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 A U N N I E PAT TO N P O W E R

ADVENTURE
FINANCE

How to Create a Funding Journey

That Blends Profit and Purpose
Adventure Finance
 Aunnie Patton Power

Adventure Finance
How to Create a Funding Journey That
Blends Profit and Purpose
Aunnie Patton Power
Saïd Business School
University of Oxford
Oxford, UK

ISBN 978-3-030-72427-6 ISBN 978-3-030-72428-3 (eBook)

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72428-3

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland
AG 2021
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether
the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse
of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and
transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar
or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or
the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any
errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Cover illustration: NeMaria

This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
 Acknowledgements

Although I had made the decision to write this book in 2019, it wasn’t until
March 2020 when I hastily flew back from the UK to South Africa that I real-
ized I suddenly had the time. Instead of teaching and conducting workshops
in 13 countries throughout the course of 2020, I was restricted to the four
walls of our home in Cape Town (and thankfully a tiny garden). Although
those first weeks and months of lockdown were stressful and anxiety-ridden,
I’ll always be grateful for how the mammoth task of creating this book
centered me. But it wasn’t just Adventure Finance that kept me sane, my
husband Sean was an absolute gem through lockdown and the entire book
writing process. You’ve always been unbelievably supportive, but this past year
has been something truly unforgettable (in both bad and good ways) and I’m
so grateful to have you by my side.
Writing a book is tough work. Writing a book while severely morning sick
with your first child is one step beyond difficult. My darling baby girl, we
haven’t met you yet, but you were definitely part of this book writing journey
and I’m excited to share it with you one day (although we’ll probably start
with Winnie the Pooh before we move onto finance books).
I can’t pinpoint when I first fell in love with finance, but it was probably
sometime between my father teaching me the Fibonacci sequence at two years
old (as a party trick) and my daily reports to him on share prices and company
news from the Wall Street Journal in kindergarten. I may be the finance
professor, but my Dad will always be my go-to finance teacher. I’m also not
the first author in my family. My mother blazed the trail with her books (and

v
vi Acknowledgements

now critically acclaimed podcast series) on sexuality and spirituality. In fact,

I may be the least interesting writer in our family…
Jessica Pothering, I’ll be eternally grateful for your insight and lethal editing
skills. You took my mishmash of words and thoughts and sculpted them into
something truly remarkable.
Eelco Bennick, Kusi Hornberger and Lisa vanEck, thank you from the
bottom of my heart for diving into the original manuscript and helping me to
completely restructure and rewrite the entire book. Your stamp on the book
is indelible. John Berger, Brian Mikulencak, Chintan Panchal and Juliette
Thirsk, you were the core of a true legal dream team. Thank you for your
ability to think outside the box and for your willingness to brainstorm and
answer all of my inane questions. Karin Iten, Lina Rothman and Maegan
Lillis, your work on the early stages of the research and case studies was so
foundational to the creation of the book. Thank you so much for all of your
efforts. And thank you, Mike Stopworth for pushing me to put everything
down on paper in the first place.
Natasha Dinham, Adi Zuk, Lee Zuk, Lianne Du Toit, Kelvin Ivankovic,
Marie Ang, Tamara Rose, Bianca Fisher, Sagar Tandon, Cameron St. Ong and
Akhil Pawar, your comments on the different drafts and efforts on the glos-
sary were absolutely pivotal. Thank you for your honesty and your insights.
Natalie Buckham, your proofreading of the entire book was such a gift. Thank
you for your attention to detail.
Alex Kuehl, Alexandra Smith, Alison Linguane, Allie Burns, Aner Ben-
Ami, Andrea Coleman, Anita Kover, Antonia Opiah, Antonio Diaz, Bernardo
Afonso, Bhavik Basa, Bjoern Strauer, Caroline Bressan, Clemente Villegas,
Dami Thompson, Dan Miller, Daniel Goldfarb, Daniel Fireside, Dhun
Davar, Ed Diener, Elizabeth Boggs-Davidson, Ella Peinovich-Griffith, Emily
Stone, Gene Homicki, Ginny Reyes Llamzon, Jim Villanueva, John Kohler,
Jorge de Angulo, Joy Olivier, Karla Gallardo, Kate Cochran, Lars Ortegren,
Lilian Mramba, Luke Crowley, Luni Libes, Maggie Cutts, Mariella Belli, Max
Slavkin, Michael Bryon, Miguel Garza, Morgan Simon, Nichole Yembra,
Rahil Rangwala, Richard Fahy, Rodrigo Villar, Rory Tews, Ross Baird, Ruben
Doboin, Sachi Shenoy, Sarah Gelfand, Sietse Wouters, Susan De Witt, Ted
Levinson, Tetsuro Narita, Tom Hockaday, Tracy Karty, Tyler Tringas and Wes
Selke, thank you for your time and commitment. Each story in the book
is based on the work that you’ve done and were willing to share in inter-
views. I’m so grateful for your contribution to the space as a pioneer and
your generosity in sharing your story and editing the many, many drafts.
Aaron Fu, Adam Boros, Alessia Gianoncelli, Alexandra Chamberlin,
Amanda Cotterman, Andrea Armeni, Annie Roberts, Antony Bugg-Levine,
 Acknowledgements vii

Astrid Scholz, Alex Nicholls, Bill Stodd, Brendan Cosgrove, Brent Kessel,
Bruce Campbell, Camille Canon, Candler Young, Cathy Clark, Chris Garner,
Christine Looney, Deborah Burand, Debra Schwartz, Dirk Holshausen, Elina
Sarkisova, Esme Verity, Fran Seegull, Heather Matranga, Jamie Finney, Janice
St Onge, Jed Emerson, Jeff Batton, Jenny Kassan, Jesse Simmons, Joe Silver,
John Katovich, Jonathan Bragdon, Jonny Page, Josh Adler, Kirsten Andersen,
Laurie Spengler, Lewam Kefela, Liesbet Peeters, Lise Birikundayvi, Lorenzo
Bernasconi, Maex Ament, Mark Cheng, Neil Yeoh, Olvia Lloetonma, Priscilla
Boiardi, Ravi Chopra, Rob Tashima, Robert Boogaard, Ross Tasker, Scott
Taitel, Soushiant Zanganehpour, Stu Fram, Timothy Kyepa, Tom Powell and
Wayne Moodaley, this book was built on your wisdom and your experience
building innovative funding structures. Thank you for sharing that wisdom
with me so generously. Your dedication to innovation and to social and
environmental impact is remarkable. I’m so grateful to know you and look
forward to so much more collaboration in the future.
Tula Weis, thank you so much for helping shepherd this through the
publication process and get it over the finish line.
And finally, Pamela Hartigan, I’m absolutely sure that I wouldn’t be where
I am today without your guidance. I so wish I could share this book with you.
I miss your wisdom and your company.
 Introduction

