You probably don’t recognize the name Gelett Burgess, but you’ll probably recognize some of the thoughts that came out of his weird mind.
Born in 1866, Burgess was a humorist famous for nonsense verse (you’ve probably read the poem about the Purple Cow), including “The Floorless Room”:
I wish that my room had a floor!
I don’t so much care for a door,
But this crawling around
Without touching the ground
Is getting to be quite a bore!
While the scenario in Burgess’ poem is far-fetched, the meat of its message is true. Does your home really have a floor, or are you walking around on something that’s making your room a complete bore? Whether you decide on a new shade of carpeting or a completely new material–hardwood floor, laminate, tile–changing up your flooring will breathe new, exciting life into your space.
While you’re mulling that over: Burgess also invented the “blurb,” which he defined as a “a flamboyant advertisement; an inspired testimonial.” Example: “Yes! Made from real meat!”
He lost his job at Berkeley College for his involvement in knocking down a San Francisco water fountain that had been erected as a gift from Henry Cogswell, a pro-temperance advocate. Although it was quite the scandal in 1894, Berkeley now takes pride in its association with Burgess; a selection of his original writings and illustrations is housed in the university’s Bancroft Library.