Parker, Dorothy (Dorothy Rothschild Parker), 1893–1967, American short-story and verse writer, b. West End, N.J. While serving as drama critic for Vanity Fair (1916–17) and book critic for The New Yorker (1927), she gained an almost legendary reputation for her sardonic wit. Her first volume of poetry, Enough Rope (1926), brought her fame, and she followed it with such volumes as Death and Taxes (1931) and Not So Deep as a Well (1936). Although decidedly light and often flippant, Parker's satiric verse is carefully crafted and stunningly concise. Her short stories satirizing aspects of modern life are witty, wry, and often poignant. "Big Blond" is probably her best-known story. Collections of stories include Laments for the Living (1930) and Here Lies (1939). Her Collected Stories was published in 1942 and her Collected Poetry in 1944. She collaborated with Arnaud d'Usseau on the play Ladies of the Corridor (1953).

Bibliography

See biographies by J. Keats (1970) and M. Meade (1987); study by A. F. Kinney (1978).

Parker, Dorothy

orig. Dorothy Rothschild

Dorothy Parker, 1939.

(credit: Culver Pictures)

(born Aug. 22, 1893, West End, near Long Beach, N.J., U.S.—died June 7, 1967, New York, N.Y.) U.S. short-story writer and poet. She grew up in affluence in New York City. She was a drama critic for Vanity Fair and wrote book reviews for The New Yorker (1927–33). Her poetry volumes include Enough Rope (1926) and Death and Taxes (1931). Her short stories were collected in Laments for the Living (1930) and After Such Pleasures (1933). She also worked as a film writer, reported on the Spanish Civil War, and collaborated on several plays. A member of the Algonquin Round Table, she is chiefly remembered for her wit.

Parker, Dorothy (b. Rothschild) (1893–1967) poet, writer; born in West End, N.J. She attended Catholic and private schools, then became an editor and writer for several periodicals in New York City, notably the New Yorker (1925–57). She was a member of the famous Algonquin Hotel Round Table luncheon group (1920s), and was known for her caustic wit. She moved to Hollywood, Calif., in the 1930s, wrote stage and screen plays, fiction, and poetry, and later returned to New York.