Hi there! Welcome to the world of innovative financing. If you’ve picked up

this book, I’m guessing it’s because you are looking to raise capital for your
organization, or you are looking to invest capital into organizations, or maybe
you’re just a curious observer who wants to learn about new ways of investing
in start-ups and small businesses. Well, I’m happy to report that you are in
the right place.
This book is meant to take you on a funding journey, where we explore
options that suit the needs of all varieties of organizations and businesses.
Along the way, we stop to evaluate different types of financial structures that
apply creativity and sometimes a bit of technology to allocate capital that
makes sense for founders, funders and communities. We’ll also delve into the
tools that you need to identify and plan for your own funding and investment
goals.
My hope is that your experience reading the chapters that follow will feel a
little bit like that scene in the Wizard of Oz. Remember the one at the begin-
ning where everything was in black and white, until Dorothy’s house lands
and she opens the door, and then everything pops out in brilliant technicolor?
Right now, you may think that venture capital and bank loans and grants
the only funding options out there. But actually, there is a whole rainbow of
options that you can explore.

Why Are We Here?

As you’ve picked up this book, you may already be sold on why we need to
take this journey together.

ix
x Introduction

As a founder, you might be at your wits end; frustrated that you can’t
find funding that is appropriate for your business. Maybe you don’t want to
fit into the traditional venture capital model, but you don’t have the right
assets and track record to qualify for a bank loan. Perhaps you are building
a purpose-driven business that wants to stay true to its mission, a non-profit
that is seeking to build sustainable income streams or a community focused
organization that doesn’t want to take on external shareholders.
As a funder, you might also feel as if the current tools at your disposal aren’t
enough. You see promising founders whose visions don’t fit into traditional
equity, debt or grant boxes and want to find ways to help them build their
businesses.
Perhaps you are a policy maker, academic, student or advisor who has seen
the issues with early-stage funding and you are determined to find a better
way to help support promising young businesses which are engines for job
creation and economic growth.
I’ve spent over a decade helping purpose-driven companies raise capital,
and I know exactly how you feel. For this book, I interviewed more than 150
founders and funders, and they expressed similar frustrations in every, single
conversation.
Creative Action Network’s Funding Struggle
Take, for instance, Aaron Perry Zucker and Max Slavkin of the Creative
Action Network (CAN), a for-profit social enterprise built around a global
community of artists and designers who make art with and for a purpose.
CAN is exactly the kind of company that inspired this book. It’s a purpose-
driven company that wasn’t a good fit for traditional venture capital but
nevertheless still needed capital and supportive funders to help the business
grow.
Aaron and Max were graphic designers, and also politically passionate, and
in 2008 they had a brilliant idea to launch a website where anyone could
upload poster art for the U.S. presidential campaign, and anyone could down-
load and print that art for free. It was wildly successful (you know that Obama
poster—yes, that Obama poster? That was Aaron and Max’s website. It was
actually originally called Design for Obama.1 ). That website was the seed for
CAN.
Like many entrepreneurs, Max and Aaron thought they knew the recipe
for start-up success: get into an accelerator program, raise a lot of venture
capital funding, grow, grow, grow, and then either sell their business to a
bigger company or list the company on a public stock exchange. So they

1 Yes THAT famous Obama poster.

 Introduction xi

tried that route. They got accepted to an accelerator (Matter.Vc, a program

for companies “changing media for good”). They made an investment pitch
deck. They networked their way into the door of venture capital firms in
San Francisco. But after fifty meetings and fifty “no thank you’s,” Max and
Aaron realized that CAN wasn’t a fit for those investors. Venture capital firms
they met with were underwhelmed by CAN’s potential for scale (and profits)
in the social impact art marketplace, and they didn’t understand Max and
Aaron’s commitment to the social mission of their company, which included
long-term ownership of the company by the artists.
The fundraising challenges that CAN encountered are common for social
enterprises, or even just modest-growth organizations; many mainstream
venture investors simply don’t understand how social impact and profitability
can align.

The Eureka Moment

It wasn’t until their third year bootstrapping CAN and building up its
modest revenues that Aaron and Max discovered the world of impact
investing, a type of finance that does understand that businesses can still
make money while doing good—not only that they can, but that they should.
CAN’s founders were introduced to a venture investing firm called Purpose
Ventures, where Max and Aaron first heard about a unique ownership model
for companies that needed capital but wanted to stay independent and dedi-
cated to employee ownership. This model, called Steward Ownership, was
ideal for companies like CAN that exist to do more than maximize share-
holder profit, and Purpose was ready to walk Aaron and Max through the
process of structuring a deal that would provide CAN with the capital it
needed while preserving its mission.
If you’re reading this story and thinking, “Yes! I need to find a Purpose
Ventures,” or “Yes! I want to be a Purpose Ventures,” great, that’s exactly
what most companies need and what most funders aren’t. In the mainstream
venture funding landscape, venture capital equity funding is synonymous
with risk capital, and it’s often presumed these days to be the only way for
young companies like CAN to raise funding (outside of a traditional bank
loan, which also isn’t available to most businesses). The problem is traditional
venture capital equity funding is narrow; it likes asset-lite, tech-enabled,
exponential growth focused companies. Most companies don’t tick those
boxes.
That’s why this book exists. As a founder or a funder, you should be able
to chart your own funding journey—one that works for you and what you
are looking to build. That’s exactly what this book means to help you do,
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xii Introduction

though a series of in-depth stories similar to Max and Aaron’s, and a stock-
pile of tools, resources, and helpful frameworks. (Deal structuring nerds and
textbook appendix lovers, the online companion of this book is for you.)
A Community Focused Funding Solution
Before we get started, do you want to know how Max and Aaron’s funding
journey with CAN and Purpose Ventures turned out? Meeting Purpose
Ventures was obviously the breakthrough CAN’s founders had been looking
for: Purpose was an investor willing to structure financing that aligned with
their vision and mission. Together, they came up with an agreement for an
investment model that allowed CAN to access risk capital to grow, while
enabling Max and Aaron to maintain ownership of the company in the long
term by buying back investors’ equityshares with the company’s profits.
To be sure, bedding down the details of this model wasn’t fast or simple.
It took six months to get investors committed, and another six months of
legal paperwork. But, in the end, this new structure enabled CAN to raise
$380,000, which was $30,000 more than Max and Aaron has targeted to
meet CAN’s early-stage funding needs.
If spending a year negotiating terms like Max and Aaron did feel over-
whelming, you should know that Max and Aaron both feel the time and
effort was worth it. Here’s why: “By using this model, we’ve been able to
ensure that power stays in the hands of our artists and community, and not
the investors, should the founding partners leave Creative Action Network,”
explains Max.
It’s true that these “alternative” funding options can seem overwhelming
and confusing. But fear not, we are on this journey together! Some of these
instruments are widely available, others will take a bit more initiative on the
part of both founders and funders. And as I mentioned, we won’t just analyze
the instruments in this book, we will also explore the funding process itself,
to understand how it can be more inclusive and purpose driven. After all,
sometimes the difficulty of venture funding isn’t about the structure; it can
also be that the process itself excludes promising founders.
 Contents

Part I What If: You Want to Understand Equity and Debt?

