Library program traces the sad life of an iconic humorist

SHARON — Adam Van Doren screened and discussed his documentary film about Cornwall humorist James Thurber at a program held Saturday, Nov. 10, at Sharon Town Hall. The event, sponsored by the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, drew an audience of 60 Van Doren-Thurber fans.

Co-produced with his wife, Charlotte, the 2000 documentary titled “James Thurber: The Life and Hard Times,” probed the remarkable life of a famed humorist who longed for success as a serious writer in the vein of Henry James, his literary idol. 

Thurber and his autographed books held a prominent place at the home of Van Doren’s grandparents, the filmmaker said. The family and Thurber were all long-time Cornwall residents.

One of the primary sources for the documentary’s content was Thurber’s only daughter, Rosemary. 

A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities also encouraged the work. 

Although Thurber died in 1961, Van Doren located notables who were influenced by Thurber’s work, and filmed interviews with the late Edward Albee and John Updike, the latter influenced by Thurber’s engaging talent for drawing. Thurber’s biographer, Burton Bernstein, proved an invaluable resource, suggesting that Thurber’s mother (who died at 89), likely passed along her natural sense of humor to her son.

Describing Thurber as “a master satirist in the short form,” Van Doren’s film convincingly details a life of sadness and struggle underpinning an important lifetime as a self-deprecating humorist, largely with The New Yorker. 

Having been blinded in one eye in a childhood accident, Thurber was unable to participate in usual youthful pursuits. His lifetime was one of growing melancholy. 

As years advanced, and vision failed in the other eye, he resented his growing dependence on others, according to the film. Many said they found him to be pretentious and arrogant. By the time of his death at age 66, he was completely blind.

Responding to audience questions after the film, Van Doren indicated that his current book project has him creating illustrations of U.S. presidential homes.