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William Winter (author)

December 07, 2023

William Winter (July 15, 1836 – June 30, 1917) was an American dramatic critic and author.[1]

William Winter circa 1915

Biography edit

William Winter was born on July 15, 1836, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1857.

Winter wore many literary hats during his long, illustrious career: theater critic, biographer, poet, and essayist. He is known for his Romantic style poetry, and for his long career as an editor and writer for some of New York City's great papers.

Winter was a tour de force in the original Bohemian scene of Greenwich Village, going on to become one of the most influential men of letters of the last half of the 19th century and the pre-eminent drama critic and biographer of the times.[citation needed] Winter became the unofficial biographer of the Pfaff's Circle of Greenwich Village of which he was a part. The Pfaffians[further explanation needed] spawned the careers of such writers as Walt Whitman and Mark Twain.

By 1854 Winter had already published a collection of verse and worked as a reviewer for the Boston Transcript; he befriended Pfaffian Thomas Bailey Aldrich after reviewing a volume of his poetry. He relocated to New York in 1856. Winter became a regular at the center of Greenwich Village's Bohemian hotspot, Pfaff's, where artists, renegades, and radical thinkers of all kinds converged. This was where Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, Winslow Homer, Edwin Booth, Adah Isaacs Menken, Ada Clara, Horatio Alger Jr and an endless list of the Bohemian crowd came to mix with the journalists and radical political thinkers of the times. It was where one came to explore a new counter-culture in the Village, a salon of the Civil War era where the unconventional literati would gather-a place where no topic was off limits and all eccentricities were embraced.

Winter was at the heart of this influential circle known as The Pfaffians who gathered weekly at the Vault at Pfaff's Beer Hall on Broadway and Bleeker. The Pfaff Bohemians[who?] would lay the foundation for Winter's entire life and career as both a poet and a writer. He later described some of his life as a young Pfaffian, describing the extraordinary scene and the many great minds he encountered in his biography Old Friends (1909). He also wrote introductions and brief biographies for the editions of the collected works of Pfaff's regulars like Fitz James O'Brien, John Brougham, and George Arnold.

"The vault at Pfaffs where the drinkers and laughers meet to eat and drink and carouse." —Walt Whitman

At Pfaff's, Winter quickly was embraced due to his great wit and writing talents, becoming the right-hand man to Henry Clapp Jr's circle of Pfaffian's. Clapp soon made him assistant editor and literary critic to one of the first truly Bohemian publications in America, the literary and social commentary weekly, The Saturday Press, in print from 1858-1866. Here is where Walt Whitman and Mark Twain published their earliest works, and was the main publication of the Pfaffian Circle.

In 1860 Winter married Scottish poet and novelist Elizabeth Campbell, raising their five children in Staten Island, New York.

Winter went on to a stellar writing and editorial career at some of New York City's most influential papers, working as a dramatic and literary critic for the Albion and Harper's Weekly, as well as Horace Greeley's Tribune for more than 40 years. His piercing wit and brilliant writing made him the leading stage historian and theater critic of the 19th century (W. Eaton, "William Winter").

In the 1880s he began publishing biographies of thespians like the Jefferson family and Edwin Booth. Winter opposed the modernist theater of playwrights like Ibsen, and maintained that drama should be a moral force. His 1912 The Wallet of Time offers a fascinating retrospective look at the development of nineteenth-century theater; in the preface, he states that "[a] ruling purpose of my criticism has been... to oppose, denounce, and endeavor to defeat the policy which, in unscrupulous greed of gain, allows the Theatre to become an instrument to vitiate public taste and corrupt public morals" (xxiv). Winter's work on New York's theatrical scene details the careers, pursuits, and tastes of the major players and plays. He encouraged actors and writers to acknowledge the "use of a power manifestly greater in modern society than it ever was before in the history of civilization... and, if possible, to exert a beneficial influence on the mind of the rising generation, -- the generation that will support the Drama, determine its spirit, and shape its destiny" .

He died in New Brighton, Staten Island on June 30, 1917, after a bout of angina pectoris.[1] He was buried at Silver Mount Cemetery.

