Comments on: MAN ABOUT TOWN: James Thurber Is Still Following Me

By: Jim Breiling, North Arlington

Jim Breiling, North Arlington — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:49:23 +0000

George Southern — Perhaps you would write, “Man by the Bay”, and the FCT would publish the columns. Would be interesting to read your observations and recommendations (about whatever) from by the bay, and what you are doing in (presumably) retirement and life’s satisfactions and dissatisfactions. There could be a FCC angle — perspectives of parents on young adult daughters living on their own in “The Little City” (haven’t seen “The Little City” for a while; a fad name gone into history?).

And I wonder, now that you have publicly disclosed your new principal residence, I wonder (as I recall my years in small cities and towns) if some in FCC will mutter, Southern was advocating changes that he wouldn’t be living with but that we would.

By: Barry Buschow

Barry Buschow — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:22:50 +0000

Falls Church is full of old stories like this one. I was hoping George would stick around long enough to brings others to light. Most people in the city now have no idea. George, how is the biking in Cape Charles? No hills I bet. We do miss you around here and always enjoyed your writing style……

By: George Southern

George Southern — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 02:14:00 +0000

Thanks, Charlie and Lou and others, for your kind words. I haven’t had anything to say since I signed off last December. Here’s why: The fickle Man About Town has left Falls Church for an even smaller town: Cape Charles, VA, population 1,100. Located at the southernmost part of the Chesapeake Bay, Cape Charles is a baby boomer’s paradise. We still have our townhouse in Falls Church, occupied by our grown daughters, but most of our time is spent in Cape Charles. I still read the Falls Church Times, and it looks like there have been some hot times in the old town. But I’m too far removed to make any intelligent comment. Meanwhile, the James Thurber column I wrote above continues to get hundreds of hits each month — far, far, more than any other column I ever wrote, or even any other story in the paper. And this was my first column! So, in a way, the Man About Town lives on. James Thurber is still following me — all the way to Cape Charles. My very best to all the faithful readers of The Falls Church Times!

By: Lou Mauro

Lou Mauro — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 23:46:40 +0000

George, Charlie and I agree on this 100%—- you have to respect such a cosmic phenomenon! Heck, I’ll settle for bi-monthly or monthly.

By: charlie anderson

charlie anderson — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:24:04 +0000

George, we miss your weekly column. Please come back.

By: joel w. mayer williamston,n.c.

joel w. mayer williamston,n.c. — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:16:15 +0000

james thurber continues to entertain me. i attended a william windom tribute to him
in the falls church vicinity in 1975. he did very well.
james thurber had a gentle sense of humor and is sorely missed,

By: John Nakielny Winnipeg

John Nakielny Winnipeg — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 23:36:12 +0000

Thank you for your wonderful story. Yesterday I visited my old grade 12 teacher from 1972. During our visit I told him that every fall I always read James Thurber’s University Days. We took that in class and like you I couldn’t help laughing. To this day I still love reading that story as it makes me think of my own university days.

All the best

John Nakielny, Winnipeg MB Canada.

By: Jefferson Boyer

Jefferson Boyer — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:04:38 +0000

Excellent piece. I too, was bit by Thurber in the same way, on a rainy bleak March day in middle school in 1978. My teacher, Ms. Seabrook, pulled out a stack of books from the cupboard and said. “You need to know about the night the bed fell”. Read this, and be quiet until you are finished reading it.” We were puzzled, but obeyed.
Of course, about a few moments into reading it, I was convulsed with laughter, I was literally laughing out loud from words written on a page by an author! I kept reading, and literally fell out on the floor laughing. It made my day to find out someone else had the same experience!
Thanks again- I didn’t know Thurber lived in the DC area for a year either!
Jefferson Boyer, art dept. Salisbury University

By: Bill Hopkins, Raleigh, NC

Bill Hopkins, Raleigh, NC — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:25:12 +0000

Mr. Southern…George,
The near-instant linkages provided by the Internet lead me from Keith Olberman’s ‘goodbye’ reading of Mr. Thurber’s ‘Scottie-at-the-farm’ short, to Googling Thurber, to opening one of his unbaked cookie illustrations, and finally to your great recollection. Small-ish world. I attended Clemson in the sixties, then moved to Raleigh to finish at State, discovered Thurber shortly following his death…and again twenty years later…and again today…another twenty years later. I once, in my hometown of Salisbury, MD, launched a ten-inch dagger over my house only to have it land in the center of my across-street neighbor’s skull. He was nerdy and weird as we were growing up. Today I understand he is something of a savant. Maybe the knife was a catalyst, possibly like Wm.’s errant arrow? I still regret that act, as I’m sure Wm. did all of his life. Very glad I happened on to your wonderful article. Regards. Bill

GEORGE REPLIES: Many thanks, Bill. As I observed recently on the occasion of my final MAN ABOUT TOWN column, the James Thurber piece was my very first column and continues to be the most widely read. I followed it up with a reprint of a Falls Church resident’s interaction with Thurber in “Mrs. Acosta’s Love Affair,” which you can read by clicking on the title. Best regards, George.

By: Gordon Theisz

Gordon Theisz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:26:24 +0000

And this, ladies in gentlemen, is why we choose to live in Falls Church!

My congratulations.

Now we need Andrew to sing a song about James Thurber. I will let him know about this article tomorrow at the Concert in the Park. 7PM. Be there or get shot in the eye by an errant arrow!