Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall of an American Humorist"Humor is merely tragedy standing on its head with its pants torn." Irvin S. Cobb Born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky, humorist Irvin S. Cobb (1876 1944) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the early twentieth century's most celebrated writers. As a staff reporter for the New York World and Saturday Evening Post, he became one of the highest paid journalists in the United States. He also wrote short stories for noted magazines, published