William Hill Brown (November 1765 – September 2, 1793) was an American novelist, the author of what is usually considered the first American novel, The Power of Sympathy (1789),[1] and "Harriot, or the Domestic Reconciliation",[2] as well as the serial essay "The Reformer", published in Isaiah Thomas' Massachusetts Magazine.
The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown (1789), title page
Brown was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Gawen Brown and his third wife, Elizabeth Hill Adams. Gawen Brown was from Northumberland, England and was a clockmaker.[3] William was christened at the Hollis Street Church on December 1, 1765.
In 1789, William Brown published the novel The Power of Sympathy. Brown had an extensive knowledge of European literature, for example of Clarissa by Samuel Richardson,[4] but tries to lift the American literature from the British corpus by choice of an American setting. The book drew close comparison to a local scandal and was subsequently withdrawn from sale.[5] He contributed a number of essays to the Columbian Centinel.
Around October 1792, Brown himself withdrew to join his sister, Eliza Brown Hinchborne, at the Hinchborne plantation near Murfreesboro, North Carolina, and began to read law with William Richardson Davie at Halifax. Eliza died in January 1793. Not yet acclimated to the Eastern North Carolina climate, William Brown died of fever, probably malaria, the following August, at the age of twenty-seven.[6]
Works
Brown held the conviction that novels should aim at some high moral purpose.[4]
Harriot, or the Domestic Reconciliation (1789)
The Power of Sympathy (1789)
Selected Poems and Verse Fables 1784-1793 by William Hill Brown (posthumous)[7]
Davidson, Cathy N. "‘The Power of Sympathy’ Reconsidered: William Hill Brown as Literary Craftsman", Early American Literature, vol. 10, no. 1, 1975, pp. 14–29
References
^Brown, William Hill. The Power of Sympathy, (William S. Kable, ed.), Ohio State University Press, 1969, Intro, p. xiv
^Originally published in January 1789 in The Massachusetts Magazine. Carla Mulford (ed.) (2002): Early American Writing. Oxford University Press. New York. p. 1084ff.
^Ellis, Milton. "Brown, William Hill", DAB, Supplement One, pp. 125-26
^ abArner, Robert D. "Sentiment and Sensibility: The Role of Emotion and William Hill Brown's The Power of Sympathy." Studies in American Fiction, vol. 1 no. 2, 1973, p. 121-132. Project MUSE doi:10.1353/saf.1973.0002
^Parramore, Thomas C., "Brown, William Hill", Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, (William S. Powell, ed.) 1979. University of North Carolina Press
^Byers, John R. "A Letter of William Hill Brown's", American Literature, vol. 49, no. 4, 1978, pp. 606–611
^Brown, William Hill. Selected Poems and Verse Fables 1784-1793
william, hill, brown, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, janua. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources William Hill Brown news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message William Hill Brown November 1765 September 2 1793 was an American novelist the author of what is usually considered the first American novel The Power of Sympathy 1789 1 and Harriot or the Domestic Reconciliation 2 as well as the serial essay The Reformer published in Isaiah Thomas Massachusetts Magazine The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown 1789 title page Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 Further reading 4 References 5 External LinksLife EditBrown was born in Boston Massachusetts the son of Gawen Brown and his third wife Elizabeth Hill Adams Gawen Brown was from Northumberland England and was a clockmaker 3 William was christened at the Hollis Street Church on December 1 1765 In 1789 William Brown published the novel The Power of Sympathy Brown had an extensive knowledge of European literature for example of Clarissa by Samuel Richardson 4 but tries to lift the American literature from the British corpus by choice of an American setting The book drew close comparison to a local scandal and was subsequently withdrawn from sale 5 He contributed a number of essays to the Columbian Centinel Around October 1792 Brown himself withdrew to join his sister Eliza Brown Hinchborne at the Hinchborne plantation near Murfreesboro North Carolina and began to read law with William Richardson Davie at Halifax Eliza died in January 1793 Not yet acclimated to the Eastern North Carolina climate William Brown died of fever probably malaria the following August at the age of twenty seven 6 Works EditBrown held the conviction that novels should aim at some high moral purpose 4 Harriot or the Domestic Reconciliation 1789 The Power of Sympathy 1789 Selected Poems and Verse Fables 1784 1793 by William Hill Brown posthumous 7 Ira and Isabella 1807 8 Further reading EditDavidson Cathy N The Power of Sympathy Reconsidered William Hill Brown as Literary Craftsman Early American Literature vol 10 no 1 1975 pp 14 29References Edit Brown William Hill The Power of Sympathy William S Kable ed Ohio State University Press 1969 Intro p xiv Originally published in January 1789 in The Massachusetts Magazine Carla Mulford ed 2002 Early American Writing Oxford University Press New York p 1084ff Ellis Milton Brown William Hill DAB Supplement One pp 125 26 a b Arner Robert D Sentiment and Sensibility The Role of Emotion and William Hill Brown s The Power of Sympathy Studies in American Fiction vol 1 no 2 1973 p 121 132 Project MUSE doi 10 1353 saf 1973 0002 Parramore Thomas C Brown William Hill Dictionary of North Carolina Biography William S Powell ed 1979 University of North Carolina Press Byers John R A Letter of William Hill Brown s American Literature vol 49 no 4 1978 pp 606 611 Brown William Hill Selected Poems and Verse Fables 1784 1793 Kable p xxii sfn error no target CITEREFKable p xxii help External Links EditWorks by William Hill Brown at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Biography of Brown This American novelist article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Hill Brown amp oldid 1134901468, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
