Josh Billings

Josh Billings

Josh Billings pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw, 1818-85, American humorist and lecturer, b. Lanesboro, Mass. After a roving life as farmer, explorer, and coal miner, he settled in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., as an auctioneer and real estate dealer. In 1860 he began to write humorous sketches and homespun philosophies in rural dialect and soon became a popular lecturer. His first collection was Josh Billings: His Sayings (1869), but his best humor was published in his annual Farmer's Allminax (1869-80).

Bibliography: See study by D. B. Kesterson (1974).

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"Josh Billings." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Billings, Josh

Billings, Josh, pseudonym of H.W. Shaw.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Billings, Josh." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Billings, Josh." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-BillingsJosh.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Billings, Josh." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-BillingsJosh.html

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