Sherwood Anderson

An item at American Writers Museum

Sherwood Anderson decided to pursue a career as a writer in his 30s, abandoning his family and paint company to start over in Chicago. American literature was never the same.

Anderson's masterwork Winesburg, Ohio (1919) was revolutionary. Anderson drew upon memories of growing up in a small Ohio town to write it, but peeled back the wholesome exterior to explore the frustration, isolation, and obsessions that turn his characters into "grotesques." Winesburg, Ohio also introduced a new form of narrative structure, eschewing traditional plot in favor of a short-story cycle of interconnected characters and events.

AMERICAN VOICES

An exhibit at American Writers Museum

American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nation. The 100 authors featured here represent the evolution of American writing. Learn more about each writer on the timeline by turning the panels below their portraits. Explore centuries of writing by pulling, turning, and touching the interactive elements on the counter.

This is not meant to be a list of the greatest or most influential writers. Instead, we present authors and works as part of the American story as it grows and changes. Taken together, this rich literary heritage reflects America in all of its complexity: its energy, hope, conflict, disillusionment, and creativity.

American Writers Museum