Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humorist Dave Barry is set to speak at the Lesher Foundation’s Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek on May 13.
This series, which hosts prominent and influential artists, political leaders, and other famous figures, allows for conversations about nearly every topic and brings people together to share their perspectives on current events. It also serves as a platform for local nonprofits to raise awareness and establish connections with the local community.
Just last month, Martin Luther King III expressed his views about the ongoing discussion of human rights and his family’s legacy. Before him, Donna Brazile and George Will explored the country’s extreme political divide.
The 2025 series has been going strong, and Barry’s appearance is expected to be no different. Many people are excited to hear his perspectives about the world today with a sprinkle of his signature humor.
Barry grew up in Armonk, New York, which he described as “a perfect balance of life in a small town. … A great place to grow up.” He claims he got his humor from his parents, especially his mother.
“She’d make fun of anything, and we Barry kids learned from her not to take ourselves too seriously,” he said in a 2017 interview with Westchester Magazine.
Fittingly, Barry was awarded the title “Class Clown” in his senior year at Pleasantville High School in New York. He attended Haverford College in Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
Barry began his career working for the Daily Local News in Pennsylvania. He moved between agencies a few times before he was hired as a humor columnist for the Miami Herald in 1983. There, he spent more than 20 years writing columns and making a name for himself, often at the expense of his newly adopted home state.
Barry has plenty of popular columns. Just to highlight a couple, “A journey into my colon — and yours,” exemplifies his amazing ability to create engaging stories out of an everyday topic, while “The Farside Comes to Life in Oregon” is a fantastic demonstration of his skilled storytelling.
Tony Hicks, a former columnist for the East Bay Times and current reporter for Bay City News, said he is a longtime fan of Barry’s writing.
“Dave Barry was the master,” Hicks said. “He was the absolute best at it.”
This was apparent when Barry won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1988.
“If you win Pulitzers for writing a humor column, then you’re really funny,” Hicks said. “He’s the kind of guy that you could just throw any topic at him and he could write something funny about it.”
Barry’s contributions have not been limited to newspaper columns. Barry has written more than 50 books, including several novels. His first novel, “Big Trouble,” was made into a movie. Some of his other books include the “Peter and the Starcatchers” series and “Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland.”
The TV show “Dave’s World” also was made about Barry’s life. It starred Harry Anderson and aired on CBS from 1993 to 1997.
Hicks mentioned that he interviewed Barry about 20 years ago.
“He was as funny in person as he was in his columns,” Hicks said. “[He’s] a really nice guy.”
Barry’s influence continues, as he is still writing and connecting with the public. He even has a new book, “Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up,” coming out on the day of his speaking engagement. He also writes a Year in Review column that’s published every December.
Although it’s not yet clear what Barry will be discussing on May 13, it’s safe to assume that it will be an entertaining evening.
The Newsmakers: Lesher Speakers Series will take place in the Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale on the Lesher Center’s website.
Caroline Donahoe is an 11th grader at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek. This story was made possible by support from the Lesher Foundation, its Newsmakers speaker series, and the Bay City News Foundation. Stories are produced independently by the CCYJ news team.
