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The Roundtable

Dave Barry's new memoir is “Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up”

By Joe Donahue
Published August 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM EDT

How does the son of a Presbyterian minister end up winning a Pulitzer Prize for a distorted newspaper column that is read by many? Well, in Dave Barry’s new book “Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up” he provides the details.

Barry takes readers on a fun ride through his childhood, career, and more. He began his career at a small-town Pennsylvania newspaper, took a detour into being a writing consultant, and then he ended up being a humor columnist at “The Miami Herald.” There he felt he could write about anything without having to amuse everyone. His columns were not popular with everyone but, he developed a loyal following where he found much success in the entertainment world. Along his way he also ran for president multiple times, but without success.

“Class Clown” isn’t your regular memoir; it is a celebration of life rich with humor, joy, absurdity, and sadness.

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Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
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