The early 1900s were a transitional time in America, as the country entered and exited the Progressive Era, a period marked by radical social and political changes.
Relief came in the form of fictional barkeep Mr. Dooley, among others. Through his creation, Finley Peter Dunne explored some of the most hotly debated topics in the country, as well as professional and amateur sports, financial crises, and presidential elections. It was all done with a serious purpose disguised with wit, humor, and the sidelong glance at human frailty. Readers ranged from ordinary workingpeople to members of presidential cabinets.
Jan R. Van Meter provides context and commentary, introducing readers to this unique time in Finley Peter Dunne 1900-1926. Through some of the now-forgotten essays by Dunne after he left his native Chicago for New York City, the societal upheaval and aftermath come alive and the memory of Dunne’s genius revives.
Van Meter has unearthed some of the rarest of Dunne’s later writings. Finley Peter Dunne’s ability to take on any heady topic and deflate the pompous and self-absorbed with wit was admired by the likes of Mark Twain and Edith Wharton. His valuable model of truth though humor has been copied ever since.