1 Helium Health: Our Equity Journey 3
2 SOKO: Our Debt Financing Journey 15
3 Powered by People and Equal Exchange’s Trade Finance
Journey 27
4 Unpacking Our Self-Evaluation 35
5 Reflections on Debt and Equity 51

Part II What If: You Want to Redesign Risk Capital?

6 Candide Group: Our Structured Exit Journey 63
7 myTurn: Our Redeemable Equity Journey 73
8 Equal Exchange: Our Preferred Stock Journey 83
9 Provive: Our Revenue-Based Mezzanine Debt Journey 91
10 Maya Mountain Cacao: Our Demand Dividend Journey 103
11 GetVantage and VIWALA: Our Revenue-Based Financing
Journey 113
12 Redesigning Risk Capital 123

xiii
xiv Contents

Part III What If: You Want to Be Innovative with Grant

Funding?
13 The Studio Museum in Harlem: Our Program Related
Investments Journey 135
14 Riders for Health: Our Debt Guarantee Journey 143
15 Upaya Social Ventures: Our Recoverable Grant Journey 151
16 IkamvaYouth: Our Forgivable Loan Journey 159
17 Trackosaurus: Our Convertible Grant Journey 165
18 Innovative Grant Funding 173

Part IV What If: You Want to Link Financing to Impact?

19 Michael and Susan Dell Foundation: Our Interest Rate
Rebate Journey 183
20 Clinicas del Azucar: Our Social Impact Incentives Journey 191
21 My Outcomes-Based Financing Journey 199
22 Linking Financing to Impact 207

Part V What If: You Want to Redesign the Entire Funding

Process?
23 Code for All: Our Crowdfunding Journey 215
24 Village Capital: Our Community Led Capital Journey 223
25 Cal Solar’s Journey to Becoming a Worker-Owned
Co-Operative 229
26 Redesigning the Entire Funding Process 239
27 Embedding Mission into Contracts 243

Part VI What If: You Want to Plan Your Journey?

28 Who Are You and What Do You Need? 251
29 What Type of Funder Is Right for You? 267
 Contents xv

30 What Type of Funding Is Right for You? 277

31 Glossary 287

Index 329
 How to Use This Book

The material for this book comes from a decade of my own teaching and
research. And because I’m not a very patient researcher, it also comes from a
lot of doing (I like to call myself a “pracademic” i.e., a practical academic).
You can rest assured that this isn’t a textbook. Rather, it is a set of stories
from founders and funders that have adapted traditional funding methods to
make venture finance work for the 99% of businesses and non-profits that
don’t fit with either traditional venture capital or a traditional loan from a
bank. These stories are meant to inspire you as to what is possible. Embedded
within them are the tools, and a few frameworks, to help you evaluate your
options and shortcut the time it takes you to create your own epic funding
journey.
As my students and colleagues know, my classes and workshops generally
feature a mix of founders and funders, which seems to make the otherwise
somewhat dry topic of finance a little more relatable and tangible, and in turn,
stimulates knowledge sharing and integrated learning. In this book, I attempt
to speak to both audiences—with the default audience being founders, as
your needs should be the foundation of early-stage funding options.
I have also tried to make this material as straightforward and approach-
able as possible, regardless of your level of financial knowledge and experi-
ence. But, if you are brand new to early-stage financing or finance in general,
please use the Glossary (Chapter 31) as a reference throughout the book. It
contains a list of definitions of all of the bolded words in the book, as well
as additional information that should be helpful.

xvii
xviii How to Use This Book

Founders, unfortunately, there isn’t a simple formula to determine the

right type of funding for each individual situation, but hopefully the informa-
tion in these chapters can serve as a guide in helping you make vital decisions
about the kind of financing that makes the most sense for your organization.
Ideally, one of the biggest takeaways from this book will be a boost in confi-
dence in charting your own funding journey. Having confidence in what you
need and what type of funders can best support your growth can help you
better identify and engage with funders that mean to be partners in your
journey.
Funders, you might find that some of the definitions in the early chapters
are too simplified, and so please feel free to skim over them. You might want
to come back to them when you are engaging with founders, however, as I
have found that there is often significant misunderstanding and miscommu-
nication between founders and funders in negotiating financing agreements.
Funders tend to assume that founders understand investment basics and thus,
do not explain in simple enough language the implications of the contracts
they are considering or negotiating.
Once you have digested the material from this book, you’ll likely be keen
to really get into the weeds of contracting. In the online companion to this
book, I’ve built out a series of resources to help you structure, navigate and
negotiate funding contracts. This material will be continually updated based
on changes to accounting, tax and regulations globally.
Right! Let’s get started.
 Pre-reading: Your Journey Map

Before we dive into others’ funding journeys, let’s start by taking a moment
to think through your own. What do you know (and do you need to learn)
about your organization, its funding needs, and the types of funders you want
to engage? Funding your business may feel a lot like staring at a completely
unknown trail and choosing to… march ahead anyway. Let’s make sure you
have an idea of where you are starting, where you want to go, and how you
want to get there, before you start shopping for gear.
Below is a list of questions that you’ll want use as a self-evaluation. You’ll
want to keep these in mind as you are reading this book. We’ll keep circling
back to them; first in Chapter 4 where we’ll unpack them together (feel free
to skip ahead there now, if you need more information to help you answer these
questions) and finally in Part VI, where we’ll revisit these questions based on
all of the journeys that we’ve been on together and all of the funding options
that we’ve explored (Table 1).

