Stories by American Authors (Volume 4)

H. C. (Henry Cuyler) Bunner

1855–1896

A sharp, witty voice in late 19th-century American letters, this poet, novelist, and editor helped shape the tone of New York literary life. Best known for his work at Puck and for fiction full of urban observation, he brought humor and polish to everything he wrote.

John William De Forest

1826–1906

A sharp observer of American life, he helped shape literary realism and wrote one of the Civil War’s most admired novels. He is also remembered for popularizing the idea of the “Great American Novel.”

Mary Hallock Foote

1847–1938

A sharp-eyed writer and illustrator, she brought the mining camps and rough new towns of the American West to life with unusual warmth and detail. Her fiction and drawings gave eastern readers a vivid, human picture of frontier life.

Nathaniel Parker Willis

1806–1867

A lively magazine writer, poet, and editor, he was one of the best-known literary figures in 19th-century America. His mix of society writing, travel sketches, and verse helped shape the popular reading culture of his day.