Ellis Parker Butler

Born in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1869, Ellis Parker Butler built a remarkable career as an American author and humorist. He is most closely associated with “Pigs Is Pigs,” the hugely popular 1905 story about red tape, guinea pigs, and consequences that spiral out of control.

Butler was far more than a one-story writer. Sources describe him as the author of more than 30 books and well over 2,000 stories and essays, with work appearing across magazines and newspapers for decades. His fiction often mixed light satire, warm observation, and a fond eye for the absurd details of ordinary life.

He died in 1937, but his reputation has lasted because his humor is still easy to enjoy: quick, human, and full of comic timing. Readers who like early American short fiction, magazine storytelling, or gently mischievous wit will likely find a lot to like in his work.