Category Archives: Literary Bios

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Biography: Author Robert Bloch

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Author Robert Bloch’s most famous work has now been transformed into a successful film franchise and a successful television show. Both of these sources showcased the delusions, murderous tendencies, and maternal issues of one Norman Bates. The world knows Psycho (1959) for its many incarnations (films and TV shows); however, its author is just as well known, Bloch, as it stands, is not necessarily a one-trick pony in the literature and writing field.

Robert Bloch’s Early Life

Robert Bloch was born Robert Albert Bloch Chicago, Illinois, on April 5th, 1917. His father was a bank teller and his mother was a social worker. As a child, he weathered the normalcy of suburban life and attended grammar school. A late night screening of 1925’s Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney, Sr., sparked his immediate interest in writing fiction.

Bloch’s Publishing Career

Bloch, much like many of the writers in the mid-1900s, used turn-of-the-century writers as inspiration, who had largely published in pulp magazines. Bloch was hugely inspired by Weird Tales, which featured the likes of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. In fact, Lovecraft and Bloch started a correspondence that resulted in Bloch’s inclusion into the Lovecraft Circle—a group of popular writers at the time—even though he was the youngest of the troupe.

At this time, Bloch sent along his submissions to the Weird Tales but did not see immediate fanfare until other publications started taking notice of his work. Weird Tales followed suit. As stated by the Wisconsin Historical Society, “Weird Tales initially rejected Bloch’s submissions until similar publications began to pick up his stories. He quickly became one of the magazine’s most popular authors.”

Nevertheless, Bloch’s relationship with other writers helped expose him to a community of like-minded artists. John O’Neil, writing for Black Gate, wrote that, “Bloch gradually expanded his correspondence to Clark Ashton Smith, August Derleth, and others …” This would lay “the groundwork for what would eventually be known as the Cthulhu Mythos. Together, they built on Lovecraft’s work, kicking off a tradition that is still very much alive today” (O’Neil).

Bloch’s Later Career and Death

After publishing stories over the next decade, author Robert Bloch wrote his first novel in 1947, and would publish 50 more over the course of his career, including the mainstay psychological-horror novel Psycho, and 50 screenplays and 400 short stories. He was also the recipient of the Hugo Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Additionally, he served as “president of the Mystery Writers of America.”

Goodreads states: “Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures.” Furthermore, he also “worked for a time in local vaudeville,” and “wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.”

Author Robert Bloch died at 77 years old in 1994.

Blog, Literary Bios

The Rough and Rustic Writings of Jack London

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Tales of exploration, violence, and humanity’s struggle against nature permeate the writings of Jack London. In a past post, we discussed a fantastic story by the author, but, today, we are going to look at London’s life and times to glean some of the significance of his upbringing, which, hopefully, will help us better understand how his experiences impacted his work as a vivid storyteller and weaver of adventures.

London’s Early Years

Jack London was born John Griffith Chaney in San Francisco, California, on January 12th, 1876. London never really knew his father, who left the family when London was young. His mother married a Civil War veteran, and they fell into a working-class life. When London was old enough to work, he ran a variety of manual labor jobs, from shoveling coal to working on ships.

He also spent his youth stealing oysters on his own sloop ship and riding a freight train around the United States as a hobo. As it was the turn of the century, financial ruin and economic disparity plagued many Americans, so London also spent time in Charles T. Kelly’s industrial army—a “protest” army—which was born of the financial strife in the late 1800s.

“London saw depression conditions, was jailed for vagrancy, and in 1894 became a militant socialist” (Britannica).

His early success winning a writing contest after a rather scary adventure on the ocean proved to be a catalyst for the young London. At the behest of his mother, he wrote about his experiences in “Story of a Typhoon of the Coast of China.”

London stated of writing his first victory while still working aggressively as a manual laborer:

“Very tired and sleepy and knowing I had to be up at 5:30, I began the article at midnight and worked straight on until I had written 2,000 words, the limit of the article, but with my idea only half worked out. I continued adding another 2,000 words before I had finished, and the third night I spent in cutting out the excess, so as to bring the article within the conditions of the contest. The first prize came to me, and my success seriously turned my thoughts to writing, but my blood was still too hot for a settled routine” (The New York Times).

He would eventually take this one-off success more seriously and dedicate himself to the craft.

London’s Life as a Writer

Libraries, as they often are for budding writers, became a haven for the young London, who took refuge amongst the volumes of action, adventure, and philosophy. After graduating an accelerated version of high school, London attended the University of California; however, he quit after a year due to a “lack of money or means to support himself.” He then departed to pan for gold in the Klondikes (which would inspire his short story “To Build a fire” among others). After that venture proved to be a bust, London set about taking writing seriously.

“By 1899, he had honed his craft and major magazines began snapping up his vigorous stories. When it came to evoking elemental sensations, he was a literary maven” (Smithsonian).

London published his first book in 1900, The Son of the Wolf. This novel was followed by The God of His Fathers (1901), A Daughter of the Snows (1902), The Children of the Frost (1902), and The Cruise of the Dazzler (1902). Of course, being a prolific author meant that London would continue churning out novel after novel, and story after story for many years.

