Will Cuppy

Well, sooner or later, this blog was going to turn to the topic of Will Cuppy. Several years ago, I was introduced to his works by a History instructor of mine. Will Cuppy was a humorist from several years ago. He was a contemporary of P.G. Wodehouse, who some of you British comedy fans may know from, among other things, his Jeeves and Wooster stories.

I first read The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody. It’s a collection of humorous essays on various historical figures which was published posthumously. Laugh out loud funny. Unfortunately, few of his books are still in print. I am currently reading How to be a Hermit, which is his diary from the experience of moving to Jones Beach in the 1920’s to write. This is before Jones Beach became the tourist attraction is has since become (State park, 10 miles of beaches, Nikon Theater, 2 mile long boardwalk, etc etc etc)

If you’re a fan of dry British wit, you’ll enjoy his books. Just by reading a few chapters, I could tell that Terry Pratchett, of Discworld Fame (see below), was a fan of and was inspired by Will Cuppy. They both have a knack for personification, which I find hilarious.