author
J. H. (James Harrison) Donahey
1875–1949
Best remembered as the longtime editorial cartoonist of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, this Ohio artist also published books filled with gentle sketches, humor, and observations of everyday life. His work carried an easy charm that helped make him a familiar voice to readers in the early 20th century.
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About the author
Born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in 1875, James Harrison Donahey built his career as an artist and cartoonist after studying in Cleveland. He began newspaper work in Ohio and went on to become the chief editorial cartoonist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a role he held for decades.
Donahey was often known as "Hal" Donahey, and he became especially associated with warm, human-centered cartoons and illustrated writing rather than harsh satire alone. In addition to his newspaper work, he published books including Donahey's Cartoons and Seen and Overheard; Sketches Suggested During the Wanderings of One Along the Paths of Peaceful Valley.
He died in 1949, but his work still offers a lively glimpse of American newspaper art from the first half of the 20th century. For audiobook listeners, he is an appealing figure because his writing and drawings both seem to come from the same place: observant, playful, and close to ordinary life.