Bert Leston Taylor

Bert Leston Taylor (November 13, 1866 – March 19, 1921) was an American columnist, humorist, poet, and author.

Bert Leston Taylor became a journalist at seventeen, a librettist at twenty-one, and a successfully published author at thirty-five. At the height of his literary career, he was a central literary figure of the early 20th century Chicago renaissance as well as one of the most celebrated columnists in the United States.

The early years

Bert Leston Taylor was born in Goshen, Massachusetts, on November 13, 1866. He was born in Goshen while his mother was visiting with relatives, but his parents lived in nearby Williamsburg at that time. His mother was Katherine White (of Dublin, Ireland) and his father was Albert O. Taylor, who worked primarily in the whaling industry. Albert Taylor served in the navy during the Civil War and distinguished himself as a high-ranking officer. While in the navy, he met James Gordon Bennett; after the war he became the navigator for Bennett's racing yacht, the Dauntless.

Taylor's family moved to New York shortly after his birth. He grew up in the Manhattan neighborhoods of Greenwich Village and Yorkville. Taylor attended public schools in New York City and excelled at writing, as evidenced by his winning a prize for an original story. From 1881–1882, he attended the University of the City of New York (now New York University). His original ambition was to become a lawyer, but after two years of studying law, he began to lose interest. He was attracted to music but felt he lacked sufficient talent to become a great artist. After he graduated, Taylor pursued instead his passion for writing, choosing the field of journalism.