Damon Runyon

Damon Runyon was a famous writer.

He wrote short stories about New York City. His stories had many funny people. They had colorful names like Big Jule.

He also worked for many newspapers. He wrote about sports like baseball. He even helped make new rules for roller skating. People still remember him today.

Damon Runyon was a famous American writer.

He was born in Manhattan, Kansas. He grew up in Pueblo, Colorado. Runyon wrote many short stories. His tales were set in New York City. He wrote about gamblers and actors.

His characters had colorful names. They used names like Big Jule or Dave the Dude. He had a special way of writing. This style is called Runyonese. It mixes formal speech with slang. He also worked as a reporter. He wrote about baseball and boxing for many years. He even helped make rules for Roller Derby. This is a sport where people race on skates.

People still honor him today. A cancer fund is named after him. There is also a street called Runyon's Way. He died in 1946 from throat cancer. His ashes were spread over Broadway by a plane.

Damon Runyon was a famous American writer and journalist.

He is best known for his short stories about New York City. His tales often focused on the world of Broadway. He wrote about colorful people like gamblers, actors, and gangsters. These characters often had very unique names. You might see names like Big Jule or Dave the Dude.

This special way of writing is called Runyonese. It uses a mix of formal speech and colorful slang. It is almost always written in the present tense. It also avoids using contractions to create a unique sound.

Runyon had a very busy career in newspapers. He worked for many different publications for many years. He spent a long time covering sports like baseball and boxing. He was a baseball columnist for the Hearst newspapers starting in 1911. He even helped change the rules for Roller Derby. He helped turn it into a contact team sport.

This happened in the mid-1930s after he watched a race. He sat down with a promoter to hammer out the rules. His writing style changed how people covered baseball in America. He was even honored by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

His life began in the Midwest. He was born in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1880. His family had many people who worked in news. His father was a newspaper editor in their town. The family moved to Pueblo, Colorado, in 1887. Runyon grew up there and worked in the newspaper trade. He only attended school through the fourth grade. In 1898, he joined the US Army to fight in a war. While serving, he wrote for military newspapers.

Runyon lived a life full of interesting people. He moved to New York City in 1910. He was a well-known gambler who loved horse racing. He once met a girl named Patrice Amati del Grande in Mexico. He paid for her to go to school. Later, she moved to New York and they married.

He also had a close friend named Otto Berman. Runyon used his friend as a character in his stories. He worked very hard to tell the truth about his friends. His stories often felt both funny and sentimental.

Many people still remember Damon Runyon today. He died in 1946 from throat cancer. His ashes were scattered over Broadway by an airplane. This was a very special way to say goodbye.

A cancer research fund was started in his name. There is even a street in Manhattan called Runyon's Way. In Colorado, a school and a lake are named after him. His stories were even used to make the musical Guys and Dolls. His legacy lives on through many different things.

Damon Runyon was a prominent American journalist and short-story writer.

He is most famous for his stories about the Broadway world in New York City. These stories grew out of the Prohibition era. His writing often focused on gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters. These figures were known as "Runyon characters." This term describes a specific social type found in Brooklyn or Midtown Manhattan.

To describe his unique style, people use the term "Runyonesque." This adjective refers to both his specific character types and the situations they face.

Runyon developed a very distinctive way of writing called "Runyonese." This is a linguistic mixture of formal speech and colorful slang. One key rule of Runyonese is that it is almost always written in the present tense. Another important rule is that it is always devoid of contractions. This means he did not use shortened words like "don't" or "can't." This style created a unique rhythm for his dialogue. He also coined the phrase "Hooray Henry." In British English, this term describes a loud-mouthed, arrogant person from the upper class.

His characters were famous for their colorful monikers rather than "square" names. Instead of common names, he used titles like "Nathan Detroit" or "Big Jule." Other examples include "Benny Southstreet," "Harry the Horse," "Good Time Charley," "Dave the Dude," and "The Seldom Seen Kid."

These names helped build the sentimental and humorous world of his fiction. His stories have been adapted into famous works of art. The musical "Guys and Dolls" is based on his stories "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure." It also uses elements from "Pick The Winner." His story "Little Miss Marker" inspired several films, including the 1980 version.

Runyon's career began in the Midwest. He was born Alfred Damon Runyan in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1880. His family had deep roots in journalism. His grandfather was a newspaper printer from New Jersey. His father served as an editor for a local newspaper. After his father was forced to sell the paper in 1882, the family moved to Pueblo, Colorado. Runyon spent his youth there and only attended school through the fourth grade. He began working in the newspaper trade under his father. In 1898, he enlisted in the US Army for the Spanish-American War. During his service, he wrote for the "Manila Freedom" and "Soldier's Letter."

After his military service, Runyon worked for various Colorado newspapers. In 1900, he was hired by the "Pueblo Star." He later worked at the "Denver Daily News," where he served as the sporting editor. He also attempted to organize a minor baseball league in Colorado, though it lasted less than a week. In 1910, he moved to New York City. He became a famous baseball columnist for the Hearst newspapers starting in 1911. He was known for his ability to spot eccentric people in the stands. This skill revolutionized how baseball was covered. In 1968, he was honored by the Baseball Writers' Association of America with the J. G. Taylor Spink Award.

He was also a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Runyon's personal life was often complex. He was a notorious gambler who loved horse racing and craps. He once famously paraphrased Ecclesiastes by saying, "the smart money bets." His friendships also influenced his work. His best friend was an accountant named Otto Berman. Runyon used Berman as a character named "Regret, the horse player." He also had a significant relationship with Patrice Amati del Grande. He had met her in Mexico in 1916 while covering the border raids of Pancho Villa. Runyon paid for her to attend a convent school. She eventually moved to New York, and they married in 1928.

Runyon died in New York City in 1946 at age 66. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 1944. An unsuccessful operation left him largely unable to speak. Following his death, his ashes were scattered over Broadway from a DC-3 airplane. This act was an infringement of the law, but it was widely approved. His legacy continues through many organizations. The Damon Runyon Cancer Memorial Fund was established to support scientific research. There is also a street in Manhattan named "Runyon's Way." In Colorado, his name is attached to a field, a lake, and a theater company. He even helped change the rules of Roller Derby into a contact sport in the mid-1930s.