Washington Irving: The Definitive Biography of America's First Bestselling AuthorBrian Jay Jones crafts a deft biography of the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip van Winkle”: quintessential New Yorker, presidential confidant, diplomat, lawyer, and fascinating charmer. The first American writer to make his pen his primary means of support, Washington Irving rocketed to fame at the age of twenty-six. In 1809 he published A History of New York under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, to great acclaim. The public’s appetite for all things Irving was insatiable; his name alone guaranteed sales. At the time, he was one of the most famous men in the world, a friend of Dickens, Hawthorne, and Longfellow, as well as Astor, van Buren, and Madison. But his sparkling public persona was only one side of this gentleman author. In brilliant, meticulous strokes, Brian Jay Jones renders Washington Irving in all his flawed splendor—someone who fretted about money and employment, suffered from writer’s block, and doggedly cultivated his reputation. Jones offers a very human portrait of the often contrasting public and private lives of this true American original. |
Contents
Salmagundi 18061808 | |
Hoax 18081810 | |
Adrift 18101815 | |
Desperation 18151817 | |
Determination 18171818 | |
Workaholic 18261829 | |
Frontiersman 18321834 | |
Sunnyside 18341842 | |
Minister 18421846 | |
Icon 18461859 | |
Acknowledgments | |
Notes | |
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Alhambra Allston American April Aspinwall Astor August Brevoort to Irving British brother Buren Burr business city Columbus critics days December dinner diplomatic early Ebenezer Irving edition Emphasis in original family February feel friend Geoffrey Crayon Gouverneur Kemble Granada Henry Brevoort Henry Van Wart Hoffman home Ibid Irving to Brevoort Irving to Ebenezer Irving to Paris Irving to Peter Irving to Storrow Irving to William Irving told Irving wrote Irving's James Renwick January John Howard Payne Journal July June Kemble Knickerbocker late later Leslie Letters Letters II literary Liverpool London Louis McLane Madrid manuscript March Martin Van Buren Matilda McLane minister money Murray's never Newstead Abbey November number October Oldstyle Paulding Payne Peter Irving political president publisher readers return Review Salmagundi Sarah Storrow September Sketch Book Spanish Sunnyside Tarrytown theater Thomas thought told Brevoort told Peter travel volume Wart Washington Irving William Irving Jr writing York young