About the Book
Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 146. Chapters: Stephen Crane, Tom Rooney (politician), Aaron Sorkin, David Falk, Vanessa L. Williams, Dick Clark, Lou Reed, Peter Falk, Bob Costas, Al Davis, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Mitchell, J. Baird Callicott, Kathy Hochul, Harry Oakes, Sol LeWitt, Ina Garten, Joel Swerdlow, Steve Rothman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Robert Scheer, Michelangelo Signorile, Christine A. Varney, Julia Alvarez, Shirley Jackson, Michael Cole, Donald J Devine, John D. MacDonald, Steven Schwartz (vice-chancellor), Peter Weller, Howard Wyeth, Al-Waleed bin Talal, John C. McGinley, Pete Yorn, Matthew Tobin Anderson, Hassan Diab, Peter Hyams, Lisa Lampanelli, Henry Grethel, Frank Langella. Excerpt: Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 - June 5, 1900) was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation. The eighth surviving child of Methodist Protestant parents, Crane began writing at the age of four and had published several articles by the age of 16. Having little interest in university studies, he left school in 1891 and began work as a reporter and writer. Crane's first novel was the 1893 Bowery tale Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, which critics generally consider the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim for his 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, which he wrote without any battle experience. In 1896, Crane endured a highly publicized scandal after acting as witness for a suspected prostitute. Late that year he accepted an offer to cover the Spanish-American War as a war correspondent. As he waited in Jacksonville, Florida for passage to Cuba, he met Cora Taylor, the madam of a brothel, with whom he would have a lasting relationship. While en route to Cuba, Crane's ship sank off the coast of Florida, leaving him adrift for several days in a dinghy. His ordeal was later described in "The Open Boat." During the final years of his life, he covered conflicts in Greece and lived in England with Cora, where he befriended writers such as Joseph Conrad and H. G. Wells. Plagued by financial difficulties and ill health, Crane died of tuberculosis in a Black Forest sanatorium at the age of 28. At the time of his death, Crane had become an important figure in American literature. He was nearly forgotten, however, until two decades later when critics revived interest in his life and work. Stylistically, Crane's writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects,