Table 1 Founder’s self-evaluation checklist

Who are we? How is our company registered?
How do we make money? Who are our
customers?
What stage company are we?
What are our growth projections?
(continued)

xix
xx Pre-reading: Your Journey Map

Table 1 (continued)

How mission driven are we? How embedded is our mission in our
company?
Do we have an impact track record?
What are our funding needs? How much funding do we need?
What do we need to spend it on?
How do we want to pay it back?
What are our ownership expectations in
the short/medium term? Long term?
How involved do we want our funders to
be?
What type of funder is right for What types of funders are there?
us?
What kinds of resources can they provide?
What level of risk are they comfortable
with?
What kind of return do they require, and
when?
Who are their stakeholders? How does
funding get approved?

Now that you have the questions you need to ask yourself while exploring
this book, let’s chart our adventure through the upcoming chapters. Each
of these chapters will introduce you to a new funding option that you can
consider (Fig. 1).
Several of the chapters also explore options for making the investment
process itself more inclusive and mission focused (Table 2).
Alright, now you have all of the tools you need to start this adventure
finance journey. Let’s get going!
 Pre-reading: Your Journey Map xxi

Fig. 1 Adventure finance journey map

xxii Pre-reading: Your Journey Map

Table 2 Investment process chapters

Chapter 23: Chapter 24: Peer-based Chapter 25: Transitioning
Crowdfunding decision making to employee ownership
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a vast collection of ebooks across various
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Other documents randomly have
different content
 As Dr. Samuel Johnson learnedly remarked to James Boswell,
Laird of Auchinleck, on a certain occasion—“Sir, the proof of the
pudding is the eating thereof.”
“John Phœnix.”
 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF AMERICAN HUMORISTS.

