Ogden Nash: The Life and Work of America's Laureate of Light Verse (Hardcover)

by Douglas M. Parker (Author) "On August 19, 2002, a large crowd, sitting and standing under a brilliant summer sun, filled the spacious backyard of a comfortable Baltimore home..." (more)
Key Phrases: light verse, Ogden Nash, Vernon Duke, Dorothy Parker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The life of the man who is fondly remembered for his verse "Candy/Is dandy/ But liquor/Is quicker" was often anything but dandy, according to his assiduous biographer. Ogden Nash's (1902–1971) genteel Southern heritage and one year at Harvard (due to his father's financial reverses) provided him with literary aspirations that led him to fear his jaunty, pun-filled, gently satiric verse was not real poetry. Even after acclaim greeted his frequent publication in the New Yorker, finances forced him to leave his beloved (and temperamental) wife and two daughters to go on the road as a lecturer and performer, where he often suffered bouts of intestinal illness and depression. His yearning for a career in musical theater was briefly (if memorably) fulfilled when he provided the lyrics for Kurt Weill's classic "Speak Low." Gratification came from unexpected sources, however, including a lifelong friendship with S.J. Perelman and the praise of W.H. Auden. Parker, a retired lawyer writing with the Nash family's cooperation, provides numerous examples of Nash's distinctive poetry, his wit underscored by gentle social commentary, antic wordplay and rhyme and meter that seemed random but was meticulously composed. Parker's is a useful, highly readable biography of one of America's best-loved poets. Photos. 12 b&w photos not seen by PW. (Apr. 29)
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From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Parker paints a picture of a kind, loving man who made words and wordplay fun and entertaining. Even at the age of 10, Nash possessed a talent and an ability to use language cleverly. In 1930, Nash's poems made their appearance in the New Yorker, and this funny, talented writer became part of a literary landscape that included such luminaries as Dorothy Parker and S. J. Perelman. At first glance, Nash's verses seem simple, and yet they are filled with witty lines and twists on spelling. He liked to write about families, and no one was safe from his gentle satire, not even his beloved wife, Frances. Nash told the truth about the ordinary and, in doing so, endeared himself to a lifetime of readers. Would-be poets and satirists as well as students interested in the artistic milieu of the times will enjoy reading this well-written tribute.–Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 332 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher (April 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156663637X
• ISBN-13: 978-1566636377
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #904,141 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The need for him remains steady., August 6, 2005

By	Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Ogden Nash is an example of how our need to label things can cheat us of clearly seeing something that is actually quite unique and important. It is an understandable problem because it is hard to put a meaningful label on something that stands apart. We say that he is the poet laureate of light verse, or a humorist, or a writer of joke verse. His detractors call him a bad poet because he is "not serious". Balderdash. He was a very serious writer. Though many have tried to copy him by going after some of his rhythms and wonderfully forced rhymes, they never pull it off because they are not as serious or as talented has he.

Nash said that he looked on his work as essays in verse (pg 245) and noted several times how hard he had to work to create his works. Never mind the fact that at one book signing he wrote a couplet along with his signature and of course everyone else wanted one, too. That evening he had to spontaneously create 100 of these witty little things. It was an incredibly draining evening.

What is it about Nash's work that makes it stand apart? Well, it is genuinely funny. Not because it goes in for the cheap giggle or the linguistic pratfall. It is because he has something real to say first and then has the ability to give the meaning energy and lift in fabulous words that are just right and the humor makes the point all the more meaningful and memorable. Even when he does lay the verbal egg it is done with purpose and care in a way that rewards the reader. Nash lets you know that he knows that you know that he knows what the joke is and you are in it together.

This biography has a lot to do with his wife and daughters and that is appropriate since his domestic life informed so much of his work. His publishers, for magazines and books, also make many appearances since he was an author who made his living from his earnings through publishing. The New Yorker has a central place with his various editors over the years. It is all very interesting stuff.

However interesting the life, it is the work we hold close and Douglas Parker makes good selections and includes a lot of appropriate, relevant, and delightful works by Nash in his text. We owe Mr. Parker a debt of gratitude and we can show that by purchasing this valuable book, reading it, and then digging into Ogden Nash once again. Maybe we can get a revival of Nashomania going!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Should Remember Nash, December 1, 2005

By	Richard Roche "ricklibrarian" (Downers Grove, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I think of Ogden Nash, I think first of a poem I read in school a long time ago titled "The Purist." I have read it too many times to actually laugh out loud again, but I still smile when I read it. I become the kid I once was somehow, happy to hear the joke over and over again.

I think Ogden Nash brings back memories for many older Americans. When I was reading the new biography Ogden Nash: The Life and Work of America's Laureate of Light Verse by Douglas M. Parker, while eating a sweet roll in Panera last week, an older man noticed. As he passed my table he said, "Ah, Ogden Nash, he was a wonderful man." I noticed the older man, who looked like a retired executive, having a look of competence and industry, was cleaning tables. Was he laid off by a corporation, replaced by someone young? Was he working at Panera because he was unable to find a management job in the new economy, which disvalues the older, experienced worker? Is Nash for him a link to a happier time, his time?

Nash has often been a bright spot in a dark time. He became popular for his humorous poetry during the Great Depression when his works began to appear regularly in The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, and other magazines. Because he was never paid much for his poems, he had to write and sell a lot of them, which he continued to do into the 1960s, when changing tastes made his work harder to sell. By the time of his death in 1971, he had published over a thousand poems.

Nash did not only write poetry. He tried his hand as a book editor, magazine editor, screen writer, playwright, lyricist, and game show panelist. He was valued as an editor at Doubleday and other publishers, but the pay was poor and he left the profession to write fulltime. His efforts in Hollywood and on Broadway always started with lots of promise but usually fizzled. Radio and television appearances eventually paid fairly well, but poetry was his steady income.

Being a writer, he often worked from home. Unlike many men of his era, he seems to have spent much time with his two daughters. On several occasions, he was the primary parent as his wife took long European vacations. It may not have been difficult to do, as the family always had servants. His wife had her own money inherited from her "old family" Baltimore ancestors. She and Nash were always able to live the country club and martini life.

I think readers will enjoy learning how involved Nash was in the literary scene of the 1920s and 1930s. He knew Dorothy Parker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, E. B. White, and many others. Douglas M. Parker also tells much about mid-twentieth century world of publishing. Fans of The New Yorker will especially want to read this book.

Some will enjoy the book for their own memories. There are many Nash verses scattered throughout the text.

Read "The Purist." The punch line ends with a word that rhymes with "smile."

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is a Real Treat, August 23, 2005

By	Eleanor Meyer (Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Many of us probably recognize Ogden Nash as the creator of humorous poetry, but he was a man of far greater accomplishments than might be generally known.In this biography, Doug Parker gives a very complete and fascinating overview of Nash and the diversity of his works, which included movie scripts and--much to my surprise--song lyrics. Parker relates his story in manageable sequences, interspersing just enough famous lines from Nash to lure the reader into wanting to read more of the man's work. One would think that Parker knew Nash personally because of the skillful manner in which he discreetly discusses the poet's health problems, his devotion to his family, his dislike of confrontation, and the entire span of his creative life.

It took an impressive amount of research to create this interesting account of Nash's life, and Parker made much use of Nash's personal letters. He does not overwhelm the reader with excessive detail, rather, he leaves the reader feeling like one who has enjoyed a great meal but has not overeaten, and who knows he can come back for seconds by reading more of Nash's work. This is an enjoyable and informative book that gives the reader a real appreciation for the talents of Ogden Nash.