SUMMARY: Dave Barry (b. July 3, 1947) American humorist, author
Dave Barry Quotes
Dave Barry Books

Dave Barry has been delighting people with his humor for years. He wrote a nationally syndicated column for the Miami Herald for 22 years. He has also written over a dozen books. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. He has brought his good natured humor to many people around the globe with his books, newspaper columns, and even movies and Television shows.

Dave was born in Armonk, New York on July 3, 1947. His father was a Presbyterian minister. Not surprisingly he was voted class clown in 1965 at Pleasantville High School in New York. He then attended Haverford College, a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

He was married twice. With his first wife Beth he had a son in 1980 named Robert. Beth and Dave divorced in 1993. He remarried in 1996 to a sportswriter for the Miami Herald named Michelle. They have a daughter together named Sophie who was born in 2000. Dave’s family is very much a part of his books and columns. Dave does joke however that his family does not think he is particularly funny.

After his graduation his journalism career began as a reporter for the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Dave covered various meetings that he jokes may still be going on today. He left the Daily Local News and began working for a consulting firm in 1975. His job was to teach effective writing skills to business people. He also jokes that this was a hard job in teaching the business people how not to write things such as: ‘Enclosed please find the enclosed enclosures’. He spent eight years at this job. In 1983 he landed his job as a humor columnist for the Miami Herald. His job at the Miami Herald earned him national syndication of his humor columns and in 1988 awarded him the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

In October of 2004, after 21 years for the Miami Herald, Dave announced that he would be taking a leave of absence from his column to spend more time with his family. Then in 2005 he announced that he would not be retuning to his daily column again. He does however still contribute some of his more famous features including his yearly gift guide, year in review, his weblog and an occassional article or column. Dave continues to write his books for both humor and children.

From the years 1993 to 1997 Dave’s World was shown on CBS. This was a tv show based on Dave’s books Dave Barry Turns 40 and Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits. Big Trouble was Dave’s first novel and was later turned into a motion picutre starring Tim Allen and Rene Russo. He also a member of the band formed for charity called TheRock Bottom remainders. Others notable people in this band include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, and Matt Groenig. As Dave says they “are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud”. The band became the subject of his book Mid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude.

Dave Barry is a very humorous writer. He has brought joy to many people with his articles which have appeared in Reader’s Digest and the Chicken soup for the Soul books. He has started many mock campaigns for President beginning in 2000. On his website you can find humor in ‘would be a good name for rock band’ area these include names like “The Phlegmtones” or “Three Fatty Acid Radicals”. He writes a blog filled with acronyms and states he is not making this up. Dave can find humor in just about anything. He is truly a modern day humorist.