Duffie's Unimportance of Being Earnest

Joan McGrath is a Toronto Board of Education library consultant.

John Duffie is an engaging columnist who himself enjoys such trivia as the overheard remark (“Ah, well. Nothing ventured, nothing tried.”); classified ads like the one offering a “dunk ‘n’ Fyfe” table for sale; or such interesting statements as “Miss Egerton wishes to announce that she no longer has a goat for breeding purposes, and refers all her clients to Mr. Harris.” His puckish sense of fun and originality of thought have won a devoted following for his “Overset” column. Himself no mean humourist, he pays generous tribute to the funny fellows he admires and from whom he culls some of his sparklers — people like Robert Benchley, James Thurber, Stephen Leacock, S.J. Perelman, E.B. White, Peter de Vries, and many others. He is worthy of their company. Those who relish genial good humour, and who have an interest in the niches of the English language, will find in John Duffie an amusing and rewarding companion.