author
Lewis Worthington Smith
1866–1947
Best known as a longtime English professor at Drake University, this early 20th-century writer published poetry, plays, and practical books on how to write. His work blends a teacher’s clarity with a real enthusiasm for storytelling and style.
1 Audiobook
The Writing of the Short Story
by Lewis Worthington Smith
About the author
Born in Malta, Illinois, in 1866, Lewis Worthington Smith became an American writer, poet, playwright, and educator whose career was closely tied to the teaching of English. He studied in the Midwest and went on to build a long academic life devoted to literature and composition.
Smith spent much of his professional life at Drake University, where he led the English department for more than three decades. Alongside his teaching, he wrote widely, producing poems, plays, and books on writing that were meant to help students and aspiring authors work more clearly and effectively.
He is especially remembered for practical literary guides such as The Writing of the Short Story and for the steady influence he had as a teacher. He died in 1947, leaving behind the kind of work that reflects both scholarship and a lasting love of language.