Aby, Joe C., “Hoffenstein,” born 1858. A humorist who made his
reputation on the New Orleans Times-Democrat. His
“Hoffenstein” sketches have been issued in book form.
Adams, Charles Follen (1842). “Leedle Yawcob Strauss,” a short poem
bubbling over with quiet, kindly, pathetic humour, given in quaint
German-American vernacular, first brought Mr. Adams before the
public. “Leedle Yawcob Strauss” has been followed by many
sunny pieces in similar dialect. Mr. Adams has published Leedle
Yawcob Strauss and other Poems, Dialect Ballads, etc.
Adams, John Quincy (1767-1848), sixth President of the United States,
first attracted public attention by his writings, and principally on
account of his pen he was appointed to many honourable posts
by President George Washington. He wrote a number of
humorous pieces of verse, the most popular being “The Plague
in the Forest” and “The Wants of Man.”
Alcott, Louisa May (1832-1888). Author of Little Women, Little Men,
Moods, An Old-Fashioned Girl, Eight Cousins, etc. Most popular
with the young people of America and Great Britain.
Alden, William L., born 1837. Author of Domestic Explosives,
Shooting Stars, Moral Pirates, A Lost Soul (Chatto & Windus),
and a host of volumes of facetious short stories. He was
admitted to the bar, but took to journalism; made himself
famous as the “fifth-column man” on the New York Times; was
appointed consul-general at Rome, the king decorating him with
the cross of Chevalier of the “Crown of Italy” at the end of his
 consulship. He introduced canoeing as a pastime into the United
States, and founded the first canoe club. He is now (1893)
writing humorous “stories” for the Idler and other English
publications, and his work has lost none of his old-time flavour.
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, born 1837. Mr. Aldrich, who for many years
was looked upon as one of the most promising younger writers
of America, has now attained the first rank in American poetry.
His first great success was the Ballad of Babie Bell, published in
1856, and this induced him to adopt literature as a profession. In
March 1881 he was appointed editor of the Atlantic Monthly.
Since Babie Bell appeared he has given to the public much work
of a high order. Pampinea and other Poems, 1861; Poems (two
collections), 1863 and 1865; Cloth of Gold, 1874; Flower and
Thorn, 1876; Lyrics and Sonnets, 1880, in verse; and Marjorie
Daw and other People, 1873; Prudence Palfrey, 1874; The
Stillwater Tragedy, 1880; Mercedes, 1883, in prose, are well
known in Great Britain and America. Messrs. Macmillan & Co.
publish his works in England, and Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. in
America.
Alsop, George, born 1638. When twenty years old he sailed to
Maryland, and for four years laboured as a servant. At the
restoration of King Charles he, a warm Royalist, returned to
England, and whether he returned to America or not is
uncertain. He published A Character of the Province of Maryland,
a volume of prose and verse, absurdly humorous from beginning
to end.
Alsop, Richard (1761-1815). Founder of a society of literary-inclined
individuals known as the “Hartford Wits.” Alsop was the chief
writer of the Echo, a series of burlesque essays published
between 1791 and 1795. He also published The Enchanted Lake
of Fairy Morgana, Monody on the Death of Washington, The
Natural and Civil History of Chili, and edited the Captivity and
Adventures of J. R. Jewett among the Savages of Nootka Sound.
He was an accomplished linguist.
Ames, Nathaniel (1708-1764), commenced publishing in 1725 a yearly
calendar—the great-grandfather of the present weekly paper. He
was a shrewd wit, and his almanac, which obtained marked
popularity, was full of quaint and wise sayings.
Anderson, Mrs. Arestine (1855). A writer of humorous newspaper
verse. Contributor to many of the humorous papers in America.
André, Major John (1751-1780). This unfortunate soldier wrote a
humorous piece entitled “The Cow Chase,” which, strangely
enough, appeared in Rivington’s Royal Gazette the same day
that the author was captured.
Arnold, George (1834-1865). Author of McArone Papers, The Jolly
Old Pedagogue, and other Poems.
Austin, William (1778-1841). His “Peter Rugg, the Missing Man,”
published in the New England Galaxy, made a great hit, and his
“Letters from London” are full of quiet humour and quaint
information. He was also the author of “Oration on the
Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker’s Hill,” and “Essay on the
Human Character of Jesus Christ.”
Bagby, George William (1828-1883). Took his degree in medicine,
adopted journalism as a profession, was appointed (1870) state
librarian for Virginia. His humorous articles were published under
the pen-name “Mozis Addums,” and after his death his sketches
were collected and published by Mrs. Bagby in three volumes.
Bailey, James Montgomery, born 1841. In 1873 and 1874 America,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was laughing at the “Danbury
News-Man’s” funny articles. His work was to be found copied in
every paper in the land, and the Danbury News, which up to that
time had claimed only local attention, soon rose in circulation,
until it had readers in every state in the Union. Mr. Bailey, whose
laughable sketches made this sensation, began life as a
carpenter, served in the ranks during the war, and then entered
journalism. His humorous sketches have been collected and
 published. Life in Danbury and England from a Back Window are
the best compilations.
Bangs, J. K. Has published the Tiddledywink Poetry Book. His verse is
in much request by the better-class humorous papers and
magazines in America.
Barlow, Joel (1754-1812). After serving with the Revolutionary army
as chaplain, he, in 1783, settled at Hartford, studied law, and
was admitted to the bar. He joined the “Hartford Wits,” founded
a paper, and began writing satirical verse. In 1791 he journeyed
to England to take part in the political movements of the day,
and published his Advice to the Privileged Orders, which the
Government proscribed. He took refuge in France, and while
there wrote “Hasty Pudding,” his most popular poem. After
serving his country diplomatically on a number of trying
occasions, he, while acting as minister to France, set out to visit
Napoleon, then on his Russian campaign, and died of cold in the
famous retreat from Moscow.
Barr, John, born in Canada 1858. Taught school, sailed the great
lakes, appointed marine editor of the Detroit Free Press, and is
now commercial editor of the paper. Has written under the pen-
name “Baron Joe.” The extract given is from The White Feather,
a farcical opera.
Barr, Robert (1851), co-editor of the Idler (1892), and for many
years connected with the Detroit Free Press. His humorous
sketches and short stories, both humorous and dramatic, under
the nom de guerre of “Luke Sharp,” first made him known to the
readers of the United Kingdom and America, but lately he has
taken to writing under his proper name. His published works are
In a Steamer Chair, and other Shipboard Stories (Chatto &
Windus), From Whose Bourn, Strange Happenings, One Day’s
Courtship, Jones and I, etc. Although inseparably connected with
American humour, and having made his first success in America
and on an American paper, he was educated in Canada.
Bartlett, Joseph (1762-1827), graduated at Harvard, studied law, and
travelled to England to spend his money, which he easily
succeeded in doing, and as a result found himself in prison for
debt. In prison he wrote a play, and with the money obtained for
it bought his release. Trying the stage for a while and not
making headway, he obtained a cargo of goods on credit for sale
in America, set sail, and was shipwrecked. In Boston he started
in business, failed, opened a law office in Woburn, and removed
to Cambridge. There he wrote “Physiognomy,” a poem
lampooning celebrities of the day, and afterwards “The New
Vicar of Bray.” He died penniless.
Bayles, Mather (1706-1788), humorous verse-writer.
Beers, Henry Augustin, born 1847, Professor of English at Yale. Has
published Odds and Ends, The Thankless Muse, volumes of
verse, and Life of N. P. Willis, A Century of American Literature,
and An Outline Sketch of English Literature. Has written a few
facetious poems.
Belknap, Rev. Jeremy (1744-1798), a New England historian, and
author of The Foresters, an American Tale, a work rich in
humour.