London died of an apparent accidental overdose of morphine on November 22, 1916, at his ranch home shortly before his 41st birthday.

Works Cited

Brandt, Kenneth. “The Short, Frantic, Rags-to-Riches Life of Jack London.” Smithsonian. Nov. 22, 2016. Web.

“Biography: Jack London.” Biography.com. A&E Television Network. April 2, 2014. Web.

“Jack London.” Famous Authors.org. 2020. Web.

“Jack London: American Author.” Britannica. Jan. 8, 2022. Web.

The New York Times. “Jack London Dies Suddenly on Ranch. November 23, 1916.

Literary Bios

An Author in Many Forms: Richard Matheson

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Richard Matheson is a great, unsung hero of literature. While he is well-known in writerly circles, he often seems vacant from mainstream discussion. Nevertheless, he may be one of the most talented horror authors and genre writers of all time. This is because he writes in a modern, straightforward way that speaks to a universal audience. His style is utilitarian, and has no frills or accoutrement. Putting it plainly, he is just a brilliant writer with an equitable style. In this post, we will analyze his history and his style.

About Richard Matheson

Born in Allendale, New Jersey on Feb. 20, 1926, Matheson loved the film Dracula and the writings of history author Kenneth Roberts. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and went on to serve in the US Army during WWII before entering The Missouri School of Journalism. 

Matheson started his career much like many other writers by writing short stories. His first story published, “Born of Man and Woman,” which told the tale of a monster child, appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Following this, Matheson’s career became a long one, and he wrote a lot material in many genres, including science fiction and horror. His list of written works features numerous books that include The Beardless Warriors, The Incredible Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, and What Dreams May Come. He is also an accomplished short story writer, having written “Third from the Sun,” “Little Girl Lost,” “The Conqueror,” and “Steel.”

Likewise, he has written many films, such as Tales of Terror and The Legend of Hell House. Most notably, Matheson wrote 14 episodes of The Twilight Zone, also writing Rod Serling’s introduction and concluding statement of each episode. He also wrote the two Kolchak: The Night Stalker movies. Considering this, his work is worth investigating purely for his ability to jump from genre to genre.

After a long and robust writing career, Matheson died at the age of 87 on June 23, 2013.

Matheson’s Lasting Impression

Matheson left behind a large quantity of memorable works and many of which defined genres, from the vampiric creatures in I am Legend to the harrowing science experiment in The Incredible Shrinking Man. This balance between genres is a difficult one to maintain, but his ability to create compelling stories of average people dealing with above average conflicts is a crucial element of his staying power.

Not only that, he inspired many authors who were on the rise, which in itself is an extraordinary achievement.

As stated by the AP:

“Matheson influenced several generations of storytellers. Among them were Stephen King, who dedicated his 2006 novel Cell to Matheson, and Steven Spielberg, whose first feature-length film was the made-for-TV movie Duel, based on the Matheson short story of the same name.”

Literary Bios

James Joyce: Author of “Finnegans Wake” and “Ulysses”

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James Joyce falls right in line with modernist literature, although his work can be difficult to digest, unlike other modernist writers. However, as we know, just because literature can be difficult doesn’t mean we should discard it. For today’s post, let’s take a look at Joyce’s life and a few major works.

Early life

Joyce was born in Dublin, Ireland on Feb. 2, 1882 as James Augustine Aloysius Joyce. Joyce was the oldest of ten children in a rather unstable household where his father failed to bring in enough money for a suitable household, instead falling to drink. Nevertheless, Joyce was a smart child and excelled in all modes of writing.

As the Britannica states:

“Because of his intelligence, Joyce’s family pushed him to get an education. Largely educated by Jesuits, Joyce attended the Irish schools of Clongowes Wood College and later Belvedere College before finally landing at University College Dublin, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on modern languages.”

(Britannica)

Joyce left for Paris after graduating and after departing for Ireland to tend to sick mother, he moved with his future wife to the Italian city of Trieste. There, Joyce taught English until he published Dubliners and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. These books, though unremarkable at the time, found their way to prominent writers and poets, such as Ezra Pound.

James Joyce and Ulysses

Joyce began working on his landmark novel Ulysses, which showcased his virtuosic talent as a stream-of-conscious writer. However, detractors claimed its subject matter was less than savory.

Here’s a tame, descriptive excerpt:

“Suppose the communal kitchen years to come perhaps. All trotting down with porringers and tommycans to be filled. Devour contents in the street. John Howard Parnell example the provost of Trinity every mother’s son don’t talk of your provosts and provost of Trinity women and children cabmen priests parsons fieldmarshals archbishops.”

(Ulysses)

As you can see—it’s not exactly direct. However, it struck up a bit of controversy.

Writer Laura Miller writes, “One of the unexpected effects of the novel, which was first published in its entirety in Paris in 1922, was the most famous obscenity trial in U.S. history, conducted in 1933.”

Eventually the book got a fair shake (we’ll talk more about this in a later post), and it is currently revered for its challenging prose and style.

Joyce eventually settled down in Paris with his family and wrote Finnegans Wake (1939), which was also a success. With those two books alone (Ulysses and Finnegans Wake), Joyce cemented his status as a literary icon.

