Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Author Dave Barry is taking a break after 20 years of writing his Pulitzer Prize-winning humor column for the Miami Herald, the newspaper said on its Web site.

Barry, 57, yesterday said he's taking an indefinite leave of absence beginning in January to spend more time with his family after traveling in recent months to the Democratic and Republican national conventions, the Olympic Games in Greece, and around the U.S. on a book tour. The paper said he may return in a year.

``Since Dave's columns began appearing every Sunday in the Herald, an entire generation has been born, raised and reached adulthood,'' executive editor Tom Fiedler said in the paper. ``Yet his unique sense of humor never grew up and never got old.''

Barry began writing for Knight-Ridder Inc.'s Herald as a freelancer in 1982 after working for a suburban Philadelphia newspaper. He joined the Herald's staff in 1983. In 30 years of writing columns, Barry said, he hasn't missed a week. He won the Pulitzer for commentary in 1988 and his columns have been syndicated in 500 newspapers.

``Part of the reason for taking a year off is to find out if I just can't stand not being able to write,'' the Herald cited Barry as saying.

The Armonk, New York native, who has written more than two dozen books, said readers who miss his column can turn to other humorists or read the news.

``I just read the papers and go, `Well, that's stupid'. And I write 800 words and when it boils down to it, it's `Well, that was stupid,''' Barry said. ``They can do that without me.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Heather Langan in London at hlangan@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 20, 2004 06:37 EDT