Don Marquis
Overview
 
Donald Robert Perry Marquis (ˈmɑrkwɪs ; July 28, 1878, in Walnut, Illinois
Walnut, Illinois
Walnut is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,461 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Walnut is located at ....

 – June 16, 1937, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

) was a humorist, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

, and author. He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....

, and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...

. He is remembered best for creating the characters "Archy" and "Mehitabel"
Archy and mehitabel
Archy and Mehitabel is the title of a series of newspaper columns written by Don Marquis beginning in 1916. Written as fictional social commentary and intended as a space-filler to allow Marquis to meet the challenge of writing a daily newspaper column six days a week, archy and mehitabel is...

, supposed authors of humorous verse.
Marquis grew up in Walnut, Illinois
Walnut, Illinois
Walnut is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,461 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Walnut is located at ....

. His brother David died in 1892 at the age of 20; his father James died in 1897. After graduating from Walnut High School in 1894, he attended Knox Academy, a now-defunct preparatory program run by Knox College, in 1896, but left after three months.
Quotations

i have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them i wonder if it might not be the same with the human race

archy's life of mehitabel, random thoughts by archy (1933)

dedicated to babswith babs knows whatand babs knows why

the octopus's secret wishis not to be a formal fishhe dreams that some time he may growanother set of legs or soand be a broadway music show

oh i should worry and fretdeath and i will coquettethere s a dance in the old dame yettoujours gai toujours gai

the song of mehitabel

procrastination is theart of keeping

i have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them i wonder if it might not be the same with the human race

archy's life of mehitabel, random thoughts by archy (1933)

dedicated to babs<br>with babs knows what<br>and babs knows why

the octopus's secret wish<br>is not to be a formal fish<br>he dreams that some time he may grow<br>another set of legs or so<br>and be a broadway music show

oh i should worry and fret<br>death and i will coquette<br>there s a dance in the old dame yet<br>toujours gai toujours gai

the song of mehitabel

procrastination is the<br>art of keeping

 
x
OK