Artemus Ward

Charles Ferrar Browne, also known as Artemus Ward,
was arguably the first humorist in the United States
with a national reputation. Even Mark Twain himself
called Ward "America's greatest humorist" and
described his 1863 "Babes in the Wood" lecture as the
funniest thing he had ever heard. W.D. Howells also
identified Ward as the person "who first gave the
world a taste of the humor that characterizes the
whole American people." A journalist who parlayed
the success of his published letters into a
successful career as the first comedic lecturer
touring the nation, Ward brought prestige to American
humor both nationally and abroad. Today, however,
Ward's literary reputation is largely forgotten.
This book, therefore, brings Ward's unique style of
written humor and his lecturing success from the
obscurity of the mid-nineteenth century into the
significance of contemporary cultural studies. This
work traces the growth of Ward's literary reputation
by examining the rhetorical quality of his gentle
satire that made his humor so vastly popular in his
time. It is mainly useful to scholars of American
humor and to anyone who delights in the comic power
of the written and spoken word.

Autorentext

John Raymond Pascal, Cum Laude Graduate of Villanova University. M.B.A.: Marketing Concentration at Seton Hall University. M.A. inEnglish: American Literature Concentration at Montclair StateUniversity. Formerly a Special Investigator for NASDAQ assignedto the F.B.I., he now teaches English at Seton Hall PreparatorySchool in New Jersey.

Klappentext

Charles Ferrar Browne, also known as Artemus Ward,was arguably the first humorist in the United Stateswith a national reputation. Even Mark Twain himselfcalled Ward "America's greatest humorist" anddescribed his 1863 "Babes in the Wood" lecture as thefunniest thing he had ever heard. W.D. Howells alsoidentified Ward as the person "who first gave theworld a taste of the humor that characterizes thewhole American people." A journalist who parlayedthe success of his published letters into asuccessful career as the first comedic lecturertouring the nation, Ward brought prestige to Americanhumor both nationally and abroad. Today, however,Ward's literary reputation is largely forgotten. This book, therefore, brings Ward's unique style ofwritten humor and his lecturing success from theobscurity of the mid-nineteenth century into thesignificance of contemporary cultural studies. Thiswork traces the growth of Ward's literary reputationby examining the rhetorical quality of his gentlesatire that made his humor so vastly popular in histime. It is mainly useful to scholars of Americanhumor and to anyone who delights in the comic powerof the written and spoken word.