Bellaw, Americus W., humorous verse-writer, contributor to most of
the humorous papers of America. He is well-known to readers of
newspaper humour in the United States.
Benjamin, Park (1809-1864), a Boston attorney, who drifted into
magazine writing, and being equally at home in verse or prose,
published a great amount of matter. For a time he was
associated with Horace Greeley as editor of the New Yorker, and
in 1840 he founded the New World, and, with others, edited it
for five years. His principal works are Infatuation and Poetry,
both satires in verse.
Beveridge, John, a Scotsman by birth, who in 1758 was appointed
Professor of Languages in Philadelphia College; published some
 Latin verse of a humorous description, with their English
translations by his students.
Bolton, Mrs. Sarah Tittle (1815). She wrote “Paddle your own
Canoe.”
Brackenridge, Hugh Henry (1748-1816). Born in Scotland and taken to
America while still a child, he earned enough money to put
himself through Princetown, graduating in 1771, and rose to be
one of the Justices of Pennsylvania Supreme Court (1799).
Modern Chivalry, or the Adventures of Captain Farrago and
Teague O’Regan his Servant, published in Pittsburg, 1796, a
political satire, established his reputation as a humorist.
Brainard, John Gardiner Calkins (1796-1828). Studied law, but on
being called to the bar he forsook his profession for that of
editor of a weekly paper. He wrote a number of ballads, and his
“Sonnet to a Sea-Serpent” is humorous.
Brougham, John, born in Dublin, 1810; died in America, 1880. A
prolific writer of comedies and farces, and was editor and
proprietor of the Lantern, a comic paper published in 1852. Two
collections of his writings have appeared, A Basket of Chips and
The Bunsby Papers.
Browne, Charles Farrar (1834-1867), “Artemus Ward.” When fifteen
years old he contributed comic articles to the Carpet Bag, a
Boston weekly. Subsequently he secured the situation of reporter
on the Cleveland Plaindealer, a paper of good standing, and
while acting in that position commenced his showman articles.
The first of these were written in a careless style, more as a “fill
up” than anything else, but finding that they met with
extraordinary success Mr. Browne began taking greater pains
with them, and the result is a series of as clever and humorous
articles as America has produced. He was a successful lecturer,
and in this capacity visited England in 1866, but his health,
which had long been failing, became so poor that he was forced
to cancel engagements. He died in Southampton, England.
Browne, John Ross (1817-1875), author of Yusef, American Family in
Germany, Land of Thor, and other records of his travels in
Europe, well worth reading. He was a great traveller, visiting
every quarter of the globe, and his pen was never idle.
Bunner, Henry Cuyler (1885), present editor of Puck (1892). He is a
writer of graceful verse and short stories, which are overflowing
with refined humour. Airs from Arcady, a volume of short verse,
Short Sixes and The Zodac Pines, volumes of short stories, and A
Woman of Honour, a novel, are his principal published works. He
is one of the best of the many brilliant short-story writers
America of to-day possesses. Charles Scribner’s Sons and Ogilvie
& Co., publishers, America.
Burbank, “Major,” editor New Orleans Piccayune, a humorous writer
and lecturer.
Burdette, Robert Jones (1844), first attracted attention by his
humorous articles to the Burlington Hawkeye. These sketches
have been collected and published in book form under the titles
of The Rise and Fall of the Moustache, Hawkeyes, Sumach
Garden, and other comic sketches. His humour is of the
evanescent quality, and suited better to the columns of a daily or
weekly paper than to publication in book form.
Burton, William Evans, born in England, 1804; died in America, 1860.
In 1834 he emigrated to America, and for a time was the leader
of the dramatic profession in America. In 1858 he published the
Cyclopædia of Wit and Humour (2 vols.).
Butler, William Allen, born 1825. A lawyer of New York who has
been a frequent contributor to the periodical literature of the
country. His Nothing to Wear, first published in 1857, is to be
found in most collections of American humour.
Byles, Dr. Mather (1707-1788), more famous for his jokes in
conversation and in the pulpit than for his writings.
Byrd, Colonel William (1674-1744). Founder of Richmond, Va., three
times agent for the colony in England, and for thirty-seven years
 member of the King’s Council. His Westover Manuscripts were
published in 1841. They are “A Journey to the Land of Eden,” “A
Progress to the Mines,” and “History of the Dividing Line.” He
wrote verse, and was considered a great wit.
Carleton, Will, born 1845. Without doubt the most popular
humorous verse-writer of the day in America. His versification is
far from being irreproachable, but he takes the everyday
occurrences of life and treats them in a simple humorous style
which appeals to the great public. His works are, Farm Ballads,
Farm Legends, Young Folks’ Rhymes, Farm Festivals, City
Ballads, City Legends, all published by Harper’s, New York, and
most of them by Sampson Low, Marston, & Co., London. For
pictures of rural life his work is invaluable.
Cheney, John Vance (1848), public librarian of San Francisco. He has
published two dainty books of fascinating, graceful, and
wayward verse, Thistledrift and Wood Blooms. See also Poems of
Wild Life, “Canterbury Poets.”
Clark, Lewis Gaylord (1810-1873). Appointed editor of the
Knickerbocker Magazine in 1834. He brought the magazine into
fame, and gathered around him as contributors, Longfellow,
Irving, Bryant, Halleck, Morris, and other well-known men. His
published works in book form are Knickerbocker Sketch-Book,
and Knick-Knacks from an Editor’s Table.
Clark, Will W., the “Frisbee” and “Gilhooley” of the Pittsburg Leader.
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne, born 1835. A true citizen of the United
States, he began at the bottom of the ladder and has worked his
way to the top. After receiving a meagre education at a village
school, he was apprenticed to a printer at the age of thirteen,
and for three years “stuck type.” In 1851 he took to the
Mississippi, earning his living as a pilot, and later on tried mining
and editing. Under the pseudonym “Mark Twain” he began to
publish the work which has earned for him the right to be
considered the greatest humorous writer of the century. The
 Jumping Frog and other Sketches was his first book, appearing
in 1867, and this he has followed with a splendid line of
successes down to The American Claimant, which has just
appeared. Messrs. Chatto & Windus publish his works in
England, and Webster & Co. in America.
Clifton, William (1772-1799), a satirical writer of prose and verse.
Author of The Group, The Rhapsody of the Times, and an
unfinished poem, “Chimeriad.”
Cotes, Mrs. E. C., “Sarah Jeannette Duncan” (1863). Miss Duncan, a
native of Brantford, Ontario, Canada, did her first literary work
on the Toronto Globe, and, after occupying positions on the staff
of the Globe and Washington Post, spent a session at Ottawa as
special correspondent of the Montreal Star. This newspaper
training is clearly shown in her two clever books, A Social
Departure and An American Girl in London. The first is an
original and wholly unconventional account of travel, telling how
she, in company with another girl, went round the world. The
other book is an equally bright description of her doings in
London.
Cox, Samuel Sullivan (“Sunset Cox”), born 1824, and died 1889. A
lawyer, journalist, and politician. He served the United States as
diplomatist in Peru and Turkey, and wrote and spoke much that
was witty. He published The Buck-Eye Abroad, Why We Laugh, A
Search for Winter Sunbeams, Arctic Sunbeams, Orient
Sunbeams, and The Isles of the Princes—the last three bright
and laughable accounts of his travels in many lands. They are
published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York and London.
Cox, William, died about 1851. Author of Crayon Sketches. He wrote
under the pseudonym “An Amateur.”
Cozzens, Frederick Swartout (1818-1869), author of The Sayings of Dr.
Bushwhacker and other Learned Men, and The Sparrowgrass
Papers. A genuine humorist and graceful writer. Some of his
work was published under the pen-name “Richard Haywarde.”
