Eleven Possible Cases

Edgar Fawcett

1847–1904

A prolific 19th-century American novelist and poet, he wrote sharp society fiction as well as a few imaginative tales that still surprise modern readers. His career moved between New York literary life and later years in Europe.

Franklin Fyles

1847–1911

A longtime New York drama critic who also wrote plays and stories, he moved easily between journalism and the stage. His career offers a lively glimpse of American theater at the turn of the twentieth century.

Anna Katharine Green

1846–1935

A pioneer of American detective fiction, she helped shape the mystery novel with intricate plots and a sharp sense of legal detail. Her stories arrived decades before the golden age of crime fiction and still feel like the groundwork for it.

Henry Harland

1861–1905

A cosmopolitan novelist and influential magazine editor, he moved between New York, Paris, and London and helped shape the literary mood of the 1890s. Best known for editing The Yellow Book, he also wrote fiction under the pen name Sidney Luska.

Ingersoll Lockwood

1841–1918

Best remembered for the imaginative Baron Trump adventures, this 19th-century American writer also moved through the worlds of law and diplomacy. His work blends playful fantasy with a sharp interest in politics, power, and public life.

Joaquin Miller

1837–1913

A colorful poet-adventurer of the American West, he turned frontier landscapes and larger-than-life stories into verse that won him fame as the "Poet of the Sierras." His work helped shape a romantic image of the West for readers in both the United States and Britain.

Kirk Munroe

1850–1930

An adventurous writer of books for young readers, he turned his own frontier travels, canoeing trips, and love of the outdoors into fast-moving stories. His work also helped capture an early vision of Florida and American outdoor life in the late 19th century.

Best known for writing practical books on public speaking, this late-19th-century educator brought classroom clarity to the art of speaking well. He also appeared in collaborative fiction, showing a range that went beyond rhetoric manuals.

Maurice Thompson

1844–1901

Best known for the historical novel Alice of Old Vincennes, this Indiana-born writer brought the American Midwest and South to life with a mix of storytelling, nature writing, and outdoor passion.

A. C. (Andrew Carpenter) Wheeler

1835–1903

A sharp-tongued 19th-century journalist and drama critic, he became widely known under the pen name "Nym Crinkle." His writing ranged from theater criticism and frontier reporting to books on history, nature, and home life.