The Worst Class Trip Ever

Born in 1947, Barry is an American author whose work as a columnist for the Miami Herald between 1983 to 2005 has earned considerable critical acclaim. Originally from New York, Barry began working as a journalist in 1971 and launched his writing career by crafting humorous columns for various newspapers. Barry defines a sense of humor as “a measurement of the extent to which we realize that we are trapped in a world almost totally devoid of reason” (Curtis, Bryan. “An Elegy for Dave Barry.” Slate, 2005). He also asserts that “[l]aughter is how we express the anxiety we feel at this knowledge” (Curtis).

Barry’s first novel, Big Trouble, was published in 1999 and adapted into a movie in 2002. Since then, Barry has written over 50 books, including several essay collections and works of middle grade fiction. Some of his columns were adapted into a sitcom called Dave’s World, which ran from 1993 to 1997. Barry is also known for his collaboration with author Ridley Pearson, with whom he co-wrote the Peter and the Starcatchers series (2004-2011), a popular fantasy series for children based on J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Both as a columnist and as a novelist, Barry has received several awards and distinctions, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 “for his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns” (“