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Membership William Dean Howells at 75 (1912) Information

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About W. D. Howells About the Society Howells's Principal Works William Dean Howells The William Dean Howells Society is a non- One of the most influential literary figures of 1860 Poems of Two Friends (with John J. Piatt) profit scholarly organization dedicated to the nineteenth-century America, William Dean Lives and Speeches of study of the nineteenth-century editor, author, Howells (1837-1920) rose to prominence as edi- 1866 Venetian Life and critic W. D. Howells. tor of Monthly (1871-1881), becom- 1867 Italian Journeys ing one of the foremost propo- 1871 Suburban Sketches Founded by Jesse Crisler and a group of inter- nents of literary . 1872 Their Wedding Journey ested scholars at the ALA in 1997, the Society 1873 A Chance Acquaintance; Poems sponsors two panels at the annual American Lit- While writing the “Editor’s 1875 A Foregone Conclusion erature Association convention, which is held on Study” (1886-1892) and 1879 The Lady of the Aroostook in late May every year. “Editor’s Easy Chair” (1899- 1880 The Undiscovered Country 1881 Dr. Breen’s Practice 1909) for Harper’s New The Call for Papers for the Howells Society ses- 1882 Monthly Magazine and occa- sions appears on the web site and in The Howell- 1885 ; Tuscan Cities sional pieces for The North sian. The calls for papers are usually posted in American Review, Howells 1886 ; The Minister’s Charge; “Editor’s Study” (1886-1892) September; the deadlines for proposals are usu- championed the work of many ally in early January. realist writers, including , Mary 1888 April Hopes; Annie Kilburn E. Wilkins Freeman, , Sarah Orne 1890 ; The Shadow of a Jewett, Charles W. Chesnutt, , Paul Dream Membership Laurence Dunbar, , and Stephen 1891 ; Criticism and Fiction Crane. He was also responsible for promoting 1892 The Quality of Mercy Dues for the William Dean Howells Society are such European authors as Ibsen, Zola, Pérez 1893 The Coast of Bohemia; The World of Chance $10.00 per calendar year. As a member of the Galdós, Verga, and Tolstoy. 1894 William Dean Howells Society, you will receive 1895 My Literary Passions the following: Although he wrote over a hundred books in vari- 1896 The Landlord at Lion’s Head ous genres, including novels, poems, literary criti- 1899 Their Silver Wedding Journey · The Howellsian, which is pub- cism, plays, memoirs, and travel narratives, 1900 Literary Friends and Acquaintance lished twice a year. Howells is best known today for his realistic fic- 1901 A Pair of Patient Lovers; Heroines of Fiction 1902 The Kentons; Literature and Life; The Flight of tion, including A Modern Instance (1881), on the · Calls for papers and invitations to then-new topic of the social consequences of di- Pony Baker 1904 The Son of Royal Langbrith meetings and social events hosted vorce; The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885), his best- by the Society. known work and one of the first novels to study 1905 Miss Bellard’s Inspiration businessman; and A Hazard of New 1907 Through the Eye of the Needle Fortunes (1890), an exploration of cosmopolitan 1908 Fennel and Rue; Roman Holidays · A directory of Howells Society life in City. 1910 My ; Imaginary Interviews members. 1913 New Leaf Mills; Familiar Spanish Travels Howells was elected the first president of the 1916 The Daughter of the Storage; The Leatherwood Web site address: American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1908, God; Years of My Youth http://www.howellssociety.org/index.html. which instituted its Howells Medal for Fiction in 1925. He died of pneumonia on 11 May 1920.