Curtis, George William (1824-1892). As the “Easy Chair” in Harper’s
Magazine, Mr. Curtis’ work was familiar to a wide circle of
readers throughout the English-speaking world. His writings are
all brightened by a vein of refined and genial humour. His chief
works are Nile Notes, The Howadji in Syria, Lotus-Eating,
Potiphar Papers, Prue and I, and Trumps.
Derring, Nathaniel (1791-1881), a playwright of note and humorous
story writer. Author of Bozzaris and The Clairvoyants.
De Mille, James, Canadian (1837-1880). He began his career as a
humorous writer while still at school, his writings appearing in
New Brunswick papers. In 1860 he was appointed to the Chair of
Classics in Acadia College, and four years later that of history
and rhetoric in Dalhousie College, Halifax, holding the position till
his death. He published, during his comparatively short lifetime,
more than twenty books, of which The Dodge Club found the
most readers.
Dennie, Joseph (1768-1812), a lawyer who thought better of it, and
adopted literature as a profession. In 1801 he became editor of
the Portfolio, and, under the nom de plume “Oliver Old School,”
edited and wrote for it till his death. His Short Sermons for Idle
Readers are rich in humour.
Depew, Chauncey Mitchell, born 1834. He entered politics before 1860,
and has stayed in ever since. He is President of the New York
Central Railway, the right-hand man of the Republican party, and
America’s most famous facetious after-dinner speaker and story-
teller.
Derby, George Horatio (“John Phœnix”), 1823-1861, a graduate of
West Point, and served in the war with Mexico, receiving a
severe wound in the battle of Cerro Gordo. He explored
Minnesota territory in 1849, and after holding many important
government positions, was made captain of engineers. He died
from effects produced by sunstroke. Under the pseudonym “John
Phœnix,” he wrote the first of what may be called newspaper
 humour. His Phœnixiana and The Squibob Papers have been
published on both sides the Atlantic.
Diaz, Mrs. Abby (1821), a humorous writer for the young; author of
Chronicles of the Stimpcett Family, The William Henry Letters,
etc.
Dodge, H. C., a writer of newspaper verse, ready with his rhymes,
but whose chief ingenuity is displayed in the typographical
arrangements of his verse.
Douglass, William, a Scotsman who made America his home in 1718.
He was a famous satirist in his day.
Dowe, Mrs. Jennie, E. T. Her best work is to be found in the Century
Magazine, where she, every now and again, fills a page or two
with graceful and fantastical verse, usually employing a slight
dialect of one sort or another. Her poems are full of life and
music, and are decidedly clever.
Drake, Joseph Rodman (1795-1820), co-author with Halleck of the
Croaker Papers, and author of The Culprit Fay.
Drummond, Dr. W. H., a resident of Montreal, Canada. He is a master
of the French-Canadian dialect, and in verse has the field pretty
much to himself. His Wreck of the Julie Plante is the most
popular humorous song Canada has produced.
Duncan, Sarah Jeannette. See Cotes, Mrs.
Dunlop, William, born in Scotland 1795 (?), died in Canada 1848. He
contributed to Blackwood’s Magazine “The Autobiography of a
Rat,” founded the Toronto Literary Society, and represented
Huron County in the first parliament after the union of Upper
and Lower Canada.
Dwight, Timothy (1752-1817), President of Yale College, and hymn-
writer of note. Among his many published works is Triumph of
Infidelity, a satire.
Edwards, Edward E., the author of “Facts and Fancies” in the Boston
Transcript.
Fay, Theodore Sedgewick, born 1807, an associate of Morris and Willis
in the New York Mirror. Mr. Fay, about 1830, joined the
diplomatic service, and was stationed at Berlin and Berne for
years. He published many works of a quietly humorous
character.
Fessenden, Thomas Green (1771-1837). When at Dartmouth College he
wrote “Jonathan’s Courtship,” a ballad which became popular,
and was reprinted in England. He studied law and wrote
humorous verse until 1801, when he was sent to England with a
newly-patented hydraulic machine which proved a failure. This
and other patents in which he experimented ruined him.
Returning to America, he edited for a time the New York Weekly
Inspector, and from this time till his death was connected with
one paper or another. His published works include Democracy
Unveiled, “Pills, Poetical, Political, and Philosophical, prescribed
for the purpose of purging the Public of—Philosophers, Penny
Poetasters, of Paltry Politicians and Petty Partisans. By Peter
Pepperbox, Poet and Physician, Philadelphia.”
Field, Eugene (1850). During the year 1891 Mr. Field made a
successful début before the reading public of Great Britain with
his Little Book of Western Verse, and Little Book of Profitable
Tales, published by Osgood, McIlvain, & Co. For many years past
Mr. Field has been the chief humorist of Chicago, and in verse
and prose holds an honoured place among the present-day
writers of America. He is equally at home in prose and verse.
Field, Matthew C. (1812-1844), a contributor to many southern
journals from 1834 till the time of his death.
Fields, James Thomas (1817-1881). He edited the Atlantic Monthly for
eleven years, and wrote several volumes of prose and clever
humorous verse. He was partner in the publishing house of
Ticknor & Fields.
Finn, Henry J. (1782-1840), an actor, miniature painter, and humorist.
He was lost in the burning of the steamer Lexington.
Folger, Peter (1617-1690), grandfather of Benjamin Franklin,
published a satirical attack on the follies of the day, under the
extensive title of A Looking-glass for the Times; or, the Former
Spirit of New England Revised in this Generation.
Foss, Sam Walter (1858), editor of the Yankee Blade. Although his
poems are as widely quoted on one side the Atlantic as the
other, they have not yet appeared in book form in England.
Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790) It is difficult to say what Franklin was
not, and there can be no question of his being the best-informed
man of his day. Along with his other virtues, he was a humorist,
and sparkling witty in conversation and writing. He was the first
American to achieve cosmopolitan fame as a writer.
Freneau, Philip (1752-1832). He commenced to write poetry before
he left college, and continued to do so all his life. As a
consequence, his published works are many. His reputation as a
humorist rests to a great extent on “A Journey from Philadelphia
to New York, by Robert Slender, Stocking-Weaver,” published
1787.
Goldsmith, Jay Charlton, the “P.I. Man” of the New York Herald, and
the author of the “Jay Charlton” papers which appeared in the
Danbury News.
Graydon, Alexander (1752-1818). Graydon served in the War of
Independence, was taken prisoner; when peace was restored
was appointed to a government office, which he held for many
years. He wrote his memoirs, and was an epigrammatist of note.
Green, Joseph (1706-1780), a writer of verse, chiefly parody. His
“Poet’s Lament for the Loss of his Cat, which he used to call his
Mews,” published in the London Magazine, 1733, and “The
Wonderful Lament of Old Mr. Tenor,” are the most notable of his
productions. He died in England.
Greene, Albert Gorton (1802-1868), founder of the Providence
Athenæum, and president of the Rhode Island Historical Society
from 1854 till his death. His poem, “Old Grimes,” has appeared
in almost every collection of American humour published.
Gregory W. H., working editor of Judge, and a brilliant paragraphist.
Griswold, A. Minor (nom de guerre, “The Fat Contributor”), first
made his name on the Cincinnati Enquirer, and afterwards
became identified with Texas Siftings. In 1889 he started on a
lecturing tour à la Artemus Ward, and died in Michigan.
Habberton, John, born 1842. The author of Helen’s Babies. He served
through the war, and after an unsuccessful attempt to establish
himself in business he took up journalism. In 1876, after several
refusals, he found a publisher for Helen’s Babies, and the result
was a sale of close on half a million copies in the United States
alone. Since that time he has published a dozen or more books,
most of them successes.
Hale, Lucretia Peabody, born 1820. Her Peterkim Papers, published in
America by Osgood & Co., Boston, made her famous with the
young folk of America, but the reader must be young to enjoy
the skits.
Haliburton, Thomas Chandler (1797-1865), Canada’s most famous
