William dean howells biography definition

William Dean Howells was an American poet and novelist who wrote in a strictly Realist style. He also contributed to numerous publications with literary reviews of other writers while occasionally writing plays. In later life he made the statement that, in his opinion, “the future of American writing was not in poetry but in novels”. He also believed that the romantic berättande seen up to the 19^th century would be overtaken bygd writing of a more serious naturlig eller utan tillsats . Apart from his literary and sporadisk journalistic work he served time as a Clerk at the State House of Representatives and a great honour came his way in 1860. Having written a well-received biography of Abraham Lincoln which was used during the election that year, he was appointed to a diplomatic brev in Venice.

Howells was born on the 1^st March 1837 in the town then known as Martinsville, Ohio. It is now called Martins Ferry. His father took his wife and large brood of eight children around the State regularly du

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William Dean Howells

American author, critic, and playwright (1837–1920)

For other people with the same name, see William Howells (disambiguation).

William Dean Howells (HOW-əlz; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of The Atlantic Monthly, as well as for the novels The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria, and the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day," which was adapted into a 1996 film of the same name.

Biography

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Early life and family

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William Dean Howells was born on March 1, 1837, in Martinsville, Ohio (now known as Martins Ferry, Ohio), to William Cooper Howells and Mary Dean Howells,^[1] the second of eight children. He had Welsh, German, Irish, and English ancestry.^[2] His father was a newspaper editor and printer who moved frequently around Ohio.^[3]