Ring Lardner (1885-1933) was a well-known humorist and sports writer living in Chicago. In 1924, F. Scott Fitzgerald arranged for How to Write Short Stories to be published and more attention was then paid to Lardner's work. Ring Lardner (1885-1933) was a well-known humorist and sports writer living in Chicago. In 1924, F. Scott Fitzgerald arranged for How to Write Short Stories to be published and more attention was then paid to Lardner’s work.