Ivan Kernyts’kyi (1913-1984), a Ukrainian writer, columnist, and humorist, was born in the village of Sukhodil, Bibrka county, currently Peremyshliany district in L’viv region. Kernyts’kyi completed four grades in the village school and continued his studies at the Ivan Hrinchenko “Ridna shkola” in L’viv. After seventh grade, he entered trade school in L’viv, but had to leave due to poor health conditions.

In the 1930s, Kernyts’kyi belonged to the modernist community of Galician literature centered around the journal "Nazustrich". He started his career as a staff writer of the influential paper "Nash Prapor" in L’viv, and worked from 1933 to 1939. His 1934 collection “Sviatoinvans’ki vohni” received critical acclaim. During the German occupation of L’viv, Kernyts’kyi produced advertisements at various newspapers. At the end of World War II, he left for Austria. In 1947, his collection of humorous stories “Tsyhans’kymy dorohamy” was published in Western Germany. In 1949, Kernyts’kyi moved to the United States, where he primarily contributed to the daily newspaper Svoboda, and humor magazine Lys Mykyta. He also worked as a proofreader for newspapers and created advertising booklets. He wrote under the pseudonyms as Iker, Gzyms, and Papai. Kernyts’kyi died in 1984 in New York. He is buried at the Ukrainian Orthodox cemetery in South Bound Brook, New Jersey.