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Ring Lardner
Ringgold Wilmer Lardner (March 6, 1885 – September 25, 1933) was an American sports columnist and short story writer best known for his satirical writings on sports, marriage, and the theatre.
Lardner was born in Niles, Michigan, in 1885. He began his career as a sportswriter for the South Bend Times in 1907. He moved to Chicago in 1910 to work for the Chicago Tribune, where he wrote a popular column called "In the Wake of the News." Lardner's column was known for its sharp wit and its skewering of the foibles of athletes, coaches, and sports fans.
In addition to his sportswriting, Lardner also wrote short stories. His stories were often set in the world of sports, but they also explored themes of marriage, family, and the American Dream. Lardner's stories were characterized by their sharp dialogue, their deadpan humor, and their unflinching realism.
Lardner's most famous story is "The Love Nest," which was published in 1922. "The Love Nest" is a darkly funny story about a couple who move into a new apartment and quickly descend into domestic violence. The story was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Lardner as one of the leading short story writers of his generation.
Lardner died of heart failure in 1933 at the age of 48. He is buried in Chicago.
Lardner was famous for:
- His satirical writings on sports, marriage, and the theatre.
- His sharp wit and his deadpan humor.
- His unflinching realism.
- His mastery of language.
Lardner's philosophy was to use humor to skewer hypocrisy and expose the absurdities of life. He believed that humor was a powerful tool that could be used to make people think about the world around them in a new way.
Lardner is remembered as one of the greatest American short story writers of all time. His stories are still read and enjoyed today for their sharp wit, their deadpan humor, and their unflinching realism.
Lardner was a talented writer who made a lasting contribution to American literature. His stories are still read and enjoyed today for their sharp wit, their deadpan humor, and their unflinching realism.
Books by Ring Lardner
Welcome to Spring
Spring has sprung, but for these characters, it's anything but welcome. Welcome to Spring is a collection of poems by Ring Lardner that captures the harsh realities of life in the Jazz Age. Lardner's poems are full of humor and wit, but they also of...
His Lady Friend
What if a poem could transport you to the world of baseball and love? Ring Lardner's poem "His Lady Friend" is a witty and heartwarming tale of a baseball player's love for his wife. The poem is told from the perspective of the player, who reflects...
Bib Ballads
Ring Lardner is a typical parent when his first child is born, full of wonder and the rest of the usual emotions as he watches his little son grow. He wrote a series of 29 short poems on various facets of parenthood. (Summary by Jack Thro)
You Know Me Al
Big, fat, dumb, lazy, vain, headstrong and cheap, Jack Keefe is a journeyman pitcher with the Chicago White Sox in the rowdy days of the Deadball Era, circa 1915, ruled by the likes of Ty Cobb and John McGraw. In You Know Me Al, we follow Jack Keefe'...
Gullible's Travels, Etc.
Humorous stories of social climbing in America's "classless" society. - Summary by Winston Tharp
Visit From Young Gloom
Ringgold Wilmer "Ring" Lardner was an American sports columnist and short story writer best known for his satirical writings about sports, marriage, and the theatre. He was a contemporary of Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf and F. Scott Fitzgerald, a...
His Memory
LibriVox volunteers bring you 21 recordings of His Memory by Ring Lardner. This was the Weekly Poetry project for May 19, 2019. ------ Another poem form Bib Ballads, a collection of poems about the author's son. - Summary by David Lawrence
How To Write Short Stories, with examples
Here are 10 humorous short stories by Ring Lardner (March 5, 1885 – September 25, 1933), an American sports columnist and short-story writer best known for his satirical writings on sports, marriage, and the theatre. His contemporaries Ernest Hemingw...