Malcolm Cowley

Date of Birth: August 24, 1898

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: March 27, 1989

Biography

Malcolm Cowley was an influential American literary critic, novelist, poet, and editor. Born in Belsano, Pennsylvania, Cowley was a prominent figure in 20th-century American literature. He attended Harvard University, where he became deeply involved with the literary scene and was an editor for The Harvard Advocate. Cowley is best known for his work as a literary critic, particularly his support and promotion of the works of American authors such as William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway. Cowley’s career spanned several decades, during which he worked as an editor for the New Republic magazine, a literary consultant for Viking Press, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His seminal work, “Exile’s Return,” published in 1934, chronicled the lives and struggles of the Lost Generation writers who emerged in the aftermath of World War I. Cowley continued to write and edit throughout his life, producing several noteworthy volumes of criticism and memoirs, including “The Dream of the Golden Mountains” and “And I Worked at the Writer’s Trade.”

5 Interesting Facts about Malcolm Cowley

1. Malcolm Cowley was awarded the National Book Award for Biography and Autobiography in 1981 for his book “And I Worked at the Writer’s Trade.”

2. He played a crucial role in reviving interest in William Faulkner’s work during the 1940s, helping to secure Faulkner’s place in the American literary canon.

3. Cowley served in France during World War I as part of the American Field Service, an experience that profoundly influenced his later writings.

4. His book “Exile’s Return” is considered one of the most important accounts of the Lost Generation, capturing the essence of the post-World War I literary scene.

5. Cowley was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received numerous honors throughout his career for his contributions to American literature.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Malcolm Cowley

1. “Writers are part of the community, and they must be responsible to it.”

2. “The writer’s only responsibility is to his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one.”

3. “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

4. “A man must now swallow more beliefs than he can digest.”

5. “Literature has always been a means of both preserving and challenging the status quo.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Malcolm Cowley’s net worth is not well-documented, but his contributions to American literature and his influential role as a literary critic suggest that his intellectual and cultural capital were substantial.