Henry Beston

Date of Birth: June 1, 1888

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: April 15, 1968

Biography

Henry Beston, born Henry Beston Sheahan, was an influential American writer and naturalist, best known for his book “The Outermost House,” which is considered a classic of American nature writing. Born on June 1, 1888, in Quincy, Massachusetts, Beston was the son of a physician and a schoolteacher. He attended Harvard University, where he earned both his undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in English. Beston began his career as a writer and editor for various publications, including “The Living Age” and “The Atlantic Monthly.” His experiences during World War I, where he served as an ambulance driver and press corps member, significantly influenced his writing and outlook on life. In the mid-1920s, Beston spent a year in solitude on the Great Beach of Cape Cod, which inspired “The Outermost House,” published in 1928. The book’s lyrical prose and deep appreciation for nature earned it critical acclaim, and it has since been recognized as a seminal work in the environmental movement. Beston married Elizabeth Coatsworth, an accomplished children’s book author, in 1929. The couple moved to a farm in Nobleboro, Maine, where they raised their two daughters and continued their literary pursuits. Beston continued to write throughout his life, producing several books and essays on nature and rural life. Henry Beston passed away on April 15, 1968, leaving behind a legacy as one of America’s most cherished nature writers.

5 Interesting Facts about Henry Beston

1. Henry Beston’s “The Outermost House” was named a National Literary Landmark by the American Library Association in 1964.

2. He served as an ambulance driver and war correspondent during World War I, which profoundly influenced his writing.

3. Beston’s year-long stay on Cape Cod’s Great Beach was initially intended to be only two weeks.

4. He was an early advocate for the creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

5. Beston’s wife, Elizabeth Coatsworth, won the Newbery Medal for her book “The Cat Who Went to Heaven.”

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Henry Beston

1. “The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.”

2. “Nature is part of our humanity, and without some awareness and experience of that divine mystery man ceases to be man.”

3. “The world today is sick to its thin blood for lack of elemental things, for fire before the hands, for water welling from the earth, for air, for the dear earth itself underfoot.”

4. “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals.”

5. “For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, Henry Beston’s net worth is estimated to have been modest, reflecting the typical earnings of a writer of his era. No specific figures are available, but his wealth primarily came from book sales and literary contributions.