The Man Who Was Walter Mitty

The Man Who Was Walter Mitty --- is a loving portrait which examines both the personal life and literary legacy of James Thurber -- his humor, blindness, word play, imagination, memory, his years at "The New Yorker" magazine, his dreams, his dogs, his drawings, his marriages, his articles and books. Part of a 3-book series: "The Man Who Was Dr. Seuss" (Theodor Geisel); "The Man Who Was Walter Mitty (Thurber); "The Man Who Changed His Skin (John Howard Griffin).

This book offers new insights into James Thurber, the man who has been called "America's Twentieth Century Mark Twain." The book places Thurber in the context of his early years in Ohio -- his highly dysfunctional family, his curious relatives -- his memory -- which evolved into his fictional world of "confusion, eccentricity and chaos." "The Man Who Was Walter Mitty" shows how his world was leavened by both humor and tragedy -- how his world was shaped by total blindness when he was at the height of his fame. It examines Thurber himself as Walter Mitty-- a remarkably timid, day-dreaming man , forever harassed, oppressed and conquered by Thurber women. Only Thurber's dog drawings looked at life with aplomb and sanity. Part of a 3-book series: "The Man Who ..." : "The Man Who Was Dr. Seuss" (Theodor Geisel); " The Man Who Was Walter Mitty "(Thurber); "The Man Who Changed His Skin" (John Howard Griffin).

Thomas Fensch, like James Thurber is a native of Ohio. Fensch has a doctorate from Syracuse University and is the author of over 30 books, including biographies of John Steinbeck; James Thurber; Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel; Oskar Schindler; John Howard Griffin, Ernest Hemingway and a variety of other nonfiction books. Fensch lives outside Richmond, Va.