What do you think?
Rate this book
Pamphlets on American Writers #27
Sinclair Lewis: University of Minnesota Pamphlets on American Writers 27
Sinclair Lewis - American Writers 27 was first published in 1963. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.
47 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
2 people want to read
About the author
Mark Schorer
119 books5 followersMark Schorer was an American writer, critic, and scholar born in Sauk City, Wisconsin.
Schorer earned an MA at Harvard and his Ph.D. in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1936. During his academic career, he held positions at Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of California, Berkeley, where he chaired the Department of English from 1960 to 1965. A leading critic of his time, he was best known for his work, Sinclair Lewis: An American Life. Schorer was also the author of many short stories, which appeared in magazines such as The New Yorker, Harpers, The Atlantic Monthly, and Esquire.
Among his honors were three Guggenheim Fellowships, a Fulbright professorship at the University of Pisa and a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. He also was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the most prestigious honor society for creative arts in the country.
Schorer was called as an expert witness during the 1957 obscenity trial over the Allen Ginsberg poem Howl, and testified in defense of the poem. This incident is dramatized in the film Howl (2010), in which Schorer is portrayed by Treat Williams.
In addition to his scholarly works, he also co-authored a series of science-fiction and horror stories with writer, publisher and childhood friend (both being natives of Sauk City, Wisconsin) August Derleth. These stories, originally published mainly in Weird Tales magazine during the 1920s and 1930s, were eventually anthologized in Colonel Markesan and Less Pleasant People (1966).
Schorer died from a blood infection following bladder surgery in Oakland, California at the age of 69.
Schorer earned an MA at Harvard and his Ph.D. in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1936. During his academic career, he held positions at Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of California, Berkeley, where he chaired the Department of English from 1960 to 1965. A leading critic of his time, he was best known for his work, Sinclair Lewis: An American Life. Schorer was also the author of many short stories, which appeared in magazines such as The New Yorker, Harpers, The Atlantic Monthly, and Esquire.
Among his honors were three Guggenheim Fellowships, a Fulbright professorship at the University of Pisa and a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. He also was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the most prestigious honor society for creative arts in the country.
Schorer was called as an expert witness during the 1957 obscenity trial over the Allen Ginsberg poem Howl, and testified in defense of the poem. This incident is dramatized in the film Howl (2010), in which Schorer is portrayed by Treat Williams.
In addition to his scholarly works, he also co-authored a series of science-fiction and horror stories with writer, publisher and childhood friend (both being natives of Sauk City, Wisconsin) August Derleth. These stories, originally published mainly in Weird Tales magazine during the 1920s and 1930s, were eventually anthologized in Colonel Markesan and Less Pleasant People (1966).
Schorer died from a blood infection following bladder surgery in Oakland, California at the age of 69.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 22, 2021
Sadly, these days not many people know who Sinclair Lewis was, although, with the 2016 victory of Donald Trump, “It Can’t Happen Here” became a best seller on Amazon.com. Within his satire and keen distaste of bloated personalities, I wonder what he would have made of our 45th president.
This pamphlet is an excellent resource for people unfamiliar with the author’s oeuvre. Schorer provides a succinct but complete survey of Lewis’ works, while at the same time contextualizing the cultural and political milieu that he operated in and railed against.
For me, I have always preferred Sinclair Lewis to Ernest Hemingway. His biting satire and criticism of American tendencies made me chuckle and reflect on how much more our country needs to do. Schorer concludes by writing, “He gave Americans their first shuddering glimpses into a frightening reality of which until he wrote they were unaware and of which he himself may also have been unaware.” What a wonderful testament to an American author who should receive much more credit for how he reimagined the American literary tradition.
This pamphlet is an excellent resource for people unfamiliar with the author’s oeuvre. Schorer provides a succinct but complete survey of Lewis’ works, while at the same time contextualizing the cultural and political milieu that he operated in and railed against.
For me, I have always preferred Sinclair Lewis to Ernest Hemingway. His biting satire and criticism of American tendencies made me chuckle and reflect on how much more our country needs to do. Schorer concludes by writing, “He gave Americans their first shuddering glimpses into a frightening reality of which until he wrote they were unaware and of which he himself may also have been unaware.” What a wonderful testament to an American author who should receive much more credit for how he reimagined the American literary tradition.
August 22, 2013
Informative and concise overview of Lewis' life and career. Schorer admits that Lewis wasn't a great artist, but also that he was essential to American literature.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews