William Dean Howells Biography

Occup.Author
FromUSA
SpouseElinor Mead Howells (1862-1920)
BornMarch 1, 1837
Martins Ferry, Ohio, USA
DiedMay 11, 1920
New York City, New York, USA
CauseNatural Causes
Aged83 years
Early Life
William Dean Howells was born upon March 1, 1837, in Martinsville (currently Martins Ferry), Ohio. He was the secondly of 8 youngsters of Mary Dean Howells and William Cooper Howells, a printer and also publisher. Throughout his early life, Howells was greatly affected by his moms and dads, who were fervent activists as well as proponents of females's legal rights, forming the dynamic concepts that later permeated his composition.

Raised in a household that valued books and intellectual query, Howells was greatly self-taught, sharpening his literary skills through various jobs within his father's printing and publishing companies. At the age of 15, he started typesetting for his dad's paper, The Ohio State Journal, where he ultimately ended up being a press reporter as well as content assistant. These very early experiences instilled in him a lifelong love for journalism and also a deep understanding of the power of the published word.

Literary Career
Howells published his initial publication, "Poems of Two Friends", co-authored with his pal John J. Piatt, in 1860. Following the success of this first foray right into literature, he was designated American Consul in Venice by President Lincoln in 1861, a placement he held up until 1865. Living in Italy had a profound influence on Howells, sustaining his literary passion and also inspiring future jobs such as "Venetian Life" (1866) and also "Italian Journeys" (1867).

Upon returning to America, Howells acted as an editor for a number of prominent papers, consisting of The Nation and also The Atlantic Monthly, where he would eventually become editor-in-chief in 1871. He used his editorial power to champion the works of arising American authors as well as introduced international literary works to American viewers. Under his management, The Atlantic Monthly published pieces from influential writers like Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Henry James, highlighting Howells' keen eye for talent.

As a prolific author, Howells' body of work makes up novels, plays, rhymes, essays, and traveling stories. Amongst his most renowned jobs are "Their Wedding Journey" (1871), "A Chance Acquaintance" (1873), "A Foregone Conclusion" (1875), "The Rise of Silas Lapham" (1885), and also "A Hazard of New Fortunes" (1890). Howells' literary style was characterized by its realistic look, as well as his representation of American life as well as society was affected by his experiences with everyday individuals from different social classes.

Personal Life and Associations
In 1862, Howells wed Elinor Mead, with whom he had three kids: Winifred, John, as well as Mildred. In his personal life, Howells developed close friendships with influential literary figures such as Mark Twain, Henry James, and also Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Howells was an energetic participant of the East Coast literary scene, as well as he fraternized fellow authors, trading concepts and also tough each various other's work.

Later On Years and also Legacy
In 1886, Howells left The Atlantic Monthly, concentrating on his independent creating job. As he matured, his job started to show an enhancing pessimism regarding the human problem and an issue for problems of social equality. In his later years, he published jobs like "The Landlord at Lion's Head" (1897), "The Quality of Mercy" (1891), "My Literary Passions" (1895), as well as "Literature and Life" (1902), which showcased his social reviews and celebrated literary influences.

William Dean Howells died on May 11, 1920, in New York City. His considerable contributions to American literary works and his influence on the development of realism as a leading 19th-century literary movement have gained him the title of "The Dean of American Letters". His jobs continue to be a testimony to his commitment to depicting American life with sincerity and compassion, and his encouragement of other authors has strengthened his place in the pantheon of American literary numbers.

Our collection contains 21 quotes who is written / told by William.

Related authors: Robert Browning Hamilton (Writer), Henry James (Writer), James Lane Allen (Author), Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (Poet), Jessamyn West (Author), Mark Twain (Author), Sarah Orne Jewett (Author), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Bret Harte (Author)

William Dean Howells Famous Works:
Source / external links:

21 Famous quotes by William Dean Howells

Small: What the American public wants in the theater is a tragedy with a happy ending
"What the American public wants in the theater is a tragedy with a happy ending"
Small: Wisdom and goodness are twin-born, one heart must hold both sisters, never seen apart
"Wisdom and goodness are twin-born, one heart must hold both sisters, never seen apart"
Small: Is it worth while to observe that there are no Venetian blinds in Venice?
"Is it worth while to observe that there are no Venetian blinds in Venice?"
Small: Inequality is as dear to the American heart as liberty itself
"Inequality is as dear to the American heart as liberty itself"
Small: The conqueror is regarded with awe the wise man commands our respect but it is only the benevolent man
"The conqueror is regarded with awe; the wise man commands our respect; but it is only the benevolent man that wins our affection"
Small: It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom
"It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom"
Small: A man never sees all that his mother has been to him until its too late to let her know that he sees it
"A man never sees all that his mother has been to him until it's too late to let her know that he sees it"
Small: If we like a mans dream, we call him a reformer if we dont like his dream, we call him a crank
"If we like a man's dream, we call him a reformer; if we don't like his dream, we call him a crank"
Small: Some people can stay longer in an hour than others can in a week
"Some people can stay longer in an hour than others can in a week"
Small: Youll find as you grow older that you werent born such a great while ago after all. The time shortens u
"You'll find as you grow older that you weren't born such a great while ago after all. The time shortens up"
Small: The secret of the man who is universally interesting is that he is universally interested
"The secret of the man who is universally interesting is that he is universally interested"
Small: The mortality of all inanimate things is terrible to me, but that of books most of all
"The mortality of all inanimate things is terrible to me, but that of books most of all"
Small: The book which you read from a sense of duty, or because for any reason you must, does not commonly mak
"The book which you read from a sense of duty, or because for any reason you must, does not commonly make friends with you"
Small: The action is best that secures the greatest happiness for the greatest number
"The action is best that secures the greatest happiness for the greatest number"
Small: In Europe life is histrionic and dramatized, and in America, except when it is trying to be European, i
"In Europe life is histrionic and dramatized, and in America, except when it is trying to be European, it is direct and sincere"
Small: Primitive societies without religion have never been found
"Primitive societies without religion have never been found"
Small: He who sleeps in continual noise is wakened by silence
"He who sleeps in continual noise is wakened by silence"
Small: We are creatures of the moment we live from one little space to another, and only one interest at a tim
"We are creatures of the moment; we live from one little space to another, and only one interest at a time fills these"
Small: There will presently be no room in the world for things it will be filled up with the advertisements of
"There will presently be no room in the world for things; it will be filled up with the advertisements of things"
Small: How is it the great pieces of good luck fall to us?
"How is it the great pieces of good luck fall to us?"
Small: Tomorrow I shall be sixty-nine, but I do not seem to care. I did not start the affair, and I have not b
"Tomorrow I shall be sixty-nine, but I do not seem to care. I did not start the affair, and I have not been consulted about it at any step"