Booth Tarkington

Newton Booth Tarkington was a highly successful American novelist and dramatist. He lived from July 29, 1869, to May 19, 1946. During the 1910s and 1920s, many believed he was the greatest living author in the United States. He is a rare figure in literary history. Tarkington is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once. He earned these prestigious awards for his novels *The Magnificent Ambersons* in 1919 and *Alice Adams* in 1922.

Tarkington's literary career was marked by immense commercial success. Between 1914 and 1928, seven of his novels reached the top ten best-seller lists. His book *Penrod* was a major hit, selling over 750,000 copies between 1895 and 1975. Another novel, *Seventeen*, became a massive success by selling approximately 1.7 million copies during that same period. Although written for adults, *Seventeen* was often treated as a children's book. He also wrote 25 plays, some of which were adapted into films. His works reached a wide audience through these different media.

His writing style focused heavily on Midwestern regionalism. He often set his stories in his home state of Indiana. Tarkington used satire to observe the American class system. Satire is a way of using humor to critique social habits or mistakes. He frequently explored themes of the *nouveau riche*, or people who recently gained wealth. He also wrote about upward social mobility, which is the movement of people between different social classes. Some critics compared his observational style to famous authors like Mark Twain and William Dean Howells.

Tarkington's early life provided a foundation for his many interests. He was born in Indianapolis to a family that had lost wealth during the Panic of 1873. He attended Shortridge High School and Phillips Exeter Academy before attending Purdue University. He later transferred to Princeton University, where he was known as "Tark." At Princeton, he was a leader in campus society. He was a founding member of the Triangle Club, a student dramatic group. He also established a tradition of producing student-written plays that lasted for many decades.

Beyond literature, Tarkington was involved in public service and personal challenges. He served one term as a Republican member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1902 to 1903. In his later years, he faced the difficult experience of losing his eyesight. He began losing his vision in the 1920s and suffered a complete loss of sight in 1930. Even so, he continued to work by dictating his words to his secretary, Elizabeth Trotter. He also helped edit historical novels for his neighbor, Kenneth Roberts. He lived much of his later life in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he enjoyed sailing his schooner, *Regina*.

Tarkington held a complex view of modern technology and progress. He was an outspoken critic of the rise of the automobile. He viewed the car as a "belching villain" that brought pollution to his beloved landscapes. He felt that the speed and smoke of cars were soul-killing effects on human nature. In his book *The World Does Move*, he expressed sadness over how towns were being destroyed by such changes. He preferred the older, more aesthetic names for vehicles, such as "phaetons" and "surreys." This perspective made him a sort of literary conservationist of the old ways.

After his death, Tarkington's reputation underwent a significant shift. While he was a superstar during his lifetime, he was often ignored by later academic scholars. In the late 20th century, some critics described him as a "middle-brow" novelist. Others argued that his lack of deep social criticism prevented his work from lasting. Some even called him a "hack," suggesting his work lacked real substance. However, his impact remains visible through his many awards and the enduring popularity of his stories in his own era.