Burgess, Gelett

Related Category: American Literature: Biographies

(Frank Gelett Burgess)(jəlĕt´), 1866–1951, American humorist, b. Boston. His ability as an illustrator led him into magazine work, and he was soon writing humorous articles and stories to accompany his illustrations. His best-known poem, “The Purple Cow,” first appeared in the San Francisco periodical the Lark (1895–97), of which he was an editor and steady contributor. Among his books are Goops and How to Be Them (1900) and Are You a Bromide? (1907).