author
Robert Haven Schauffler
1879–1964
An American man of letters who moved easily between music, sport, and writing, he brought unusual range to everything from poetry to composer biographies. His books often blend warmth, learning, and a lively sense of culture in everyday life.
1 Audiobook
The Joyful Heart
by Robert Haven Schauffler
About the author
Born on April 8, 1879, in Brünn, Austria-Hungary (now Brno, Czech Republic), Robert Haven Schauffler was the son of American missionary parents and grew up in the United States. He studied at Princeton and later in Berlin, and built an unusually varied career as a writer, cellist, lecturer, and athlete.
Schauffler wrote poetry, essays, and biographies, and became especially known for books on major composers including Beethoven, Brahms, and Schumann. He also published a series of volumes celebrating American holidays, showing a talent for making culture feel both thoughtful and accessible.
Beyond literature, he was noted for his musical life and for athletic achievement, and he is also remembered as a war veteran. That mix of artistic, intellectual, and public experience helps give his writing its distinctive character: informed, energetic, and clearly shaped by a wide life.