James Whitcomb Riley

Born in Greenfield, Indiana, in 1849, James Whitcomb Riley became one of the most widely read American poets of his day. Before literary fame, he worked a string of jobs, including sign painting and traveling entertainment, experiences that helped shape the conversational voice and everyday characters that run through his poems.

Riley was especially known for writing in Hoosier dialect and for poems that appealed to both adults and children. During his lifetime he was often called the "Hoosier Poet" and the "Children's Poet," and pieces such as Little Orphant Annie helped make him a household name.

He died in 1916, but his reputation remained strong in Indiana and beyond. Readers still return to his work for its rhythm, humor, and affectionate picture of ordinary people and childhood memories.