Joyce died following an “intestinal operation” on Jan. 12, 1941.

James Joyce’s Notable Works

Dubliners (1914)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)

Ulysses (1922)

Finnegans Wake (1939)

Works Cited

Britannica. “James Joyce.” Sep. 12, 2019. Web.

Miller, Laura. “The Most Dangerous Book”: When ‘Ulysses’ was obscene.” Salon. June 16, 2014. Web.

Literary Bios

A Look at the Life and Times of L. Frank Baum

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In order to understand a novel, we have to understand everything about the book. These factors include the author, the society, and the history to truly understand the nuances and messages we are supposed to take away as readers. In this post, we are going to look at the life and times of L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz.


The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum

Early Life

We know quite a bit about Baum from his work at the newspaper and through correspondences throughout his life. He was a creative but complicated force (as were most of the people from his era due to inept racial attitudes). Baum was born Lyman Frank Baum on May 15, 1856, in Chittenango, New York. As mentioned in a previous post, this was a time of change in America (or at least it would be soon enough) as the turn of the century loomed. Baum started his writing career in Aberdeen, South Dakota, as an editor of the Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer.

“The newspaper is both the reason for, and the product of, the only period in Baum’s life when his energies were channeled solely into the creation of nonfiction materials for a general adult reading audience” (Koupal)


Later Life

Baum would spend most of his life writing fictional children’s literature in the wonderful world of Oz. Before heading down the road of literary immortality, however, Baum attempted many other professions, including “editor and printer of an amateur magazine, Rose Lawn Home Journal … reporter for the New York World; printer for New Era … manager of a string of vaudeville houses in New York and Pennsylvania, author, writer, composer, and director of Irish musical comedies and melodies …” and a whole lot more (Sale).

“I think a lot of the things that he did were trying to see what was popular and trying for himself to profit from that,” said creator of the documentary American Oz. “… I think that comes through all the different things that he did, including in Chicago when he started the magazine about window dressing show windows” (Rockett).

As such, after relocating and working in Chicago, Baum’s published his first book Father Goose (1899), which was went on to be successful, and the next year he published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

“Baum wrote 13 more Oz books, and the series was continued by another after his death. Using a variety of pseudonyms as well as his own name, Baum wrote some 60 books, the bulk of them juveniles that were popular in their day” (Britannica)


Conclusion

When considering the life and times of L. Frank Baum, we have a history of a fantastical genius who could tie works together with frenetic energy and imagination. We also have a troubled ideology that stems from beliefs of the time period. Either way, upon reflection, Baum’s work remain deeply rooted in children’s fiction, being the progenitor of many tropes and concepts within literary works for young people.

Works Cited

KOUPAL, NANCY TYSTAD. “THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF THE WEST: L. FRANK BAUM IN SOUTH DAKOTA, 1888-91.” Great Plains Quarterly, vol. 9, no. 4, 1989, pp. 203–215. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23531112. Accessed 23 July 2021.

“L. Frank Baum | American Author.” Encyclopedia Britannica, britannica.com/biography/L-Frank-Baum.

Rockett, Darcel. “‘American Oz’: L. Frank Baum Doc Traces ‘Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Wicked’ Roots to Author’s Formative Chicago Years.” Chicagotribune.Com, 19 Apr. 2021, chicagotribune.com/entertainment/what-to-watch/ct-ent-l-frank-baum-wizard-of-oz-american-experience-0419-20210419-r7ftmrzvtrejleq2hz56sbp5ge-story.html.

Sale, Roger. “L. Frank Baum, and Oz.” The Hudson Review, vol. 25, no. 4, 1972, pp. 571–592. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3850065. Accessed 23 July 2021.

Literary Bios

Writer Henry James’ Social and Psychological Writing Style

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We have discussed the gothic genre and death on this blog many, many times. It is definitely a pervasive element in horror and the gothic horror genre. Likewise, it is also a very interesting subject. Writer Henry James tackled this subject very well in his novel Turn of the Screw, which features some spooky imagery and atmosphere. In this post, we are going to examine James’ background and influences to better understand how he wrote a classic of the horror genre.

Biography

To start, James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843. His family had many intellectuals, as he was “born to a family of writers.” His father was “an affluent and well-connected journalist” and his mother was a descendant of “Irish immigrants who had prospered in New York State” (Poetry Foundation). Moreover, they traveled frequently, between Europe and America, which created a wide-reaching education for James.

Beginning his literary career as a critic and short story writer, James would go on to write popular novels, including The Portrait of a Lady, The Wings of the Dove, and The Golden Bowl. One of his most famous novels, The Turn of the Screw, appeared in 1889 to much acclaim.

James died on February 28, 1916, in London after becoming a British subject just a year earlier in 1915.

Writing The Turn of the Screw

In writing The Turn of the Screw, James left for Sussex and began writing in 1897. His play Guy Domville had a dismal opening in the theater. Thus, such a dismal letdown put him in the right frame of mind to write something horrific. His interest in spiritual phenomena existed due to his brother William’s proclivities, and so he penned the story with a robust fascination of ghosts firmly in check (Sparknotes).

