come after you with machetes."[5]

Writing career[edit]

Barry began hisjournalismcareer in 1971, working as a general-assignment reporter for theDaily Local NewsinWest Chester, Pennsylvania,near hisalma mater,Haverford College. He covered local government and civic events and was promoted to City Editor after about two years. He also started writing a weekly humor column for the paper and began to develop his unique style. He remained at the newspaper through 1974. He then worked briefly as acopy editorat theAssociated Press's Philadelphia bureau before joining Burger Associates, a consulting firm.[6]

At Burger, he taught effective writing to businesspeople. In his own words, he "spent nearly eight years trying to get various businesspersons to...stop writing things like 'Enclosed please find the enclosed enclosures,' but...eventually realized that it was hopeless."[7]

Brian Engler, Chair of the Fairfax Library Foundation, presents the 2013 Fairfax Prize to Dave Barry on September 22, 2013.

In 1981 he wrote a humorous guest column inThe Philadelphia Inquirerabout watching the birth of his son, which attracted the attention ofGene Weingarten,then an editor of theMiami Herald's Sunday magazineTropic.Weingarten hired Barry as a humor columnist in 1983. Barry's column was syndicated nationally. Barry won aPulitzer Prize for Commentaryin 1988 for "his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns."[8]

Barry's first novel,Big Trouble,was published in 1999. The book was adapted into amotion picturedirected byBarry Sonnenfeldand starringTim Allen,Rene Russo,andPatrick Warburton,with a cameo by Barry (deleted inpost-production). The movie was originally due for release in September 2001 but was postponed following theSeptember 11, 2001, attacksbecause the story involved smuggling anuclear weapononto an airplane. The film was released in April 2002.

In response to a column in which Barry mocked the cities ofGrand Forks, North Dakota,andEast Grand Forks, Minnesota,for calling themselves the "Grand Cities", Grand Forks named a sewage pumping station after Barry in January 2002. Barry traveled to Grand Forks for the dedication ceremony.[9]

Articles written by Barry have appeared in publications such asBoating,Home Office Computing,andReader's Digest,in addition to theChicken Soup for the Soulinspirational book series. Two of his articles have been included inThe Best American Sports Writingseries. One of his columns was used as the introduction to the bookPirattitude!: So You Wanna Be a Pirate? Here's How!(ISBN0-451-21649-0), a follow-up to Barry's role in publicizingInternational Talk Like a Pirate Day.His books have frequently appeared onThe New York TimesBest Seller list.

On October 31, 2004, Barry announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence of at least a year from his weekly column to spend more time with his family. In December 2005, Barry said in an interview withEditor & Publisherthat he would not resume his weekly column, although he would continue such features as his yearly gift guide, his year-in-review feature, and his blog, as well as an occasional article or column.

In 2005, Barry won theWalter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.[10]

On Sunday, September 22, 2013, the opening night of the 15th annual Fall for the Book festival inFairfax, Virginia,Barry was awarded the event's highest honor, the Fairfax Prize,[11][12]honoring outstanding literary achievement, presented by the Fairfax Library Foundation.

Dave's Worldtelevision series[edit]

From 1993 to 1997,CBSbroadcast the sitcomDave's Worldbased on the booksDave Barry Turns 40andDave Barry's Greatest Hits.The show starredHarry Andersonas Barry andDeLane Matthewsas his wife Beth. In an early episode, Barry appeared in acameorole. After four seasons, the program was canceled shortly after being moved from its "coveted" Monday night slot[13]to the "Friday night death slot",so named because of its association with low viewership.[14]

Music[edit]

During college, Barry was in a band called the Federal Duck (the band actually issued a self-titled album onMusicor Recordsin 1968, but Barry was no longer in the group by that point). While at theMiami Herald,he and several of his colleagues created a band called the Urban Professionals, with Barry on lead guitar and vocals. They performed an original song called "TheTupperwareSong "at the Tupperware headquarters inOrlando, Florida.[15]

