Art Buchwald

Art Buchwald – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Dive into the life and legacy of Art Buchwald (October 20, 1925 – January 17, 2007), the American humorist and columnist known for satirical commentary on politics and society. Learn about his biography, influential works, style, and quotes.

Introduction

Arthur “Art” Buchwald was an American humorist, columnist, and satire writer whose witty voice and sharp observations endeared him to readers across the U.S. and beyond. His syndicated column—often published in more than 500 newspapers—mixed political satire, social commentary, and personal reflection.

Over a long career, he earned a Pulitzer Prize for Outstanding Commentary (1982) and became a fixture in American public life as someone “who poked fun at the powerful.”

This article presents his life story, professional milestones, style & approach, legacy, and some of his most striking quotes.

Early Life and Family

Art Buchwald was born October 20, 1925, in Mount Vernon, New York (or New York City, depending on source) into a Jewish immigrant family. Joseph Buchwald, was a curtain manufacturer; his mother, Helen Klineberger Buchwald, was institutionalized shortly after his birth, and Buchwald had little contact with her for most of his life.

Due to financial difficulties during the Great Depression, he spent time in foster homes and orphanages.

He was the youngest of four children (three older sisters) and reunited with his family later in life.

Youth, Education & Military Service

Buchwald did not complete high school, and at 17 he ran away from home.

During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps by persuading someone to sign as his legal guardian (since he was underage). He served from October 1942 to October 1945, including two years in the Pacific Theater, and was discharged as a sergeant.

After the war, using the GI Bill, he enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC). Though he never had a high school diploma, USC allowed him to attend. There, he served as managing editor of the campus magazine Wampus and wrote a column for the college newspaper.

In 1949, he left USC and moved to Paris, beginning his journalism career abroad.

Career and Achievements

Paris Years & Early Columns

In Paris, Buchwald started working for Variety, then secured a column for the European New York Herald Tribune called Paris After Dark, writing about nightlife, culture, and the expatriate scene.

He later merged that with another column (Mostly About People / Europe’s Lighter Side), infusing more satire, observations, and commentary.

His columns in Paris gained popularity across Europe and the U.S.

Return to the U.S. & The Washington Post

In 1961–1962, Buchwald returned to the U.S. and began writing for The Washington Post. His column was syndicated widely, appearing in over 500 newspapers at its peak.

He became known for combining sharp satire with humor on politics, social issues, and public figures.

Books, Awards & Later Career

Buchwald published more than 30 books, many compiling his columns or offering memoir and humorous takes on public life.

In 1982, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Outstanding Commentary.

In 1991 he was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Late in life, he was involved in a notable lawsuit against Paramount Pictures claiming they had appropriated one of his treatments in Coming to America. He won a settlement.

During his final years, he suffered health challenges (stroke, kidney disease, leg amputation) and spent months in hospice care—but ultimately recovered some health and continued writing.

He died of kidney failure on January 17, 2007, in Washington, D.C.

Style, Approach & Characteristics

• Satirical but accessible: Buchwald used humor and irony to illuminate political and social absurdities without becoming esoteric.

• Blending personal and public: His writing often included personal anecdotes, reflections, and self-deprecation along with commentary.

• Timing and wit: Buchwald had a knack for seizing public mood and skewering it with pithy lines and sharp reversals.

• Resilience through adversity: His later writings about health, mortality, and the process of dying revealed a willingness to confront difficult truths with honesty and humor.

• Voice of the everyday: He often spoke in a conversational tone—as though talking to a friend—making satire feel inclusive, not alienating.

Legacy and Influence

• Buchwald is remembered as one of America’s leading humor columnists, influencing generations of political satirists and journalists.

• His columns became part of public discourse; many readers regarded them as a voice cutting through pomp and bluster.

• The legal victory against Paramount is sometimes cited in discussions about intellectual property, authorship, and adaptation rights.

• His late-life writings—particularly about illness and facing death—added depth to his renown, showing that humor doesn’t exclude vulnerability.

• Exhibits and memorials, such as featuring his typewriter in the Planet Word museum, help preserve his cultural imprint.

Selected Quotes by Art Buchwald

Here are a few notable quotes that display his wit, insight, and humor:

• “Hagerty is wrong. I write adulterated rot.” — In response to a White House press secretary calling one of his pieces “unadulterated rot.”

• “I was once asked if a big businessman ever reached his objective. I replied that if a man ever reached his objective he was not a big business man.”

• “The world is in such a mess, you don’t have to invent fables anymore.”

• “I think I’m getting more humorous as I get older, which is good because I have to be more entertaining than ever.”

• “When you die, you've got to go out smelling of roses—or at least not smelling bad.”

• “My theory is that people like to hear themselves talk, so when they talk, they’re generally pleased with themselves—unless somebody else is talking.”

• “If you have to go, the way you go is a big deal.” — On his decision to forego dialysis late in life.

• “I bless my kidney every morning. Some people bless their hearts; I bless my kidney.” — In his final years, after kidney problems.

(These quotes partly reflect his public persona and late reflections; some are paraphrased or rephrased in various sources.)

Lessons from Art Buchwald

1. Use humor to illuminate truth
   Satire, when done wisely, can expose power, hypocrisy, and absurdity more sharply than solemn rhetoric.

2. Speak as yourself
   His voice felt authentic—grounded in experience, compassion, and observation.

3. Embrace vulnerability
   Writing honestly about illness and mortality enriched his legacy—humor does not require avoidance of pain.

4. Persistence counts
   Despite obstacles (lost mother, rough childhood, health challenges), he remained productive and influential.

5. Defend your rights
   His legal battle over his work shows the importance of protecting creative ownership and integrity.

Conclusion

Art Buchwald carved a unique place in American letters—not merely as a humorist but as a commentator who used wit, humanity, and voice to probe society and politics. From Paris nightlife columns to Washington satire, then to reflections on mortality, his work spanned life’s many stages with grace and bite.

His legacy endures in the many readers who laughed and thought alongside him, in the writers he inspired, and in the enduring proof that humor can be both light and powerful.