Sherwood Anderson

Date of Birth: September 13, 1876

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: March 8, 1941

Biography

Sherwood Anderson was an influential American writer born on September 13, 1876, in Camden, Ohio. He is best known for his short story cycle “Winesburg, Ohio,” which is considered one of the seminal works of American literature. Anderson’s writing is characterized by its focus on the inner lives of small-town Americans and its pioneering use of stream-of-consciousness narrative techniques. Anderson’s early life was marked by economic hardship and instability, which significantly influenced his later work. After a brief stint in the military during the Spanish-American War, he worked in various jobs, including as a laborer and advertising writer. His first marriage to Cornelia Lane in 1904 ended in divorce, as did his subsequent marriages to Tennessee Claflin Mitchell and Elizabeth Prall. He finally found lasting companionship with his fourth wife, Eleanor Copenhaver. His breakthrough came with the publication of “Winesburg, Ohio” in 1919. The book’s success allowed Anderson to devote himself fully to writing, and he went on to publish several novels, short story collections, and autobiographical works. He also mentored younger writers, including William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway, helping to shape the next generation of American literature. Anderson passed away on March 8, 1941, while on a trip to South America. He died of peritonitis after accidentally swallowing a toothpick.

5 Interesting Facts about Sherwood Anderson

1. Anderson’s “Winesburg, Ohio” is considered a precursor to modernist literature, influencing writers like William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway.

2. He left his job as a successful advertising executive to focus on writing, a decision that was considered quite radical at the time.

3. Anderson was married four times and had three children: Robert, John, and Marion.

4. Despite his critical success, many of Anderson’s later works were not as commercially successful.

5. He was a mentor to several young writers and was known for his generosity in helping others in the literary community.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Sherwood Anderson

1. “The life of reality is confused, disorderly, almost always without apparent purpose, whereas the life of the imagination is sharply focused, moving toward a goal.”

2. “People keep on getting married. Evidently hope is eternal in the human breast.”

3. “I go about looking at horses and cattle. They are all more beautiful than anything I ever saw in art.”

4. “The whole object of education is, or should be, to develop a will to learn; but it is a sad fact that the majority of people lose this will at a very early age.”

5. “Writers need to develop an ego that is larger than anyone else’s and then find the humility to make that ego invisible.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Sherwood Anderson’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but his earnings primarily came from his writings and some successful business ventures. He was financially stable but not extravagantly wealthy.