Beginning in 1992, Barry played lead guitar in theRock Bottom Remainders,a rock band made up of published authors.(Remainderis a publishing term for a book that doesn't sell.) The band was founded by Barry's sister-in-law,Kathi Kamen Goldmark,for anAmerican Booksellers Associationconvention, and has also includedStephen King,Amy Tan,Ridley Pearson,Scott Turow,Mitch Albom,Roy Blount Jr.,Barbara Kingsolver,Matt Groening,and Barry's brotherSam,among others.[16][17]The band's members "are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud," according to Barry. Several high-profile musicians, includingAl Kooper,Warren Zevon,andRoger McGuinn,have performed with the band, andBruce Springsteensat in at least once. The band's road tour resulted in the bookMid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude.The Rock Bottom Remainders disbanded in 2012 following Goldmark's death from breast cancer. They have reunited several times, performing at theTucson Festival of Booksin 2016 and 2018.

Other activities[edit]

Beginning in 1984, Barry andTropiceditorsGene WeingartenandTom Shroderhave organized theTropic Hunt(now the Herald Hunt), an annualpuzzlehuntin Miami. AWashington, D.C.,spinoff, thePost Hunt,began in 2008.[18]

Barry has run several mock campaigns for President of the United States, running on alibertarianplatform. He has also written for theLibertarian Party's national newsletter.[19]

The screen adaptation of Barry's bookDave Barry's Complete Guide to Guyswas released in 2005; it is available on DVD.[20]

Personal life[edit]

Barry married Lois Ann Shelnutt in 1969.[1]He married Beth Lenox in 1976. Barry and Lenox worked together at theDaily Local News,where they began their journalism careers on the same day in September 1971; they had one child, Robert, born October 8, 1980. Barry and Lenox divorced in 1993. In 1996, Barry marriedMiami HeraldsportswriterMichelle Kaufman;[21]they had a daughter, Sophie, in 2000.

Barry experienced tragedy in his family: his father and his youngest brother suffered fromalcoholism,and his father died in 1984; his sister Mary Katherine was institutionalized forschizophrenia;and his mother died bysuicidein 1987.[22][23]

Barry has had dogs named Goldie, Earnest, Zippy, and now Lucy. All have been mentioned regularly in Barry's columns.[24]

Works[edit]

Non-fiction[edit]

  • The Taming of the Screw(1983, with illustrator Jerry O'Brien)
  • Babies and Other Hazards of Sex: How to Make a Tiny Person in Only 9 Months With Tools You Probably Have Around the Home(1984, with illustrator Jerry O'Brien)
  • Stay Fit and Healthy Until You're Dead(1985, with illustrator Jerry O'Brien)
  • Claw Your Way to the Top: How to Become the Head of a Major Corporation in Roughly a Week(1986, with illustrator Jerry O'Brien)
  • Dave Barry's Guide to Marriage and/or Sex(1987 with illustrator Jerry O'Brien)
  • Homes and Other Black Holes(1988)
  • Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States(1989)
  • Dave Barry Turns 40(1990)
  • Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need(1991)
  • Dave Barry's Guide to Life(1991) (includesDave Barry's Guide to Marriage and/or Sex,Babies and Other Hazards of Sex,Stay Fit and Healthy Until You're DeadandClaw Your Way to the Top)
  • Dave Barry Does Japan(1992)
  • Dave Barry's Gift Guide to End All Gift Guides(1994)
  • Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys(1996)
  • Dave Barry in Cyberspace(1996)
  • Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs(1997)
  • Dave Barry Turns 50(1998)
  • Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway: A Vicious and Unprovoked Attack on Our Most Cherished Political Institutions(2001)
  • "My Teenage Son's Goal in Life is to Make Me Feel 3,500 Years Old" and Other Thoughts On Parenting From Dave Barry(2001)
  • "The Greatest Invention in the History Of Mankind Is Beer" And Other Manly Insights From Dave Barry(2001)
  • Dave Barry's Money Secrets(2006)
  • Dave Barry on Dads(2007)
  • Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far)(2007)
  • I'll Mature When I'm Dead: Dave Barry's Amazing Tales of Adulthood(2010)
  • You Can Date Boys When You're Forty: Dave Barry on Parenting and Other Topics He Knows Very Little About(2014)
  • Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster): Life Lessons and Other Ravings from Dave Barry(2015)
  • Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland(2015)
  • For This We Left Egypt?: A Passover Haggadah for Jews and Those Who Love Them(2017, withAlan ZweibelandAdam Mansbach)
  • Lessons from Lucy(2019)
  • A Field Guide to the Jewish People(2019, withAdam MansbachandAlan Zweibel)

