Authors

American · 1783–1859

Washington Irving

Washington Irving was the first American author to achieve international literary celebrity, known for 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' — the two foundational American folk tales — published in The Sketch Book (1819-20). He spent seventeen years in Europe as a diplomat and writer, was a friend of Scott, Dickens, and Longfellow, and wrote biographies of Columbus and Washington. He was also a significant man of letters who mentored younger American writers.