Archives edit

Winter left two significant archives of biographies and essays on stars like Edwin Booth and Sir Henry Irving, in addition to career papers documenting his work as a writer and critic. Part of his archive was purchased by theatre and film producer and collector Messmore Kendall, who donated his collection of William Winter's papers and books along with Harry Houdini's archive to the University of Texas at Austin, where it is now available for research at the Harry Ransom Center.[2]

His enormously prolific legacy is also preserved at the Folger Shakespeare Library's Robert Young Collection on William Winter.[3]

In 1886, in commemoration of the death of his son, he founded a library at Staten Island Academy in Stapleton, New York.[4]

Works edit

His writings include:

  • The Convent, and other Poems (Boston, 1854)
  • The Queen's Domain, and other Poems (1858)
  • My Witness: a Book of Verse (1871)
  • Sketch of the Life of Edwin Booth (1871)
  • Thistledown: a Book of Lyrics (1878)
  • The Trip to England (1879)
  • Poems: Complete Edition (1881)
  • The Jeffersons (1881)
  • English Rambles and other Fugitive Pieces (Boston, 1884)
  • Henry Irving (1885)
  • The Stage Life of Mary Anderson (1886)
  • Shakespeare's England (1888)
  • Brief Chronicles (1889)
  • Gray Days and Gold (1889)
  • Old Shrines and Ivy (1892)
  • Wanders, the Poems of William Winters (1892)
  • Shadows of the Stage (1892, 1893, and 1894)
  • The Life and art of Edwin Booth (1893)
  • The Life and Art of Joseph Jefferson (1894)
  • Brown Heath and Blue Bells (1896)
  • Ada Rehan (1898)
  • Other Days of the Stage (1908)
  • Old Friends (1909)
  • Poems (1909), definitive author's edition
  • Life and Art of Richard Mansfield (1910)
  • The Wallet of Time (1913)
  • a Life of Tyrone Power (1913)
  • Shakespeare on the Stage (two series, 1911–15)
  • Vagrant Memories (1915)

He has edited, with memoirs and notes:

  • The Poems of George Arnold (Boston, 1866)
  • Life, Stories, and Poems of John Brougham (1881)
  • The Poems and Stories of Fitz-James O'Brien (1881)

References edit

  1. ^ a b "William Winter, Noted Critic, Dies. Shakespearean Scholar and Poet Succumbs After Long Illness at Almost 81. Wrote Reviews 50 Years. His Books Included Lives of Famous Players. His Career Crowned with a Big Testimonial. Began Writing Verse at Ten. Friend of Distinguished Actors. Testimonial in His Honor". New York Times. July 1, 1917. Retrieved 2013-12-12. William Winter, dramatic critic, author, and Shakespearean scholar, died last night at his home in New Brighton, S.I., as the result of repeated attacks of angina pectoris. He would have been 81 years old on July 15. He was first stricken on Feb. 9, 1916, but he continued his literary work until June 4 of this year.
  2. ^ "William Winter: An Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Center". norman.hrc.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  3. ^ "Frosty but kindly". findingaids.folger.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  4. ^ Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1889). "Winter, William" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.

External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to William Winter.
 
Wikisource has original works by or about:
William Winter
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Winter (author).

