author
Edward Sandford Martin
1856–1939
A witty American man of letters, he helped shape the tone of early magazine journalism and brought a dry, observant humor to essays about everyday life and society.
1 Audiobook
Reflections of a beginning husband
by Edward Sandford Martin
About the author
Born in 1856 and died in 1939, Edward Sandford Martin was an American journalist, editor, and essayist. He is best known as a founder and longtime editor of the original Life magazine, where his voice helped define a smart, humorous style that appealed to a wide readership.
Martin also wrote for major magazines including Harper's Weekly, Harper's Monthly, and Scribner's Magazine. Archival records from Harvard describe him as an essayist and poet as well as a founder and editor of Life, which fits the broad, literary range of his career.
His writing is remembered for its urbane wit and calm social observation rather than flashy drama. For listeners drawn to graceful nonfiction, light satire, and a distinctly late-19th- to early-20th-century American voice, his work offers both charm and a clear sense of the world he lived in.