Italian courtier, diplomat, and writer Baldassare Castiglione.

Baldassare Castiglione

(1478 - 1529)

Color drawing of Jane Austen sitting in a chair wearing a blue dress

Jane Austen

(1775 - 1817)

Painting of Charles Lamb wearing a black suit against a red backdrop.

Charles Lamb

(1775 - 1834)

Photograph of English professor and author Andrew McConnell Stott.

Andrew McConnell Stott

Dorothy Parker working at her typewriter.

Dorothy Parker

(1893 - 1967)

color photograph of Victor Frankl with his hand on his chin looking pensive

Victor Frankl

(1905 - 1997)

Painting of Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes

(1588 - 1679)

Black and white image of French classical author La Rochefoucauld.

La Rochefoucauld

(1613 - 1680)

Image of Renaissance humanist and scholar Poggio Bracciolini.

Poggio Bracciolini

(1380 - 1459)

Samuel Beckett, 1977. Photograph by Roger Pic.

Samuel Beckett

(1906 - 1989)

Painting of Jean de la Bruyère wearing a red cape.

Jean de La Bruyère

(1645 - 1696)

Photograph of American author Ben Tarnoff.

Ben Tarnoff

black and white photograph of Sara Silverman performing at the Upright Citizens Brigad

Sarah Silverman

Illustration of Plautus with red robes and hat

Plautus

(c. 254 BC - c. 184 BC)

black and white photo of Kurt Vonnegut sitting over coffee and a book

Kurt Vonnegut

(1922 - 2007)

Don Delillo standing outside in a jacket, black and white photo

Don DeLillo

Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller

(1923 - 1999)

Daniil Kharms looking serious with an intent stare

Daniil Kharms

(1905 - 1942)

Image of French poet François Villon.

François Villon

(1431 - c. 1463)

Portrait of Philip Dormer Stanhope wearing a blue sash.

Philip Dormer Stanhope

(1694 - 1773)

black and white pencil drawing of Moliere in an ornate frame

Molière

(1622 - 1673)

Flann O'Brien in an overcoat standing next to a Dublin Diversion sign

Flann O’Brien

(1911 - 1966)

Black and white photo of Lenny Bruce being frisked by an officer

Lenny Bruce

(1925 - 1966)

Black and white photograph of American entertainer Joan Rivers.

Joan Rivers

(1933 - 2014)

black and white photo of James Thurber lighting a cigarette in the new york times office

James Thurber

(1894 - 1961)

Photograph of Soviet author Mikhail Zoshchenko in military uniform.

Mikhail Zoshchenko

(1895 - 1958)

Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift

(1667 - 1745)

Colorized engraving of Voltaire wearing a wig.

Voltaire

(1694 - 1778)

Lewis Lapham at his desk

Lewis H. Lapham

Black and white photo of Herbert Spencer with long, hairy mutton chops and a stern expression

Herbert Spencer

(1820 - 1903)

Photograph of Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire

(1821 - 1867)

Sculpture bust of Roman teacher and writer Quintilian.

Quintilian

(35 - c. 96)

Sepia toned photograph of Lewis Carroll in a suit, reading a book

Lewis Carroll

(1832 - 1898)

Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair.

Abraham Lincoln

(1809 - 1865)

Black and white photograph of Mencken looking over his shoulder at the camera

H.L. Mencken

(1880 - 1956)

Abu Nuwas

(c. 755 - c. 814)

Classical engraving of Aristophanes with a long beard.

Aristophanes

(c. 446 BC - c. 386 BC)

Photo of stone Aristotle statue face

Aristotle

(384 BC - 322 BC)

Sepia colored photo of Oscar Wilde sitting on a rock with a book in his hand

Oscar Wilde

(1854 - 1900)

Color mosaic of earl Church father St. John Chrysostom.

St. John Chrysostom

(347 - 407)

Black and white photo of Harry S. Truman holding a newspaper with the headline "Dewey defeats Truman"

Harry S. Truman

(1884 - 1972)

Henri Bergson

Henri Bergson

(1859 - 1941)

photograph of David Foster Wallace speaking at a podium

David Foster Wallace

(1962 - 2008)

Portrait of George Vasey in a suit with a long white beard

George Vasey

(1822 - 1893)

David Simon sitting outside wearing an Irish driver cap

David Simon

Oil painting portrair Michel de Montaigne in red robes and white collar

Michel de Montaigne

(1533 - 1592)

black and white photo of Steve Martin wearing a white dinner jacket and black tie

Steve Martin

Frances Warfield

(1884 - 1969)

Pastel drawing of George Eliot.

George Eliot

(1819 - 1880)

Color photograph of comedian and writer Rob Delaney.

Rob Delaney

black and white photo of Groucho Marx wearing glasses and smoking a cigar from the side of his mouth

Groucho Marx

(1890 - 1977)

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce

(1842 - c. 1914)

Portrait of Chinese fiction writer Pu Songling.

Pu Songling

(1640 - 1715)

Charlie Chaplin

(1889 - 1977)

Painting of François Rabelais.

François Rabelais

(1494 - 1553)

Black and white photograph of a young Mark Twain with dark hair.

Mark Twain

(1835 - 1910)

Woody Allen in thick black rim glasses

Woody Allen

black and white head shot of Robert Benchley looking thoughtful with his hand to his chin

Robert Benchley

(1889 - 1945)

Calvin Trillin standing in front of a refrigerator in a black and white photograph

Calvin Trillin

color oil painting of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a red tunic with gray hair

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

(1756 - 1791)