S. J. Perelman, (February 1, 1904 to October 17, 1979), was an American humorist, and New Yorker short story writer. His unique zaniness influenced artists such as Woody Allen. One of his books was Eastward Ha, (1978), and here is a bit of that book. The set up is that Perelman, visiting Scotland, looks up someone to whom he was given a reference. That Scot winds up confiding:
"I've been told my cat's looking for me ... My cat, Magellan--named after the explorer. I left him with a couple a year ago when I went off to Italy, and they claim he's looking for me."
...I still don't twig. Is he asking people the whereabouts of his master, the Marquis of Carabas?
He shrugged, "Who knows? Cats have a way of communicating these things. All I know is I've got to find him , and as I'm rather frail at the moment, I could use your help."
Perelman's own domestic situation was less complicated. He and his wife shared their Manhattan apartment,
with a poodle called Tartuffe, and a cat named Kootzie. We learned this from the biography, S. J. Perelman, A Life, (1987) by Dorothy Hermann.
"I've been told my cat's looking for me ... My cat, Magellan--named after the explorer. I left him with a couple a year ago when I went off to Italy, and they claim he's looking for me."
...I still don't twig. Is he asking people the whereabouts of his master, the Marquis of Carabas?
He shrugged, "Who knows? Cats have a way of communicating these things. All I know is I've got to find him , and as I'm rather frail at the moment, I could use your help."
Perelman's own domestic situation was less complicated. He and his wife shared their Manhattan apartment,
with a poodle called Tartuffe, and a cat named Kootzie. We learned this from the biography, S. J. Perelman, A Life, (1987) by Dorothy Hermann.
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