Collected columns[edit]

  • Dave Barry's Bad Habits: A 100% Fact-Free Book(1985)
  • Dave Barry's Greatest Hits(1988)
  • Dave Barry Talks Back(1991)
  • The World According to Dave Barry(1994) (includesDave Barry Talks Back,Dave Barry Turns 40andDave Barry's Greatest Hits)
  • Dave Barry is NOT Making This Up(1995)
  • Dave Barry Is from Mars and Venus(1997)
  • Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down(2000)
  • Boogers Are My Beat(2003)

Fiction[edit]

Film adaptations[edit]

  • Big Trouble(2002)
  • Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys(2005)
  • Peter and the Starcatchers(Disney project, announced May 17, 2012. Release date TBA)

Collaborations[edit]

Audio recordings[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ab"Lois Ann Shelnutt Bride of Mr. Barry".The Morning News. June 9, 1969.RetrievedSeptember 19,2017.
  2. ^Curtis, Bryan (January 12, 2005)."An elegy for Dave Barry".Slate.RetrievedJune 3,2007.
  3. ^"Dave Barry".Biography.Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 19,2017.
  4. ^"The World According To Dave Barry",1985, Eric Zorn,Chicago Tribune
  5. ^abHuberman, Jack (2007).The Quotable Atheist.Nation Books. p.31.ISBN978-1-56025-969-5.
  6. ^"2008ish bio".Dave Barry.RetrievedNovember 1,2017.
  7. ^"1999 Dave Barry Biography".RetrievedMay 6,2007.
  8. ^"Pulitzer Prize Winners 1988".RetrievedMay 6,2007.
  9. ^"Idling in the Grand Cities".March 17, 2002.RetrievedApril 11,2016.
  10. ^Arizona State University."Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication".RetrievedNovember 23,2016.
  11. ^"Dave Barry Named 2013 Fairfax Prize Winner".Archived fromthe originalon October 5, 2013.
  12. ^"Fairfax PRize".Archived fromthe originalon January 20, 2014.
  13. ^Lawler, Sylvia (May 30, 1993)."CBS Hopes Broad-based Programming Keeps It on Top".The Morning Call.RetrievedJanuary 3,2020.
  14. ^Oestriecher, Blake."WWE SmackDown Going Live On Tuesdays Is Best For Business".Forbes.RetrievedJanuary 4,2020.
  15. ^Barry, Dave.Dave Barry's Greatest Hits,p. 110
  16. ^McGrath, Charles (June 4, 2007)."Rock On, but Hang on to Your Literary Gigs".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 25,2012.
  17. ^"Dave Barry".RetrievedSeptember 5,2016.
  18. ^Ruane, Michael E. (May 19, 2008)."Urban Safari Participants Find Equal Parts Fun and Frustration".The Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.RetrievedNovember 23,2019.
  19. ^Presidency 2000:The Independent, Write-In, and other Candidates,Politics1ArchivedJune 16, 2010, at theWayback Machine
  20. ^Complete Guide to Guys (2005) - IMDb,retrievedNovember 23,2019
  21. ^Joan Fleischman (November 13, 1996). "We're Not Making This Up: Dave Barry Gets Hitched".The Miami Herald.p. 2B.
  22. ^"He Can't Make This Up".Newsweek.December 15, 1991.RetrievedMay 30,2017.
  23. ^Peter Richmond (September 23, 1990)."Loon over Miami: The On-Target Humor of Dave Barry".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 30,2017.
  24. ^"People & Their Pets | Social Miami & Paws 4 You Rescue | March 2012".Max Norman Pet Photography.April 5, 2012.RetrievedOctober 11,2016.
  25. ^"Hard Listening".

External links[edit]

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