author
William Dean Howells
1837–1920
A leading voice of American realism, he brought sharp social observation and everyday life to the page. Best known for The Rise of Silas Lapham and his influential editorship of The Atlantic Monthly, he helped shape American literature in the late nineteenth century.
110 Audiobooks
Imaginary Interviews
by William Dean Howells
Evening Dress Farce
by William Dean Howells
My Year in a Log Cabin
by William Dean Howells
Widger's Quotations from the Project Gutenberg Editions of the Works of William Dean Howells
by William Dean Howells
The Garotters
by William Dean Howells
Staccato Notes of a Vanished Summer (from Literature and Life)
by William Dean Howells
The Elevator
by William Dean Howells
A Boy's Town
by William Dean Howells
The Standard Household-Effect Company (from Literature and Life)
by William Dean Howells
Years of My Youth
by William Dean Howells
About the author
Born on March 1, 1837, in Martinsville, Ohio, William Dean Howells began working in newspapers as a typesetter, reporter, and editor. His writing talent led to a diplomatic appointment as U.S. consul in Venice, where he drew on his experiences for Venetian Life.
After returning to the United States, Howells became editor of The Atlantic Monthly and later worked with The Nation and Harper’s Magazine. He championed literary realism and supported emerging writers, while producing novels, short stories, plays, poetry, criticism, and travel writing of his own.
His best-known works include The Rise of Silas Lapham, A Modern Instance, A Traveler from Altruria, and the enduring Christmas story “Christmas Every Day.” He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 11, 1920.