Donald Grant Mitchell

Donald Grant Mitchell was an American essayist and novelist born in Norwich, Connecticut, on April 12, 1822. He graduated from Yale in 1841 and often wrote under the pen name Ik Marvel, a name closely tied to his gentle, personal style.

He became especially well known for Reveries of a Bachelor (1850), a sentimental and highly popular book that established his reputation. Sources also describe him as the author of Dream Life and Doctor Johns, and note that his writing often blended literary reflection with affection for rural life and domestic scenes.

Mitchell also spent time in public service, including a brief post as U.S. consul in Venice, before settling near New Haven, Connecticut. There he lived at his farm, Edgewood, and wrote extensively until his death on December 15, 1908.