Collier’s Weekly published the novel as a serial between Jan. 27-April 16, 1898. Eventually, The Two Magics published it in Oct. 1898 (Britannica).

Henry James’ Style

Using a complex understanding of the human condition, James wrote about a great many subjects using tell-tale hallmarks in his writing. Similarly, he was a writer who employed complex sentences and detailed descriptions. He also utilized a psychological depth to his narrative; one you can see in the beginning chapters of The Turn of the Screw when the governess begins to see eerie happenings in the Bly house.

As Britannica states of his style:

“James began to use the methods of alternating “picture” and dramatic scene, close adherence to a given angle of vision, a withholding of information from the reader, making available to him only that which the characters see. The subjects of this period are the developing consciousness and moral education of children—in reality James’s old international theme of innocence in a corrupting world, transferred to the English setting.”

Additionally, he approaches both social and cultural issues in his writing. His focus on social class and values between both classes is apparent in his writing. Moreover, he was a subtle writer. While he may overly describe situations and scenes, he is very careful to keep information tucked firmly behind his back, rather than letting it out in the open.

Works Cited

“Henry James.” Britannica. July 5, 2024. Web. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-James-American-writer

“Henry James.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed on July 30, 2024. Web. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/henry-james

Literary Bios

A Short Biography of Robert Louis Stevenson

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Robert Louis Stevenson, the renowned Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, left an important mark on literature with his timeless tales. In this post, we are going analyze the life of Robert Louis Stevenson in a short biography.


Early life

Born on November 13, 1850, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Stevenson’s life was filled with storytelling and narratives. From a young age, Stevenson displayed a keen interest in literature.

As a young child, he was sick quite often, and was “described as a ‘weak chest’.” Despite his health problems early on, Stevenson spent much time conjuring the spirits of fantastical lands to tell his tells. The Stevenson Museum states: “This somewhat isolated childhood led to the development of a healthy imagination through which dreams of being a writer developed” (Stevenson Museum).

Moreover, as some sources wrote, Stevenson wanted to writer early in life and when he became a teenager he “deliberately set out to learn the writer’s craft by imitating a great variety of models in prose and verse” (Britannica).


Seeking adventure

Moreover, at the University of Edinburgh, Stevenson turned his attention away from civil engineering and to literature, history, and science. After obtaining a law degree, he eventually traveled throughout Europe and published essays and articles about his travels. Continuing, he embarked on numerous journeys, seeking inspiration from wherever he ventured and immersing himself in different experiences.

Afterward, he traveled to the US to be with his future wife. Then, he returned his family (wife and her young son) to Britain. Extensive travel had caused a great deal of health problems, but he wrote a volume of material at this point. These writings included Treasure Island (1884), A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885), and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886).


Death

Despite battling tuberculosis and other health issues, Stevenson remained resilient, continuing to write prolifically until his death on December 3, 1894, in Samoa, where he had settled with his family. As such, his legacy endures through his timeless tales, which continue to engage readers of all ages, and inspire countless adaptations and interpretations.


Conclusion

In summation, Robert Louis Stevenson’s life and works remind us of the transformative power of storytelling and the appeal of adventure fiction. Through his writings, he invited readers to embark on journeys of imagination and exploration, allowing them to discover the human experience through characterization.


Works Cited

“Robert Louis Stevenson Website.” Robert Louis Stevenson Website, n.d., https://robert-louis-stevenson.org/.

Daiches, David. “Robert Louis Stevenson.” Britannica. Feb. 2, 2024. Web. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Louis-Stevenson

“Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850-1894)”. Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. Web. https://stevensonmuseum.org/robert-louis-stevenson/the-life/

Blog, Literary Bios

Phillis Wheatley Biography: The First African American Poet

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Phillis Wheatley was a dynamic poet and author who lived a tragic life of oppression and slavery in the American colonies. Though shackled in many aspects of her life, Wheatley accomplished a monumental amount of writing. In this post, we examine Phillis Wheatley through a biography of the first Black poet in the United States.

Biography

Capture and slavery

Before being Phillis Wheatley, historians are unsure of what her name was. She was born in West Africa around 1753 in what would eventually become Senegal or Gambia. Due to her missing front teeth, researchers believed slavers her kidnapped at the age of seven. The same men then sent her to America on a 240-day trip aboard the slave ship “Phillis.” Wheatley had a frailty about her, and so found herself under refugee status in the slave trade. The captain of the slave ship sold Wheatley to Susanna Wheatley, wife of Boston tailor John Wheatley.

As reported, the captain “believed the waif was terminally ill, and he wanted to gain at least a small profit before she died.” Afterward, the couple named her “Phillis” after the ship that brought her to port.

Early Education

In their eyes, they raised her “above her station,” and taught her religion. The church baptized her in August of 1771. Phillis gravitated toward her studies and after learning the English language, she studied Greek, Latin, astronomy, and more. Wheatly began studying poetry at the age of 12 and a year later wrote “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin,” which she published in Dec. of 1767. At 18 years old, Wheatley had 28 poems to her name.

