A Laugh A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Irvin S. Cobb’s ‘A Laugh A Day Keeps the Doctor Away’ was a great entertainment spectacle of the early 20th century. What makes the text uniquely sought after is that it was curated from a list of the humorous author’s favorite stories, with no intention other than to bring its reader joy.
Cobb was a well-known journalist and writer of the 20th century, easily being compared to the likes of writers such as Mark Twain. He was well celebrated for his ability to place a humorous twist on almost any topic, specifically within the world of journalism, where he spent most of his career.
The text argues, in an ambiguous manner, that storytelling is a lively piece of American
culture. Cobb states that Americans have always enjoyed the act of sharing a short
story with one another, which is what drove him to collect what he believes are the
most humorous stories of his lifetime and piece them together into a text that all
can get a laugh out of.
The contents are arranged in a particular manner, with each story being labeled by
one word and organized by alphabet. The titles of the stories follow the path of the
author’s feelings toward American comedy, remaining ambiguous with simple descriptors
such as ‘alcoholic’, ‘bathing’, and ‘cowboy.’
You can explore Cobb’s cryptic short stories and get a few laughs of your own in Miller Library’s online eBook collection.
By Emma Sloman
