Arlo Bates

Born in East Machias, Maine, in 1850, he grew into a versatile literary career that included work as a poet, novelist, critic, essayist, editor, and educator. He was educated at Bowdoin College and became closely associated with Boston’s literary world.

His best-known books include the novels The Pagans, The Philistines, and The Puritans, and he also wrote poetry and literary criticism. Beyond his own writing, he spent many years teaching English at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was known for encouraging students who hoped to write.

He died in 1918, leaving behind a body of work that reflects the tastes and debates of American literary life at the turn of the century. For listeners exploring older American authors, his career offers an interesting mix of storytelling, scholarship, and literary culture.