American Writers is an 1824–25 work of literary criticism by American writer and critic John Neal (pictured). Published by Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, it is the first history of American literature and the first substantial work of criticism concerning US authors. Using no reference materials, Neal made incorrect assertions about many of the more than 120 authors covered. Scholars nevertheless praise the staying power of his opinions, many reflected by critics decades later. Neal also argued American literature relied too much on British precedent and had failed to develop its own voice. Neal wrote the series in London under the English pseudonym of "Carter Holmes", which convinced few. American Writers was well received in the UK but drew considerable ire in the US, particularly from William Lloyd Garrison. Neal was met with hostility and a fistfight on an 1827 visit to his hometown of Portland, Maine; he relocated there and remained until his death forty-nine years later.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Writers> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1932: Playing indoors at Chicago Stadium on a modified American football field, the Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first playoff game of the National Football League. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_NFL_Playoff_Game> 1958: The United States launched SCORE (rocket pictured), the world's first communications satellite. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCORE_%28satellite%29> 1963: Ghanaian and other African students organized a protest in Moscow's Red Square in response to the alleged murder of medical student Edmund Assare-Addo. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_Moscow_protest> 2017: An Amtrak Cascades passenger train derailed near DuPont, Washington, killing three people and injuring sixty-five others. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Washington_train_derailment> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: Mameluke: 1. (historical) A member of various military regimes in the Middle East established and run by freed white slave soldiers, mainly from the Eurasian steppe or the Caucasus; in particular, those who formed a ruling caste in Egypt from 1250 until 1812 and in Syria from 1260 until 1516. 2. (by extension) 3. (derogatory) One who supports someone or something blindly or slavishly; specifically, one who supports the Roman Catholic Church in this manner. 4. (obsolete) A slave (especially one who is a white European) in a Middle Eastern Muslim country. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Mameluke> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know I said I'd never think I wasn't better alone Can't change the weather, might not be forever But if it's forever, it's even better. --Billie Eilish <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Billie_Eilish> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
