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My Mark Twain
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First published January 28, 2013
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About the author
William Dean Howells
1,205 books101 followersWillam Dean Howells (1837-1920) was a novelist, short story writer, magazine editor, and mentor who wrote for various magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and Harper's Magazine.
In January 1866 James Fields offered him the assistant editor role at the Atlantic Monthly. Howells accepted after successfully negotiating for a higher salary, but was frustrated by Fields's close supervision. Howells was made editor in 1871, remaining in the position until 1881.
In 1869 he first met Mark Twain, which began a longtime friendship. Even more important for the development of his literary style — his advocacy of Realism — was his relationship with the journalist Jonathan Baxter Harrison, who during the 1870s wrote a series of articles for the Atlantic Monthly on the lives of ordinary Americans.
He wrote his first novel, Their Wedding Journey, in 1872, but his literary reputation took off with the realist novel A Modern Instance, published in 1882, which described the decay of a marriage. His 1885 novel The Rise of Silas Lapham is perhaps his best known, describing the rise and fall of an American entrepreneur of the paint business. His social views were also strongly represented in the novels Annie Kilburn (1888), A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890), and An Imperative Duty (1892). He was particularly outraged by the trials resulting from the Haymarket Riot.
His poems were collected during 1873 and 1886, and a volume under the title Stops of Various Quills was published during 1895. He was the initiator of the school of American realists who derived, through the Russians, from Balzac and had little sympathy with any other type of fiction, although he frequently encouraged new writers in whom he discovered new ideas.
Howells also wrote plays, criticism, and essays about contemporary literary figures such as Henrik Ibsen, Émile Zola, Giovanni Verga, Benito Pérez Galdós, and, especially, Leo Tolstoy, which helped establish their reputations in the United States. He also wrote critically in support of American writers Hamlin Garland, Stephen Crane, Emily Dickinson, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Sarah Orne Jewett, Charles W. Chesnutt, Abraham Cahan, Madison Cawein,and Frank Norris. It is perhaps in this role that he had his greatest influence. In his "Editor's Study" column at the Atlantic Monthly and, later, at Harper's, he formulated and disseminated his theories of "realism" in literature.
In 1904 he was one of the first seven people chosen for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, of which he became president.
Howells died in Manhattan on May 11, 1920. He was buried in Cambridge Cemetery in Massachusetts.
Noting the "documentary" and truthful value of Howells' work, Henry James wrote: "Stroke by stroke and book by book your work was to become, for this exquisite notation of our whole democratic light and shade and give and take, in the highest degree documentary."
In January 1866 James Fields offered him the assistant editor role at the Atlantic Monthly. Howells accepted after successfully negotiating for a higher salary, but was frustrated by Fields's close supervision. Howells was made editor in 1871, remaining in the position until 1881.
In 1869 he first met Mark Twain, which began a longtime friendship. Even more important for the development of his literary style — his advocacy of Realism — was his relationship with the journalist Jonathan Baxter Harrison, who during the 1870s wrote a series of articles for the Atlantic Monthly on the lives of ordinary Americans.
He wrote his first novel, Their Wedding Journey, in 1872, but his literary reputation took off with the realist novel A Modern Instance, published in 1882, which described the decay of a marriage. His 1885 novel The Rise of Silas Lapham is perhaps his best known, describing the rise and fall of an American entrepreneur of the paint business. His social views were also strongly represented in the novels Annie Kilburn (1888), A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890), and An Imperative Duty (1892). He was particularly outraged by the trials resulting from the Haymarket Riot.
His poems were collected during 1873 and 1886, and a volume under the title Stops of Various Quills was published during 1895. He was the initiator of the school of American realists who derived, through the Russians, from Balzac and had little sympathy with any other type of fiction, although he frequently encouraged new writers in whom he discovered new ideas.
