author
1876–1941
Best known for a warm, witty memoir about buying a home and for writing the lyrics to the early popular song “I’ve Got a Pain in My Sawdust,” this early 20th-century writer moved easily between humor, everyday life, and the world of print.
by Henry Edward Warner
Henry Edward Warner (1876–1941) was an American writer whose surviving work shows an easy, conversational style and a feel for ordinary life. He is associated with That House I Bought: A Little Leaf from Life, a light, humorous account of home ownership, and with The Making of a Newspaper, a book that walks readers through the production of The Baltimore Sun.
Warner also wrote lyrics. He is credited as the lyricist for the popular song I've Got a Pain in My Sawdust (The Plaint of the Little Bisque Doll), with music by Herman Avery Wade. That mix of domestic storytelling, popular verse, and interest in newspaper craft suggests a writer who was comfortable both entertaining readers and explaining how things worked.
Some details of his life are not easy to confirm from widely available sources, so his published work remains the clearest guide to his career. What comes through most strongly is a lively, approachable voice and a talent for making everyday subjects feel charming and memorable.