Sherwood Anderson

Sherwood Anderson wrote short stories in a very realistic tradition, often focussing on the poor and helpless. He was born in Ohio, USA, in 1876. His childhood was a very hard one because his father’s business went broke, forcing him to do many different and boring jobs. As an adult, he worked as a manual labourer until he joined the US Army. Afterwards, he entered university and later married a rich woman. He also managed his own very successful paint company. However, in 1912, he had a nervous breakdown and disappeared for a few days. He was later found walking in a field. He left his job and family, became an artist and led a very different life. Although Anderson became very well-known in the U.S. for his short stories, he never saw himself as successful, because his novels were not popular. He died in 1941 from swallowing a toothpick.