Dave Barry

Dave Barry

Dave Barry (David McAlister Barry) was born on July 3rd, 1947 and is currently 78 years old. Dave Barry was born in Armonk, New York, USA. Barry attended Haverford College where he received a B.A. English.

Dave Barry is known for writing in the Non-Fiction and Children's Books genres.

Dave Barry is an American author and humorist. His syndicated column, which was an inspiration for the television show Dave’s World and ran in more than 500 newspapers, won him a Pulitzer Prize. He is a bestselling author, and some of his bestselling books include Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog. In 2023, his novel Swamp Story was published by Simon and Schuster. In collaboration with Ridley Pearson, he wrote Starcatchers, a series of young adult novels that was adapted as an award-winning play. He is the man responsible for the popularity of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, even though it was never his idea. A sewage lifting station was named after him by the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, to recognize his achievements. Barry is a resident of Miami.

In his book Babies and Other Hazards of Sex, Barry gives his idiosyncratic point of view on sex, giving birth, parenting, as well as other forms of slow and cruel torture. He exposes exactly what natural birth truly is and terms it as a trendy idea from the 1960s that should be well forgotten, just like funky sideburns and bell-bottoms. He makes fun of the expectations that fathers should abandon their tough-guy personalities and embrace their soft sides.

In addition, he shares for the first time what he considers the “secret chant” to pain-free childbirth. But then he immediately points out why no chant can distract a woman from the pain of giving birth.

In his hilarious misadventure The Worst Class Trip Ever, Barry takes us back in time to when he was in middle school. He and his friends try to save the president as the class trip goes off the rails. Meet Wyatt Palmer, an eighth-grader whose mission on the school trip to Washington, D.C., is to not get embarrassed in front of his girlfriend, Suzanna. Unfortunately, his dream is crushed way before they get off the plane when his friend Matt discovers suspicious men in the seats behind them.

What do you get when a bunch of teenagers meets a perceived threat against the White House? Well, that is a well-cooked recipe for trouble—and not just with the teachers but also with the mysterious men.

In this fast-paced adventure set in the nation’s capital, Wyatt and his hormonal friends must do whatever it takes to stay out of danger while at the same time keeping tabs on the threat to national security.

Lessons from Lucy is a 2019 nonfiction book by Dave Barry. As he turns 70, Dave discovers that his dog is dealing with old age much better than he is. She has few worries, more friends, and way more fun. As a result, Dave tries to investigate and find out how his dog manages to be happy and see if he can transform his life by doing similar things as Lucy does. He meets his old friends and tries to make new friends, and that turns out to be a struggle because his dog likes people more than he does.

Lessons from Lucy reveals to us a new side of Dave Barry that’s both touching and sentimental, with a few laughs on every page.

Dave Barry: Awards & Accolades

Barry's book, Peter and the Shadow Thieves won the Audie Award, Best Male Narrator, in 2007.

Dave Barry books have also been nominated for multiple awards, Naked Came the Manatee was nominated for the Edgar Award, Best First Novel, in 2000. Big Trouble was nominated for the Lefty Award, Best Humorous Mystery Novel, in 2000. Insane City was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Humor, in 2013. Best. State. Ever. was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Humor, in 2016.

Related Authors

Fans of Dave Barry also enjoy these authors:

1. Mark Twain, author of the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn Series.
2. E.B. White, author of: Charlotte's Web.
3. Holly Black, author of the Folk Of The Air Series.
4. David Grann, author of: Killers of the Flower Moon.
5. Bill Bryson, author of the Bill Bryson Travel Books.
6. Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl Series.
7. Roald Dahl, author of the Charlie Bucket Series.
8. David Sedaris, author of: Me Talk Pretty One Day.
9. Amy Tan, author of: The Joy Luck Club.
10. Alice Walker, author of the Color Purple Series.

Dave Barry: F.A.Q