Though an attempt to gain subscribers for her poetry failed due to racist attitudes in the colonies, the Wheatley’s saw to the publication of the 38-poem verse book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in Boston, MA, in 1773. In London, Wheatley’s work was celebrated among the abolitionists. While Thomas Jefferson dismissed her work as “below the dignity of criticism,” others, such as Voltaire and George Washington, lauded her work.

Writing and Freedom

She later returned to Boston and was set free due to the assistance of the abolitionists she befriended in England. However, as in any Phillis Wheatley biography, the taste of freedom washed away with the reality of life in America as a freed slave. She married, lost three children in infancy, and was abandoned by her husband. Afterward, she had to take up work as a maid and servant. She also failed to publish more than five poems in the remainder of her life.

Wheatley died in Boston on Dec. 5, 1784. She was in her early 30s.

Conclusion

In her time, Wheatley published her work as the first Black American. She also helped abolitionists argue against the inferiority of Blacks by citing Wheatley’s poetry. As others have stated, her “canon consists of fifty-five poems, twenty-two letters and a prose prayer …” However, there are “titles for dozens more poems that so far have not come to light.” Wheatley may have led a tragic life in a racially oppressive society, but her legacy lives on as a testament to Black American creativity and endurance.

Blog, Literary Bios

Biography of George Bernard Shaw: Socialist, Critic, Playwright

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George Bernard Shaw’s name looms large amongst the litany of famous authors. Both fascinating and contentious, he has all the makings of a literary icon. Likewise, he has many shared traits with other authors. Moreover, his sheer volume of work along, puts him in the pantheon of influential authors. In this George Bernard Shaw biography, we are going to dig into his life, times, and literary works.

Biography of George Bernard Shaw

Upbringing and early novelist

To start, Shaw was born in Dublin on July 26, 1856. He was the third child in his family, and he hated school. However, he found no interest in the workings of academia. Eventually, Shaw worked in an estate agent’s office before moving to London in 1876. There, he struggled to find work through multiple jobs. Eventually, he settled on pursuing a full-time career as a writer—with mixed results.

As stated by Britannica: “Despite his failure as a novelist in the 1880s, Shaw found himself during this decade. He became a vegetarian, a socialist, a spellbinding orator, a polemicist, and tentatively a playwright.” In these words, Shaw became the character and writer that would leave a mark on the literary world.

(Britannica.com)

The Fabian Society and Critic

In 1884, Shaw joined the Fabian Society. The group spent time advancing the principles of democratic socialism. Furthermore, in this society, he used his writing abilities to craft pamphlets and to debate the application of such beliefs. In addition, somewhere in the midst of novel writing failure, Shaw began critiquing plays. These critiques were published in papers in London and became quite successful.  He worked as a critic for the Pall Mall Gazette, The World, The Star, and The Saturday Review.

As Britannica further states, Shaw knew a great deal about the arts, which gave him critical acumen. The source states, “Shaw had a good understanding of music, particularly opera, and he supplemented his knowledge with a brilliance of digression that gives many of his notices a permanent appeal …”

Bernard Shaw as Playwright and Death

Shaw’s first collections of plays appeared in “Plays Unpleasant” and “Plays Pleasant.” Both collections were replete with “what would become Shaw’s signature wit, accompanied by healthy doses of social criticism.” Both of which “stemmed from his Fabian Society leanings” (biography.com). Shaw produced a great deal of work in a variety of genres, which kept him busy working on his craft.

Finally, with the 19th century coming to a close, Shaw really began churning out his best work. He wrote Man and Superman in 1903 and Major Barbara in 1905, and Pygmalion in 1912. In 1925, Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature for Saint Joan. He died in his home in England in 1950 at 94 years old.

Blog, Literary Bios

The Story Behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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I remember sitting in grade school and listening to my teacher read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving to the class. It was autumn, and the dark sky, rain, and autumn leaves blowing outside the classroom impressed on my brain forever. It was a chilling ghost story. Sometime toward the end of her reading, I thought to myself: “I am going to teach one day because I want this experience to exist for others.” In this post, we will dig into the life of Washington Irving, his accomplishments, and his impact.

Biography

Irving’s Early Years

Irving was born in New York City in 1783. He was named after General George Washington. He was the 11th child in his family, and some sources described him as having a frailty as a young child. Nevertheless, he spent much of his early days wandering the city and the countryside. He explored, learning from the histories and stories that were pervasive in the Hudson Valley. In this area, folklore and legends were rife in the rural communities.

Irving’s College Years and First Writings

Rather than attend college, Irving studied law in his early days and “wrote a series of whimsically satirical essays.” This satirical style would define his later work. As a lawyer, Irving worked diligently but spent much time devoted to his craft and published a series of letters in 1802 under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. He also collaborated with his brother William and James K. Paulding in 1807 and 1808 to craft a series of essays. These essays, entitled Salmagundi, were centered on trends in society.

England and Fame

Irving moved to England in 1815. After the family “import-export” business failed, he busied himself with writing and produced The Sketch Book under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. This book contained both “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It was also extremely popular with audiences and made Irving a star in the literary world.

To give some context to his style, here is an excerpt from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” In this passage, the protagonist Ichabod Crain comes face-to-face with the Headless Horseman:

“He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame. He made no offer of molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder (Ichabod’s horse), who had now got over his fright and waywardness. Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed, in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind—the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume his psalm-tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he could not utter a stave.”