humorist. Was admitted to the bar in Nova Scotia at the age of
twenty-three, and nine years later was made Chief Justice of the
Court of Common Pleas, and in 1840 Judge of the Supreme
Court. In 1842 he resigned this office and settled in England,
sitting in Parliament as Conservative member for Launceston
from 1859 to 1865. It was in the year 1835 he commenced
writing his humorous works that made the name of “Sam Slick”
famous the world over. His first production was The Clockmaker;
or, The Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick; and this he followed up
with Bubbles of Canada, Letter Bag of the Great Western,
Yankee Stories, Nature and Human Nature, etc.
Halleck, Fitz-Greene (1790-1867), a descendant of John Eliot, “The
Apostle of the Indians.” In 1819 he and John Rodman Drake
published the Croaker Papers, humorous and satirical, which
attracted much attention at the time. These papers he followed
with “Fanny,” his longest poem, hitting off the follies of the day.
These are his chief contributions to humorous literature.
Halpine, Charles Graham (1829-1868), “Miles O’Reilly,” a verse-writer.
Established with “Mrs. Partington” a humorous paper called The
Carpet Bag, which proved a failure. He enlisted during “the war,”
and worked his way up until he finally became a colonel. He
issued Life and Adventures, Songs, Services, and Speeches of
Private Miles O’Reilly, 47th Regiment, New York Volunteers, and
A Collection of Essays, Poems, Speeches, and Banquets by
Private Miles O’Reilly. Collected, Revised, and Edited, with the
Requisite Corrections of Punctuation, Spelling, and Grammar, by
an ex-Colonel of the Adjutant-General’s Department, etc.
Harris, Charles H., “Carl Pretzel,” born 1833. Author of Pretzelisms,
My Book of Expressions, etc., humorous compilations in Dutch
dialect.
Harris, Joel Chandler, born 1848. The greatest exponent of the negro
dialect. In the columns of the Atlanta Constitution, of which he is
editor and part proprietor, his Uncle Remus sketches first saw
the light, and proved enormously successful. His humour is
delicate and fascinating, and as a consequence the Remus series
of books have had a world-wide circulation. No lover of the
humorous should overlook Mr. Harris’s work. American
publishers, Appleton & Co.
Harte, Francis Bret, born 1836. Taking full advantage of his unique
acquaintance with the West of America during the stirring days
of ’49, when, in California, he was in turn gold-digger, express-
rider, printer, and editor, Bret Harte has given to the world
volume after volume of short stories which picture in an
inimitable way the manners and men of the gold days. No writer
is more characteristically American than he; his style is vivid and
 beautiful, and he has a wonderful fund of humour, which
appears in every line he writes. His published works, prose and
verse, are many. Messrs. Chatto & Windus have recently
published a complete edition of his writings. American
publishers, Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804-1864). Like most men of exceptional
worth in literature; he found great difficulty at first in getting his
work published. After writing and destroying many tales, he
published, at his own expense, a novel entitled Fanshawe, which
proved a failure; and it was not until 1837 that he, or rather a
friend, induced a publisher to bring out Twice-told Tales. In the
spring of 1850 appeared The Scarlet Letter, which raised the
author from obscurity to the front rank of American literature,
and the works which followed established his position in the
letters of his country.
Hay, Colonel John, born 1838, one of President Lincoln’s private
secretaries during the war, and has since in collaboration written
a history of the martyr-president. His reputation for humour was
made by a small volume of verse entitled Pike Country Ballads.
Best known of these ballads are “Little Breeches” and “Jim
Bludso,” both strong pieces of verse.
Henderson, William James, born 1855, a New York journalist who has
written much pleasant verse and prose.
Holland, Josiah Gilbert (1819-1881). For some time editor of
Scribner’s Monthly (now the Century), and a writer who, though
judged from a literary point of view is quite second class, still is
popular with the reading public of America. He wrote a number
of articles under the nom de plume of “Timothy Titcomb.”
Holley, Marietta. Under the pseudonym of “Josiah Allen’s Wife” she
wrote a great deal of humorous matter. Author of My Opinions
and Betsey Bobbet’s, My Wayward Partner, Josiah Allen’s Wife as
a P. A. and P.I., etc.
Holmes, Dr. Oliver Wendell, born 1809, physician, novelist, essayist,
and poet, began literary work at an early age, and for more than
half a century has written industriously and with consistent
success. The Breakfast-Table series is among the most read of all
America’s humorous writings, and various short poems of a
humorous nature, such as “The One-Hoss Shay,” “Contentment,”
“The Spectre Pig,” etc., are in every compilation of humour. His
chief works are The Autocrat at the Breakfast-Table, The
Professor at the Breakfast-Table, The Poet at the Breakfast-Table,
Songs of Many Seasons, Songs in Many Keys. He is one of the
small band of humorists who are as carefully read and highly
appreciated in the United Kingdom as in their native land.
American publishers, Houghton, Mifflin, & Co.
Hooper, Johnson, J. (1815-1863), a native of North Carolina, studied
law in Alabama, was made a judge, and in 1861 appointed
Secretary of the Provisional Confederate Congress. He published
Widow Rugby’s Husband and Adventures of Captain Simon
Suggs. Clever, but somewhat broad in humour.
Hopkins, Lemuel (1750-1801), one of the “Hartford Wits,” and co-
author and projector of The Anarchiad, a poem on State Rights,
cuttingly sarcastic. He also wrote The Echo, The Political
Greenhouse, and New Year’s Verses, all full of sarcasm.
Hopkinson, Francis (1737-1791), a telling, sarcastic writer, widely read
in his lifetime, and author of the poem, “The Battle of the Kegs,”
which remains famous. He was one of those who signed the
Declaration of Independence. His son wrote “Hail, Columbia.”
Howard, Bronson (1842). The most successful American dramatist of
the day, and almost the only American whose plays command
attention in England. His plays, Saratoga, Truth, The Old Love
and the New, Young Mrs. Winthrope, The Henrietta, and others
are full of humour, and have been successful on both sides the
Atlantic.
Howells, William Dean, born 1837. He is now America’s representative
novelist, and has qualified for representation in a humorous book
by his comedies, Out of the Question, A Counterfeit
Presentment, The Parlour Car, The Sleeping Car, etc. He is an
industrious writer. D. Douglas, Edinburgh, in his American author
series, has included twenty-five of Mr. Howells’ works. The
extract given in this book is from A Chance Acquaintance.
American publishers, Houghton, Mifflin, & Co., and Osgood & Co.
Hoyt, Charles, humorous paragraphist of the Boston Post, the paper,
by the way, which is credited with having originated the column
of witty paragraphs now so popular with American and British
papers.
Humphreys, David (1752-1818), served as aide-de-camp to
Washington, and wrote lyrics of a patriotic nature for the good of
the cause. He was an intimate friend of the first president,
residing with and being treated as a member of the Washington
family, and held many positions of trust. He was one of the
famous “Hartford Wits.”
Hunter-Duvar, Lieutenant-Colonel John (1830), one of the principal
literary men of Canada, his work polished, bright, and full of
imagination. His “Emigration of the Fairies,” a poem of 117
stanzas of six lines each, is quite the best piece of verse as
regards light, fantastical, imaginative humour that Canada has
produced. Many of his lyrics are dainty and sweet, with a
seventeenth century ring about them. He has published in verse
De Roberval, a drama dealing with early life in Canada, The
Triumph of Constancy, The Enamorado, and for private
circulation, John a’ Var, his Lays.
Huntley, Stanley. In 1881 Mr. Huntley joined the staff of the Brooklyn
Eagle, to which paper he contributed his famous “Spoopendyke”
articles. He died before he had the opportunity of following up
his success.
Irving, John Treat (1778-1838), a writer of sarcastic political verse.
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