Sinclair Lewis

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Who was Sinclair Lewis? Many knew him as the author of the 1920`s novel Main Street. Sinclair Lewis was also a son, a husband, and a father. The personal life of Sinclair Lewis often paralleled in certain aspects to his novels. Literary critics have mixed emotions about his work. Some say his works is wonderful, while others say it is horrible. It is all just a matter of opinion. Either way, writing was Sinclair Lewis`s way of letting people into his life.

Emma Kermott, a natural born Canadian, gave birth to Harry Sinclair Lewis on February 7, 1885, in Sauk Centre, Minnesota (Kuntiz and Howard 821; Schorer 439; “ Lewis, (Harry) Sinclair” 314). No one knows where Lewis`s first name Harry came from, but Sinclair was the surname of a dentist from Wisconsin. The dentist was quite a good friend of Harry`s father, Dr. Emmet J. Lewis. Harry was also the youngest of three boys. When Harry was only five years old his mother Emma died (Schorer 439). Emma`s death left her husband, Dr. Lewis, raising three children by himself (Kuntiz 821). He was not left with this job for long. Dr. Lewis remarried within a year after Emma`s death. Even with a mother figure in his life, it is said that Harry`s childhood was quite loveless (Schorer 439).

After Lewis graduated from high school he attended Yale University where he graduated in 1907 (“ Lewis, (Harry) Sinclair” 314). As a freshman at Yale Lewis`s career as a writer began. Lewis was the only freshman to have a poem published in the Yale Literary Magazine. This famous poem was “Launcelot”(Schorer 439). For a short period of time after college, Lewis worked as a reporter (“ Lewis, (Harry) Sinclair” 314). From 1910 to 1915, Lewis worked in several different publishing houses....

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...is, (Harry) Sinclair.” The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Micropaedia. 15th ed.

2007. Print.

Hall, Sharon K. ed. Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol.4.

Detroit: Gale Research, 1981. Print.

Cross-reference:

Boynton, Percy H. “Sinclair Lewis.” Hall 247-248.

Coblentz, Stanton A. “ A Shelf of Recent Books.” Hall 246.

Geismar, Maxwell. “Sinclair Lewis.” Hall 253-255.

Kazin, Alfred. “ The New Realism.” Hall 250-251.

Krutch, Joseph Wood. “Sinclair Lewis.” Hall 255.

Mencken, H.L. “ Portrait of an American Citizen.” Hall 246-247.

Priestley, J.B. “Between the Wars.” Hall 255-256.

Whipple, T.K. “ Sinclair Lewis.” Hall 248-250.

Kuntiz, Stanley J. , and Howard Haycraft, eds. Twentieth Century Authors. New York:

Wilson, 1942. Print.

Schorer, Mark. “Sinclair Lewis.” American Writers. Ed. Leonard Unger. Vol.2.

New York: Scribner`s, 1974. Print.

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