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving

“Ichabod Crane imagining a phantom at his shoulder. American ghost story and folk tale.” — by Frederick Simpson Coburn

Irving would later return to America in 1832. He ventured out west where he wrote A Tour of Prairies (1835), The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837), and a few other works. He spent his final days near the Hudson River and died of a heart attack in Tarrytown, New York on Nov. 28, 1859.

Conclusion

In his lifetime, Irving gained international fame as an author, which was uncommon in his age. In this way, American literature, akin to Daniel Dafoe, became as important as European literature and cemented American mythos and folklore as viable tradition. Similarly, his works inspired the short story genre and created a conversational style that was approachable for contemporary readers. With that said, Irving made a lasting impact on the literary world.

Blog, Literary Bios

Sir Walter Scott: Father of Historical Fiction and Folklore

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There are many legendary authors out there, and then there are authors who create legends. Sir Walter Scott is one of those authors. While he is most notable for the story of Ivanhoe, he spent years writing folklore and traditional mythology in Scotland. In this post, we will examine Sir Walter Scott’s life and writings.

A History of Sir Walter Scott

Walter Scott’s Early Years

Historians can link Sir Walter Scott to Smailholm Tower. There, under its looming shadow his family raised him on adventurous tales of heroes and villains. With this tower over his head, he read literature and poetry. This further pushed him into the world of literary titans. Similarly, on the shores of Sandyknowes, Scott honed his gift for storytelling and verse to contribute to litearry history.

Scott was born in Edinburgh’s Old Town on Aug. 15, 1771 to Anne Rutherford and Walter Scott. Scott’s father was a member of the private Scottish society Writers to the Signet. At a young age, Scott contracted polio and lost the function of his leg for the rest of his life. His family later sent him to live with his grandparents near Roxburgshire, which was some 30 miles from Edinburgh. Scott’s Aunt Janet urged him to pursue his literary interests by reciting poetry to him and teaching him to read.

As it has been stated, his grandmother, Barbara, impacted Scott through storytelling. She told him numerous tales of their ancestors and battles between the Scots and the English. In this way, Scott developed an interest in Scottish heritage, ballad writing, and folklore.

Scott’s Literary Years

As he got older, Scott’s interests in epics, poetry, and books about far away voyages did not wain. He attended the University in Edinburgh to study the classics in 1783. In 1786, Scott began to apprentice with his father to become a Writer to the Signet. Scott became a lawyer in 1792. He also translated books into English for his friend who he would open a publishing house with in 1809.

Scott later published a series of poems for the publishing house, including The Lady of the Lake, and Marmion (1808). Soon after, Scott began publishing his Waverly novels after the success of the first. He would continue writing these novels over the years. His literary career continued from there with Rob Roy (1817) and Ivanhoe (1820).

Walter Scott’s Contributions and Death

Scott is known as the father of historical fiction for his works in legend and lore. In creating Rob Roy, Waverly, and Ivanhoe, Scott transcended basic storytelling tropes and created a genre unto itself. Likewise, he injected life into Scottish folktales and history. Scott suffered a stroke in 1831 and passed away on Sept. 21st, 1832, at Abbotsford. He was buried by his wife in the border town of Melrose.

Other works by Scott

Glenfinlas (1800)

The Lady of the Lake (1810)

Rob Roy (1817)

Ivanhoe (1820)

The Pirate (1822)

Blog, Literary Bios

A Biography of Jonathan Swift: His Life and Works

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For many of us, the first time we read “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, we are either disgusted or quizzical about the nature of the text. After the text is explored, we then begin to find it funny or amusing. At the time the essay was released, the satire flew over some aristocratic heads and other were disgusted by its implications. However, Swift, an expert satirist, probably had no qualms about the reactions because that was his intention.

A Swiftian Biography

Early Life

Swift was born into poverty on Nov. 30 in Dublin, Ireland. Swift’s father, also named Jonathan, died before Swift was born. Accordingly, Swift and his family were impoverished. Similarly, Swift was sick often as a child, perhaps due to malnutrition and Meniere’s disease. With that said, he was raised by his uncle Godwin Swift who supplied a young Jonathan with an education and support. Swift attended Kilkenny College with fellow future author William Congreve, and then Trinity College Dublin in 1682. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1686 even after having numerous disciplinary issues. Then, he left for England during the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

William Temple

In England, Swift worked as a secretary for Sir William Temple. Temple, a retired diplomat and writer, gave Swift the avenue to meet numerous political elites. Temple had negotiated the Triple Alliance and was an important figure in political circles. He also helped swift enter Oxford University where the young writer graduated. Meanwhile, Swift continued to suffer from health troubles, with bouts of dizziness. It cannot be understated that Temple’s impact on Swift was magnanimous. In fact, Swift’s later political writing have a lot to lend to Temple’s education and guidance.

Further Writings and Literary Friends

Swift was later appointed as Chaplin to Lord Berkely, and he became a Doctor of Divinity. He wrote The Battle of the Books and a humorous religious piece titled A Tale of the Tub. Swift was prolific at this time and also formed some literary alliances as well. These included alliances included the group Scriblerus with Alexander Pope.