Howells also wrote plays, criticism, and essays about contemporary literary figures such as Henrik Ibsen, Émile Zola, Giovanni Verga, Benito Pérez Galdós, and, especially, Leo Tolstoy, which helped establish their reputations in the United States. He also wrote critically in support of American writers Hamlin Garland, Stephen Crane, Emily Dickinson, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Sarah Orne Jewett, Charles W. Chesnutt, Abraham Cahan, Madison Cawein,and Frank Norris. It is perhaps in this role that he had his greatest influence. In his "Editor's Study" column at the Atlantic Monthly and, later, at Harper's, he formulated and disseminated his theories of "realism" in literature.
In 1904 he was one of the first seven people chosen for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, of which he became president.
Howells died in Manhattan on May 11, 1920. He was buried in Cambridge Cemetery in Massachusetts.
Noting the "documentary" and truthful value of Howells' work, Henry James wrote: "Stroke by stroke and book by book your work was to become, for this exquisite notation of our whole democratic light and shade and give and take, in the highest degree documentary."
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2013
“He was Lincoln to American literature”, the last words of this narrative are probably the best way to sum it up. William Howells was a friend of Samuel Clements for forty-four years and spent many memorable hours with this icon of late 19th Century American literature. This account isn't filled with reviews of Clements’ work but rather a description of the man. I found it both interesting and informative as it enlightened me on many subjects Clements neglected to articulate on. His views on slavery, literature, religion and many sketches of home and family life are exposed in this highly readable account of a truly great man. Some of the scenes are very moving and I would highly recommend it to all lovers of Mark Twain.
June 12, 2015
William Dean Howells paints a glowing picture of Mark Twain. Having been one of Twain’s closest friends for decades, though, one might be forgiven for thinking that this picture may not be totally unbiased.
When Mark Twain started dictating his autobiography Howells asked him in a letter :
"You always rather bewildered me by your veracity, and I fancy you may tell the truth about yourself. But all of it ? The black truth which we all know of ourselves in our hearts, or only the whity-brown truth of the pericardium, or the nice, whitened truth of the shirtfront ? Even you won't tell the black heart's truth."
We don't know what kind of truth Howells gives us about Mark Twain. In view of the latter's own fierce truthfulness I don’t believe Howell would have insulted his friend’s memory by whitewashing any serious flaws, yet he may have left things unsaid about this extraordinary, larger-than-life personality.
Many of the facts and anecdotes are already known from Twain’s letters and I wish that Howell had given us more insights into Twain’s personal life; he might have touched on the deaths of Susy and Jean for example . I also would have appreciated him telling the reader more about Mark Twain’s last years.
When Mark Twain started dictating his autobiography Howells asked him in a letter :
"You always rather bewildered me by your veracity, and I fancy you may tell the truth about yourself. But all of it ? The black truth which we all know of ourselves in our hearts, or only the whity-brown truth of the pericardium, or the nice, whitened truth of the shirtfront ? Even you won't tell the black heart's truth."
We don't know what kind of truth Howells gives us about Mark Twain. In view of the latter's own fierce truthfulness I don’t believe Howell would have insulted his friend’s memory by whitewashing any serious flaws, yet he may have left things unsaid about this extraordinary, larger-than-life personality.
Many of the facts and anecdotes are already known from Twain’s letters and I wish that Howell had given us more insights into Twain’s personal life; he might have touched on the deaths of Susy and Jean for example . I also would have appreciated him telling the reader more about Mark Twain’s last years.
November 30, 2011
Fond recollections of Mark Twain by his friend W. D. Howells. Describes Twain as “the most desouthernized Southerner I ever knew.” Touches lightly on everything from his family life to career, political views, beliefs, etc.
Howells and Twain corresponded for years. Howells had about 1500 pages of Twain’s letters. Twain even asked Howells to read his manuscript of Tom Sawyer.
Interesting tidbit—Twain did not care for Jane Austen.
Howells dubs Twain “the Lincoln of our literature.”
Howells and Twain corresponded for years. Howells had about 1500 pages of Twain’s letters. Twain even asked Howells to read his manuscript of Tom Sawyer.
Interesting tidbit—Twain did not care for Jane Austen.
Howells dubs Twain “the Lincoln of our literature.”
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews