Dates

• Existence: 1869-1937

Biography

Ellis Parker Butler (1869 -- 1937) was a native of Muscatine, Iowa. Dropping out of high school to help support the family he worked in a number of jobs including ones in a spice mill, an oatmeal mill, a china store, and a wholesale grocery. Moving to New York City in 1896, he began writing for trade magazines such as the Tailor's Review, the Wall Paper News, and The Decorative Furnisher.

In 1905, his humorous short story, Pigs is Pigs appeared in the American Magazine, and the following year it was published in book form. Its phenomenal success allowed Butler to give up editing trade papers and turn to full-time authorship. It would remain his most popular work. He concentrated on writing humor and a number of his books were set in his hometown. The boy's books of Swatty and Jibby Jones and his novel Dominie Dean all take place in Muscatine, Iowa. Many of his books were actually collections of his short stories that had appeared earlier in magazines.

Butler was active in the Authors' League of America; he was on the council and served as secretary and treasurer. He also belonged to the Authors' Club of London, and was a member of Salmagundi, the Players, and the Dutch Treat clubs of New York. He was married to Ida Zipster and they had four children.

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