Sherwood Anderson Biography

Known today primarily because of his strong influence on American writers who followed him, Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941) is mostly remembered for his short stories and his popular novel Winesburg, Ohio. Anderson was born in Camden, Ohio, but lived much of his adult life in Chicago, which influenced his writing, both stylistically and thematically.

He began writing after recovering from a mental breakdown; he soon met and associated with writers like Carl Sandburg and Theodore Dreiser. Anderson published his first novel in 1916. His greatest writing success, however, came with the publication of his novel Winesburg, Ohio, in 1919, which depicts small-town life through several short stories about people who are lonely, isolated individuals.

Anderson's writings lost their popularity toward the end of his life, although he did have a strong influence on writers such as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. In the 1970s, a revival of interest in his works began.

Sherwood Anderson died in 1941 from internal bleeding.