Gelett Burgess

Born in Boston in 1866, Gelett Burgess studied engineering at MIT and worked briefly for the Southern Pacific Railroad before turning toward art and writing. He later taught topographical drawing at the University of California, Berkeley, but became better known for his restless creative energy than for any one profession.

Burgess was a central figure in the San Francisco literary scene of the 1890s, especially through the little magazine The Lark. His short poem "The Purple Cow" made him famous, and his work mixed nonsense, satire, drawing, and clever social commentary in ways that felt fresh and mischievous. He is also associated with the early popular use of the word "blurb."

Over the years, he wrote poems, essays, children's books, and criticism, including the popular Goops books, which turned manners into playful comedy. That mix of silliness and sharp observation gave his work lasting charm, and it still feels surprisingly modern today.