Parallel to this, Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels (1724) under the pen name Lemuel Gulliver in 1726. Afterward, he wrote “A Modest Proposal,” which was an essay that suggested the Irish could sell their children as food to the wealthy, due to the impoverished state of the lower class. Overall, Swift’s contribution to Neoclassical Literature helped pave the way for future satirists.

Conclusion and Impact

Swift worked throughout his life in politics and through the church to bring attention to the plight of Ireland. He fought tirelessly to bring attention to the poverty and squalor of the lower classes. Whether through his essays, like “A Modest Proposal,” or through his novels, like Gulliver’s Travels, Swift made a fantastic impact on literary history. Swift died away in 1745.

Notable Works

  • A Tale of a Tub (1704)
  • The Battle of the Books (1704)
  • Gulliver’s Travels (1726)
  • The Drapier’s Letters (1724)
Blog, Literary Bios

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Modernist Influence on Fiction

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In examining the modernists, we find an emphasis on realistic description and emotional resonance. Ernest Hemingway’s descriptions of warfare, for example, ring true and are also traumatic. F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, also created depth in his writing that mirrored an age. In addition, Fitzgerald has had a lasting impression on literary history and modern writers. In this post, we will examine his life and writings.

A Fitzgerald Biography

Early Life

Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul Minnesota on Sept. 24th, 1896. He lived in an upper-middle class family. His father, Edward, was a salesman, and his mother, Mary, was born to a wealthy Irish-Catholica household. Fitzgerald wrote a lot as a child, and attended St. Paul Academy. He published his first shorts story in the school newspaper at the age of 13 years old. Afterward, he attended Newman School.

In 1913, Fitzgerald attended Princeton University. There, he wrote for the Princeton Triangle club and the Nassau Lit. However, he later dropped out due to a focus on socializing over academics. This led to him enlisting in the U.S. Army to fight in WWI in 1917.

Fitzgerald’s Literary Fame

Afterward, he courted Zelda (his future wife) and wrote This Side of Paradise. This first novel pushed him into the literary stratosphere and gave him enough money to marry his wife. The aforementioned novel made Fitzgerald famous, as it spoke to a new generation of post-WWI disillusionment in America.

With his newfound success, he and his wife Zelda moved to Paris in 1924. Fitzgerald would publish his most well-known work, The Great Gatsby, while living there. While the novel was met with “tepid sales,” it would become one of the defining modernist pieces of literature during in subsequent years.

As Britannica writes: “The Great Gatsby is the most profoundly American novel of its time; at its conclusion, Fitzgerald connects Gatsby’s dream, his ‘Platonic conception of himself,’ with the dream of the discoverers of America.”

Fitzgerald and The Lost Generation

Sometime around 1926, Fitzgerald began to gather with “The Lost Generation” of artists. In this time, he greatly admired Ernest Hemingway, who was a relatively unknown author at the time. A great deal of creativity exploded from this group, with many of the artists trying to do something different with the medium their medium. Additionally, many of the writers of “The Lost Generation” wrote about their own lives in their stories, albeit, somewhat loosely.

Fitzgerald During the Depression

As mentioned by sources, Fitzgerald’s later life was marred by his dysfunctional relationship with his wife Zelda. Much like Fitzgerald, she had become a victim of their enriched lifestyles, from drinking to drama. Meanwhile, lingering mental health issues also worsened for Zelda, and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1930. Financially, Fitzgerald still supported his wife and himself by writing short stories and selling them to large magazines, such as Collier’s. According to Hemingway, this pressure to keep up with finances prevented Fitzgerald from reaching his literary zenith.

F. Scott Fitzgerald | Carl Van Vechten | 1937

Fitzgerald, meanwhile, published Tender is the Night in 1934 to low-critical acclaim. This was in part due to the depression-era and Fitzgerald’s celebrity as an elitist who lived in the throes of excess. His themes did not ring as true anymore and the modernist ideals were erring toward post-modernism.

Later Life and Death

After Zelda was institutionalized due to her violent breakdowns, Fitzgerald began a career as a scriptwriter for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1937. As mentioned by some reports: “Fitzgerald retreated to Hollywood, a defeated and more or less forgotten man. He made a precarious living as a scriptwriter and struggled to control his alcoholism. Miraculously he found the energy to begin another novel The Last Tycoon (1941), about a complex gifted movie producer.”

The morning after the premiere of This Thing Called Love, F Scott Fitzgerald fell to the floor in his apartment, passing away from a heart attack at the age of 44 with only a third of The Last Tycoon completed. He unfortunately probably thought his career was a failure even though he had written monumental works of fiction that would one day become lauded by the masses.

Notable Works

This Side of Paradise (1920)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1921)

The Beautiful and the Damned (1922)

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz (1922)

Literary Bios

The Life of Ernest Hemingway: Modernist, Realist, Storyteller

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It should go without saying that Ernest Hemingway is an extremely important writer to literary history. For example, his novel The Old Man and the Sea is an important book for a few reasons. First, it shows a modernist at the top of his game with robust prose and a deeply thematic story. It is also just as fine an example of modernist literature as one can find. In this way, Hemingway is a fixture in literary discussion. Not only is he one of the most important writers to come out of the early 1900s, but perhaps he’s one of the most influential and important writers in American history. Yet, the life of Ernest Hemingway was a difficult one, rife in ware, trauma, and death.

