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Patrick Jake O'Rourke
Toledo, Ohio, United States
Archival Overview
Irreverent, sharp-witted American political satirist, gonzo foreign correspondent, and bestselling author of Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, famed for skewering government absurdity with libertarian humor.
Biographical Record
Patrick Jake O'Rourke was born in Toledo, Ohio, and studied English literature at Miami University and Johns Hopkins University. Starting out as a 1960s leftist counterculture writer, his politics shifted rightward as he observed bureaucratic reality. In 1973, he joined the satirical humor magazine National Lampoon, becoming its editor-in-chief in 1978 and co-editing the bestselling 1964 High School Yearbook Parody.
As foreign affairs editor for Rolling Stone, O'Rourke covered war zones, revolutions, and geopolitical hotspots from Lebanon and the Philippines to the Persian Gulf War with fearless, dark comedic observation. His bestselling non-fiction books, including Parliament of Whores (1991), All the Trouble in the World (1994), and Eat the Rich (1998), established him as America's foremost libertarian satirist, while his regular appearances on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! delighted listeners for over two decades.
Key Life Milestones
Publication of Parliament of Whores
Published his #1 New York Times bestselling comedic dissection of American federal government operations.
Publication of Eat the Rich
Released his acclaimed travelogue and satirical investigation into why some economies prosper while others starve.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialSharon, New Hampshire, United States