On the Decline of Light Verse

As I have indicated here, I grew up in a household that loved verse. My mother was an actress, who appreciated recitations. My father was a college professor turned rocket scientist who loved to recite. I grew up with W S Gilbert, and Lewis Carroll and Ogden Nash. In those days, it was easy to find light verse to read, as well. National magazines like Collier’s and the Saturday Evening Post would accept humorous verse for publication. But no more. By the time I decided to publish my boo...