Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1836, Thomas Bailey Aldrich became known as a poet, short-story writer, novelist, critic, and editor. Reference sources consistently note that his New Hampshire childhood fed directly into his writing, especially the beloved The Story of a Bad Boy.

He built a broad literary career in New York and Boston and later became especially influential through his editorship of The Atlantic Monthly. In that role, he was not only a writer of polished prose and verse but also an important literary gatekeeper with a strong feel for style and form.

Aldrich died in 1907 in Boston. He is still remembered for combining wit, elegance, and autobiographical warmth, and for helping shape the American short story during the late nineteenth century.