1. Washington Irving

2. Bio Born in New York in 1783 Preferred adventure and dramas to school
Sent to Tarrytown: Start of fascination with ghosts
New York Morning Chronicle- pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle
Salmagundi: Writes under several different names

3. Style & Theme Wrote a lot of Satire
A History of New York- Diedrich Knickerbocker
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
Huge success
He traveled a lot after the death of William and drew from German and Dutch folktales
Went to Spain and wrote about Columbus: A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus

4. Influence & Critics
First American Man of Letters and the first to earn his living solely by his pen
First to place his stories in the USA even as he borrowed from German and Dutch tradition
First to write in vernacular & without a didactic undertone- simply for entertainment
Critics: Said his writing lacked sophisticated theme
Proved he was just as talented as the English