Hemingway: A Biography of a Modernist

Early Life, Journalism, and World War I

Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. In his early life, Hemingway would learn to fish and hunt in Northern Michigan, which would inform his storytelling interests later in life. He was a sportswriter in High School, writing for the school newspaper Trapeze and Tabula, and later worked for The Kansas City Star. One could certainly argue that journalism contributed to his realistic approach to writing. He enlisted in the army in 1918 to fight in World War I. There, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army. Through the course of duty, he earned the Italian Silver Medal of Bravery and a few battle wounds.

Hemingway and The Lost Generation

After the war, he worked at the Toronto Star and eventually moved to Paris with his first wife and worked as a foreign correspondent. In Europe, he met Gertrude Stein and became to frequent her artists boutique. As such, he became a member of “The Lost Generation,” which was a group of disenfranchised artists impacted by the Great War. It was there with Gertrude Stein that Hemingway met a plethora of famous artists, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Pablo Picasso, and James Joyce.

Hemingway’s Publishing Career

While in the throes of modernist debate, Hemingway published The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms, which more or less cemented him as an important writer in literature history. Inspiration for these great works were his adventurous spirit and real-life experiences. He also wrote realistic, albeit dramatic, short stories, such as Hills Like White Elephants and The Three Day Blow.

In Farewell to Arms, Hemingway showcases his style, which is often referred to as muscular or robust prose.

In the jolt of my head I heard somebody crying. I thought somebody was screaming. I tried to move but I could not move … I pulled and twisted and got my legs loose finally and turned around and touched him. It was Passini and when I touched him he screamed. His legs were toward me and I saw in the dark and the light that they were both smashed above the knee. One leg was gone and the other was held by tendons and part of the trouser and the stump twitched and jerked as though it were not connected.

Ernest Hemingway
A Farewell to Arms

Hemingway’s Later Life and Death

Toward the end of his career, Hemingway won the Pulitzer with the publication of The Old Man and the Sea. He also won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his literary contributions. On July 2, 1961, after a battle with mental health issues that included paranoia and depression, Hemingway killed himself. In examining the life of Ernest Hemingway, one can see that he contributed a great deal to the writing craft. He also left a lasting style that is emulated and utilized even into the 21st century.

Hemingway’s Other Works

  • In Our Time (1926)
  • The Sun Also Rises (1927)
  • A Farewell to Arms (1929)
  • To Have and Have Not (1937)
  • For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
  • The Old Man and the Sea (1951)
Literary Bios

Maya Angelou, author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”

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Maya Angelou had many experiences in life are both damaging and uplifting. She endured great trauma and hardship only to persevere in the end. She has also contributed to literary history with her engaging, heart-wrenching stories. Similarly, her verse about the Black American experience has been transformative. In this post, we will look at her life and times and how these difficulties shaped her history.

Biography of Maya Angelou

Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Lois, Missouri. When she turned three years old, her parents sent she and her brother to live with her grandparents in Stamps, Arkansas. There, she experienced some first-hand racism that shaped her outlook for the rest of her life. Because of her treatment, she wrote that she would feel less like a person and gravely inferior for a long time.

Eventually, Angelou moved to St. Lois with her father, who returned to take care of her. Yet, she found more hardships along the way, including experiencing rape and guilt over the rapist’s eventual murder. These experiences left her nearly mute for many years.

Later, she moved back to Stamps as a young girl and then out to San Francisco, California. There she worked a variety of odd jobs until she moved to New York City in the 1950s. In Harlem, she began writing at the Harlem Writers Guild. Moving back to California, she wrote the 10-part television series Black, Blues, Black about African American culture. She continued acting and appeared in multiple films, including Poetic Justice (1993), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), and also appeared in the television series Roots (1977).

Additionally, Angelou was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her book of poetry Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie. And, she received a Tony Award nomination for the 1973 play Look Away. In addition to this, she won multiple Grammy awards for spoken word albums. She also read poetry at former President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. President Barack Obama also presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014 at her home in North Carolina.

Analysis “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”

Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiography, detailing Angelou’s life and experiences. More specifically, the novel details her parents divorce, the sexual assault that changed her life, and the countless times she experienced racial discrimination while living in the South.

The book ends with an optimistic feeling that perhaps she can persevere in life after all. Through a difficult childhood and care for a newborn child, she looks to rise from the ashes of a stormy life.

In it, she writes this bit of verse:

The caged bird sings   
with a fearful trill   
of things unknown   
but longed for still   
and his tune is heard   
on the distant hill   
for the caged bird   
sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou

The book was nominated for a National Book Award and received critical acclaim from readers and critics alike.

Angelou’s Other Works

  • Just Give Me a Cool drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie (1971)
  • Now Sheba Sings the Song (1987)
  • I shall Not be Moved (1990)