author
Richard Grant White
1821–1885
A lively 19th-century critic and essayist, he became especially known for his Shakespeare scholarship and his sharp opinions on language, music, and public life. His work helped shape literary discussion in New York and beyond.
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About the author
Born in New York City in 1822, Richard Grant White studied at the University of the City of New York, then pursued medicine and law before being admitted to the bar in 1845. He is best remembered not as a practicing lawyer, though, but as a writer and critic whose interests ranged widely across literature, music, language, and social commentary.
White built his reputation through journalism and criticism, contributing musical reviews and later working with New York newspapers. He became one of the best-known American Shakespeare scholars of his time, editing Shakespeare's works and writing studies that brought both scholarship and strong personal judgment to the subject. Alongside that, he published essays and books on English usage that showed his lasting interest in how language was written, spoken, and argued over.
He died in New York City in 1885. Today he remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy energetic 19th-century criticism: serious about literature, unafraid of debate, and engaged with the cultural life of his era.