Joe Gould

Joe Gould was an American eccentric who claimed to have written the longest book ever.

Non-Fiction Writer

July 27, 1908

Leo

August 20, 1957

49

Near Iona, North Carolina

Joe Gould, also known as Professor Seagull, was a unique American writer and eccentric. He is best known for his extensive literary work, “An Oral History of Our Time,” also referred to as “Meo Tempore.” His experiences living in Paris during the 1920s were captured in his renowned work, “The Paris of the Mind.” Joe Gould’s most significant accomplishment was his contribution to The New Yorker magazine, where he frequently appeared in works by writer Joseph Mitchell. Mitchell was inspired by Gould and wrote a book called “Joe Gould’s Secret,” which was later adapted into a film. Additionally, Joe Gould is featured as a character in the 2009 computer game “The.” Despite his literary endeavors, Gould faced poverty and battled mental illness throughout his life. One intriguing fact about Joe Gould is that he claimed to have authored the longest book ever written, An Oral History of the Contemporary World.