Goat-Feathers: Restored Classics to Go Edition

· Otbebookpublishing
Ebook
15
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Ellis Parker Butler opens with a witty, self-mocking confession about his lifelong habit of chasing "goat-feathers" — those trivial distractions, side projects, and social obligations that keep him from serious work. With comic bravado, he casts himself as a man who ought to be a celebrated author, yet has instead been dragged into a life of committees, causes, and interruptions that leave him looking more like a goat than a genius. From there, he builds a hilarious catalogue of the organizations, calls, visitors, speeches, and fundraisers that continually hijack his days and writing time. The satire contrasts public duty and patriotic service with the deeper danger of being diverted from one's true calling. Beneath the humor, Butler grows more reflective, warning that even worthwhile achievements can become "goat-feathers" if they pull a person away from the work that best expresses his talent. The result is both a comic confession and a sharp meditation on ambition, vanity, and the cost of losing one's best self to applause and distraction. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.
Ellis Parker Butler opens with a witty, self-mocking confession about his lifelong habit of chasing "goat-feathers" — those trivial distractions, side projects, and social obligations that keep him from serious work. With comic bravado, he casts himself as a man who ought to be a celebrated autho...

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About the author

Ellis Parker Butler was an American writer and humorist whose sharp eye for everyday absurdity made him one of the most distinctive comic voices of the early twentieth century. Born in Iowa and later based in New York, he built a long literary career through magazines, newspapers, essays, stories, and books, becoming especially admired for his ability to find wit in ordinary life and turn small inconveniences into memorable comedy. Over the years he produced a wide range of fiction and humorous writing, earning a reputation for craftsmanship, timing, and a gently satirical style that could be both playful and observant. His work often explores the follies of human ambition, the gap between common sense and self-deception, and the way modern life can magnify trivial problems into grand disasters. That blend of humor and insight still feels fresh today, especially for readers who enjoy comedy grounded in recognizable human behavior rather than mere silliness. Butler's legacy lies in his gift for making the familiar seem newly amusing while also exposing the small vanities and frustrations that never really go out of style. Readers who appreciate witty short fiction, character-driven satire, and stories that balance charm with clever social observation are most likely to enjoy his work.

Ellis Parker Butler was an American writer and humorist whose sharp eye for everyday absurdity made him one of the most distinctive comic voices of the early twentieth century. Born in Iowa and later based in New York, he built a long literary career through magazines, newspapers, essays, stories...

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