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AUTHORS: Stephen Crane |
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| Stephen Crane Stephen Crane was born the son of a Methodist Minister in 1871. Growing up, his education was anything but stellar. He spent some months at Lafayette College and some time at Syracuse University, but sports and cards seemed to carry more interest than his studies. He left for New York, determined to redeem himself from his college experience. Unfortunately, Crane fell on hard times when no publisher would publish his book. Barely supporting himself working as a free-lance journalist, he nearly gave up entirely on writing. Hamlin Garland encouraged him to continue his writing and Crane's second novel The Red Badge of Courage earned Crane instant success and recognition. The success of the book prompted Crane to want to live and experience the lives and events he wrote about in Red Badge. Crane seized the opportunity to travel abroad and had many hair-raising experiences. He nearly escaped murder in Mexico and traveled to Greece to observe the Greco-Turkish war. Despite the horrors he witnessed, Crane was relieved that his portrayal of war was accurate. Crane went on to observe the Spanish-American war with an almost careless attitude, often placing himself in precarious situations. Whether Crane was driven to reenact the events of his characters or just live dangerously is something to be speculated upon. Crane discreetly wrote of his exploits in several of his works. Crane's success became paramount in his later life as he moved into a huge manor house in England. His international reputation preceded him, and he spent his time with such acclaimed writers as Henry James and Joseph Conrad. Suddenly, at age twenty-eight, he became stricken with tuberculosis. He died the following year, at the tender age of twenty-nine. |