Given the rich complexity of Will Rogers’ life, any biography of him would have a tough time putting it all together. But Ben Yagoda’s biography of Rogers is a terrific 330 page book – long enough to cover all the important points of Rogers’ life and written in a way that keeps the reader’s attention throughout. It is an even-handed account of one of the most interesting Americans in the first half of the 20th century.
Rogers had a unique upbringing and a unique personality. Yagoda gives evidence that underneath Rogers’ public comic persona may have been layers the public did not see. Yagoda explores Rogers’ letters in some depth. On the one hand, Rogers accepted the prejudices of his time, played both sides of the political aisle, and was always willing to accept publicity. On the other hand, he was intensely private, railed at times against the tragedy imposed on his Cherokee ancestors, and, at least at times, viewed life in a fairly nihilistic way. It’s tempting to see Rogers’ humor as a form of denial or cover up of his more negative view of life. But, as Yagoda implies, it seems more likely that Rogers accepted life as it was and simply had an uncanny ability to see the absurdity of so much of what humans count as important. And he could throw his barbs straight at the people involved without offending them. Especially viewed in the light of the polarization in society today, Will Rogers had a fairly incredible skill.
This is an enjoyable book that lights up not only Will Rogers’ life but much of American life in the early 20th century that we may not know about. I highly recommend it.
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