Biography Van Wyck Brooks

members of independent voters committee of arts , sciences roosevelt visit fdr @ white house (october 1944). left: van wyck brooks, hannah dorner, jo davidson, jan kiepura, joseph cotten, dorothy gish, dr. harlow shapley

brooks graduated harvard university in 1908. student published first book, collection of poetry called verses 2 undergraduates, co-written friend john hall wheelock.

brooks best-known work series of studies entitled makers , finders: history of writer in america, 1800-1915 (1952), chronicled development of american literature during long 19th century. brooks embroidered elaborate biographical detail anecdotal prose. flowering of new england, 1815-1865 (1936) won second national book award non-fiction american book sellers association , 1937 pulitzer prize history. book included in life magazine s list of 100 outstanding books of 1924-1944.

brooks long-time resident of bridgewater, connecticut, built town library wing in name. although decade-long fund-raising effort abandoned in 1972, hermit in los angeles, charles e. piggott, no connection bridgewater surprised town leaving money library in will. $210,000 raised, library addition went in 1980.

among works, book ordeal of mark twain (1920) analyzes literary progression of samuel l. clemens , attributes shortcomings clemens mother , wife. in 1925 published translation french of 1920 biography of henry thoreau leon bazalgette, entitled henry thoreau, bachelor of nature.

in 1944, brooks on cover of time magazine.