The Worst Class Trip Ever

Born in 1947, Barry is an American author whose work as a columnist for the Miami Herald between 1983 to 2005 has earned considerable critical acclaim. Originally from New York, Barry began working as a journalist in 1971 and launched his writing career by crafting humorous columns for various newspapers. Barry defines a sense of humor as “a measurement of the extent to which we realize that we are trapped in a world almost totally devoid of reason” (Curtis, Bryan. “An Elegy for Dave Barry.” Slate, 2005). He also asserts that “[l]aughter is how we express the anxiety we feel at this knowledge” (Curtis).

Barry’s first novel, Big Trouble, was published in 1999 and adapted into a movie in 2002. Since then, Barry has written over 50 books, including several essay collections and works of middle grade fiction. Some of his columns were adapted into a sitcom called Dave’s World, which ran from 1993 to 1997. Barry is also known for his collaboration with author Ridley Pearson, with whom he co-wrote the Peter and the Starcatchers series (2004-2011), a popular fantasy series for children based on J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Both as a columnist and as a novelist, Barry has received several awards and distinctions, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 “for his consistently effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns” (“Dave Barry of The Miami Herald.” The Pulitzer Prizes).

In several of his novels, Barry states that Florida is a particularly conducive setting for comedy, and this perspective becomes apparent in The Worst Class Trip Ever as well. Barry asserts: “Florida is an unending cavalcade of weirdness. There are many reasons—the heat, the humidity, the tourists, the constant influx of new residents, the drugs, the abundance of large scaly carnivorous wildlife. It’s just a sweltering stew. It’s great for novelists” (PoisonedBlogger. “An Interview With Dave Barry.” The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, 2023). Additionally, when it comes to his writing process, Barry relies on a mix of structure and spontaneity, stating that although he never “outline[s] humor,” he does rely on a more structured approach to the creation of novels:

I really need to know where I'm going with fiction to write it in a way that at least I'm happy with. And I really think that a lot of fiction books end badly because terrific writers said, ‘I'll just figure it out’ and plunge in, but have created so many problems that they are kind of impossible to solve. […] So for fiction I spend a lot more time outlining and for humor I really don't do much of it (Klems, Brian A. “Double Down on Dave Barry.” Writer’s Digest, 2014).