Dave Barry:
The humorous life

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

And now, to the roster of some of the world’s greatest historians, we might be adding the name of Dave Barry, who claims he took a long (well, several hours at least), hard (with only three breaks) look at the first history-making years of our shiny new millennium.
He then did his best to write down all the highlights (and lowlights) in his latest book, Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far).
And just what does Barry see in our future?
"Well, I would say we’re steadily heading downhill," he says. "I wouldn’t think it possible but we’re managing to do it, which, in a way, is great for humor writers.
"Just look at today’s news, like the news about Sen. Larry Craig. He’s got a ‘wide stance.’ What a great line. It’s too classy. Too wonderful," Barry said, referring to the Idaho lawmaker’s sexcapades in an airport restroom and his claim that he stands wide when going to the bathroom, and wasn’t tapping the foot of an undercover cop as a signal for sex.
"So now, for all times, those of us who write humor know that we can use the phrase ‘wide stance’ for any situation," Barry said. "That’s a great thing."
Barry, who was born in Armonk, N.Y., in 1947, and admits he never had any real career goals while growing up, has obviously found his calling. He’ll be at the Free Library of Philadelphia at noon on Sept. 20 to share some of his musings with everyone who cares enough to stop by. The event is free.
Elected class clown by his Pleasantville High School class of 1965, Barry headed off to Pennsylvania and Haverford College to major in English.
"I knew I liked to write but had no plans on how I’d get to use that as a career," he said. "Looking back, I can’t say I ever said I wanted to end up being a syndicated newspaper columnist, but I did manage to begin by getting into the newspaper business at the Daily Local News in West Chester."
Covering what he calls "a series of incredibly dull municipal meetings," Barry’s sense of humor kicked in and, thankfully, he said, "since lots of small papers let you try something different if you want to, I began writing little op-ed humor pieces."
Later, Barry went on to write for the Associated Press, and still later joined a consulting firm that teaches effective business writing, neither of which excited him very much. But his business-writing job left him plenty of time to write humor columns and send them out for twenty-two dollars a column.
"Because I had a full-time job and didn’t have to worry too much about the money, I could write whatever I wanted to and still have the time to develop my own style," Barry recalled.
And in the end, that combination paid off for him. In 1983 he landed a job at the Miami Herald, with the understanding that he could write exactly what he wanted to write. His column was later syndicated, and in 1988 — surprise of all surprises — Barry won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
"I have no false modesty," he claimed, "but I never, ever thought I’d win a Pulitzer Prize for my work. I still think that at some time someone will knock on my door and say, ‘We didn’t mean it. Now give it back!’"
Barry’s life also was portrayed in a CBS television series, Dave’s World, based on a couple of his books, that ended a four-year run in 1997. He has written more than two dozen books so far, and plans to continue writing as long as he’s able — and maybe beyond.
Today, Barry lives near Miami, Fla., with his wife Michelle, a sportswriter, and two children, neither of whom, he said, thinks he’s particularly funny.
"They may be right. I’m not even sure what humor really is, but as a Supreme Court judge once said of pornography, ‘I know it when I see it.’" ••
For more information on Dave Barry’s library event, call 215-567-4341 or visit AuthorEvents.com