Thurber House is a literary center for readers and writers located in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, in the historic former home of author, humorist, and
''New Yorker'' cartoonist
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist and playwright. He was best known for his cartoons and short stories, published mainly in ''The New Yorker'' and collected in ...
. Thurber House is dedicated to promoting the literary arts by presenting quality literary programming; increasing the awareness of literature as a significant art form; promoting excellence in writing; providing support for literary artists; and commemorating Thurber's literary and artistic achievements. The house is individually listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
,
[ and also as part of the Jefferson Avenue Historic District.
]
History
James Thurber was born in Columbus at a different home.[Kern, Kevin F. and Gregory S. Wilson. ''Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State''. Wiley Blackwell, 2014: 374. ] Thurber's family rented this home on Jefferson Avenue while he was a student at Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
. He and his family lived there until 1917. Thurber later wrote of his experience here in ''My Life and Hard Times''. Thurber claimed to have experienced a ghost in the house on November 17, 1915, and the incident inspired his short story "The Night the Ghost Got In". Writer William O'Rourke
William O'Rourke (born December 4, 1945) is an American writer of both novels and volumes of nonfiction; he is the author of the novels ''The Meekness of Isaac'' (Thomas Y. Crowell, Co., 1974), ''Idle Hands'' (Delacorte Press, 1981), ''Criminal ...
, who lived at the house in 1984, wrote his own version titled "The Night the Ghost Didn't Get In", published in ''Poets & Writers Magazine Poets & Writers, Inc. is one of the largest nonprofit literary organizations in the United States serving poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. The organization publishes a bi-monthly magazine called ''Poets & Writers Magazine'' ...
'' in 1988. Thurber's short story “The Night the Bed Fell” was also inspired by events in the house.
Thurber's time in the house was challenging, particularly because of his experience at the university. Due to his physical limitations, including bad eyesight, he performed poorly at required gym classes and military drills. He was not invited to join a fraternity and, as such, found few social connections. Though he registered for classes in his sophomore year, 1914–1915, he mostly stopped going to classes and failed them all. Eventually, he befriended former child star Elliott Nugent
Elliott Nugent (September 20, 1896 – August 9, 1980) was an American actor, playwright, writer, and film director.
Biography
Nugent was born in Dover, Ohio, the son of actor J.C. Nugent. He successfully made the transition from silent film ...
, who helped Thurber become more outgoing. He eventually became co-editor of the campus newspaper and contributed to the humor magazine before becoming its editor.[Kinney, Harrison (editor) with Rosemary A. Thurber. ''The Thurber Letters: The Wit, Wisdom and Surprising Life of James Thurber''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002: 5. ]
Thurber left school in 1918 amidst World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.[ For a few years he worked for the ''Columbus Dispatch'' before moving to New York. In 1927, he began his association with '']The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' and contributed to that magazine for the rest of his career.[ Though he ultimately spent relatively little time in Columbus, Thurber's experience there influenced his writings. As he once noted, "Many of my books prove that I am never far away from Ohio in my thoughts, and that the clocks that strike in my dreams are often the clocks of Columbus."
]
Thurber House today
Thurber House opened its doors to the public in 1984 after extensive renovation to the historic house. Since then, it has become a gathering place for readers, writers, and Thurber enthusiasts of all ages. Its programs for both children and adults include author readings, writing classes, and celebrations of Thurber's life.
Through its 'Evenings with Authors', a series of readings and receptions with nationally known authors, Thurber House has attracted well-known writers such as John Updike
John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth ...
, T.C. Boyle
Thomas Coraghessan Boyle, also known as T. C. Boyle and T. Coraghessan Boyle (born December 2, 1948), is an American novelist and short story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published sixteen novels and more than 100 short stories. He won the ...
, Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Rose Chevalier (born 19 October 1962) is an American-British novelist. She is best known for her second novel, '' Girl with a Pearl Earring'', which was adapted as a 2003 film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.
Personal backgr ...
, and Scott Turow
Scott Frederick Turow (born April 12, 1949) is an American author and lawyer. Turow has written 13 fiction and three nonfiction books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies. Turow’s novel ...
. The Thurber House also hosts two writers in residence each year through the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence Program and the Children's Writer in Residence Program. The Writer in Residence lives on the top floor of the Thurber House for four weeks. The Children's Writer-in-Residence also teaches ten hours a week for the Thurber House Summer Writing Camp.
The annual Thurber Prize for American Humor The Thurber Prize for American Humor, named after American humorist James Thurber, recognizes outstanding contributions in humor writing. The prize is given out by the Thurber House. It was first awarded irregularly, but since 2004 has been bestow ...
has become the nation's highest designation of the art of humor writing. Its children's programs, including the popular Thurber Summer Writing Camp, and the winter program Writing Wizards have nurtured thousands of young writers.
Thurber House is part of The Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts, a one-block stretch of Queen Anne Style Victorian homes that house cultural and social service nonprofit organizations. Its programs include author readings, writing classes for children, and celebrations of Thurber's life.
Museum
Thurber House is also a historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
that has been restored for the period when the Thurber family lived there from 1913 to 1917. Visitors can view the first two floors, which contain a formal parlor, living room, dining room, five bedrooms, and a bathroom. Guests are also allowed to interact with many museum materials, such as sitting on chairs or playing the piano. The parents' bedroom features rotating displays of Thurber memorabilia, including a display of Thurber's drawings that became New Yorker covers.
References
External links
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Museums in Columbus, Ohio
Biographical museums in Ohio
Historic house museums in Ohio
Literary museums in the United States
Houses completed in 1873
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
Arts centers in Ohio
Queen Anne architecture in Ohio
Houses in Columbus, Ohio
National Register of Historic Places in Columbus, Ohio
Writers' centres and houses
Buildings in downtown Columbus, Ohio
Homes of American writers
Columbus Register properties
Historic district contributing properties in Columbus, Ohio