December 07, 2023
william, winter, author, this, article, contains, wording, that, promotes, subject, subjective, manner, without, imparting, real, information, please, remove, replace, such, wording, instead, making, proclamations, about, subject, importance, facts, attributio. This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject s importance use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance March 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message William Winter July 15 1836 June 30 1917 was an American dramatic critic and author 1 William Winter circa 1915 Contents 1 Biography 2 Archives 3 Works 4 References 5 External linksBiography editWilliam Winter was born on July 15 1836 in Gloucester Massachusetts He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1857 Winter wore many literary hats during his long illustrious career theater critic biographer poet and essayist He is known for his Romantic style poetry and for his long career as an editor and writer for some of New York City s great papers Winter was a tour de force in the original Bohemian scene of Greenwich Village going on to become one of the most influential men of letters of the last half of the 19th century and the pre eminent drama critic and biographer of the times citation needed Winter became the unofficial biographer of the Pfaff s Circle of Greenwich Village of which he was a part The Pfaffians further explanation needed spawned the careers of such writers as Walt Whitman and Mark Twain By 1854 Winter had already published a collection of verse and worked as a reviewer for the Boston Transcript he befriended Pfaffian Thomas Bailey Aldrich after reviewing a volume of his poetry He relocated to New York in 1856 Winter became a regular at the center of Greenwich Village s Bohemian hotspot Pfaff s where artists renegades and radical thinkers of all kinds converged This was where Walt Whitman Mark Twain Winslow Homer Edwin Booth Adah Isaacs Menken Ada Clara Horatio Alger Jr and an endless list of the Bohemian crowd came to mix with the journalists and radical political thinkers of the times It was where one came to explore a new counter culture in the Village a salon of the Civil War era where the unconventional literati would gather a place where no topic was off limits and all eccentricities were embraced Winter was at the heart of this influential circle known as The Pfaffians who gathered weekly at the Vault at Pfaff s Beer Hall on Broadway and Bleeker The Pfaff Bohemians who would lay the foundation for Winter s entire life and career as both a poet and a writer He later described some of his life as a young Pfaffian describing the extraordinary scene and the many great minds he encountered in his biography Old Friends 1909 He also wrote introductions and brief biographies for the editions of the collected works of Pfaff s regulars like Fitz James O Brien John Brougham and George Arnold The vault at Pfaffs where the drinkers and laughers meet to eat and drink and carouse Walt WhitmanAt Pfaff s Winter quickly was embraced due to his great wit and writing talents becoming the right hand man to Henry Clapp Jr s circle of Pfaffian s Clapp soon made him assistant editor and literary critic to one of the first truly Bohemian publications in America the literary and social commentary weekly The Saturday Press in print from 1858 1866 Here is where Walt Whitman and Mark Twain published their earliest works and was the main publication of the Pfaffian Circle In 1860 Winter married Scottish poet and novelist Elizabeth Campbell raising their five children in Staten Island New York Winter went on to a stellar writing and editorial career at some of New York City s most influential papers working as a dramatic and literary critic for the Albion and Harper s Weekly as well as Horace Greeley s Tribune for more than 40 years His piercing wit and brilliant writing made him the leading stage historian and theater critic of the 19th century W Eaton William Winter In the 1880s he began publishing biographies of thespians like the Jefferson family and Edwin Booth Winter opposed the modernist theater of playwrights like Ibsen and maintained that drama should be a moral force His 1912 The Wallet of Time offers a fascinating retrospective look at the development of nineteenth century theater in the preface he states that a ruling purpose of my criticism has been to oppose denounce and endeavor to defeat the policy which in unscrupulous greed of gain allows the Theatre to become an instrument to vitiate public taste and corrupt public morals xxiv Winter s work on New York s theatrical scene details the careers pursuits and tastes of the major players and plays He encouraged actors and writers to acknowledge the use of a power manifestly greater in modern society than it ever was before in the history of civilization and if possible to exert a beneficial influence on the mind of the rising generation the generation that will support the Drama determine its spirit and shape its destiny He died in New Brighton Staten Island on June 30 1917 after a bout of angina pectoris 1 He was buried at Silver Mount Cemetery Archives editWinter left two significant archives of biographies and essays on stars like Edwin Booth and Sir Henry Irving in addition to career papers documenting his work as a writer and critic Part of his archive was purchased by theatre and film producer and collector Messmore Kendall who donated his collection of William Winter s papers and books along with Harry Houdini s archive to the University of Texas at Austin where it is now available for research at the Harry Ransom Center 2 His enormously prolific legacy is also preserved at the Folger Shakespeare Library s Robert Young Collection on William Winter 3 In 1886 in commemoration of the death of his son he founded a library at Staten Island Academy in Stapleton New York 4 Works editHis writings include The Convent and other Poems Boston 1854 The Queen s Domain and other Poems 1858 My Witness a Book of Verse 1871 Sketch of the Life of Edwin Booth 1871 Thistledown a Book of Lyrics 1878 The Trip to England 1879 Poems Complete Edition 1881 The Jeffersons 1881 English Rambles and other Fugitive Pieces Boston 1884 Henry Irving 1885 The Stage Life of Mary Anderson 1886 Shakespeare s England 1888 Brief Chronicles 1889 Gray Days and Gold 1889 Old Shrines and Ivy 1892 Wanders the Poems of William Winters 1892 Shadows of the Stage 1892 1893 and 1894 The Life and art of Edwin Booth 1893 The Life and Art of Joseph Jefferson 1894 Brown Heath and Blue Bells 1896 Ada Rehan 1898 Other Days of the Stage 1908 Old Friends 1909 Poems 1909 definitive author s edition Life and Art of Richard Mansfield 1910 The Wallet of Time 1913 a Life of Tyrone Power 1913 Shakespeare on the Stage two series 1911 15 Vagrant Memories 1915 He has edited with memoirs and notes The Poems of George Arnold Boston 1866 Life Stories and Poems of John Brougham 1881 The Poems and Stories of Fitz James O Brien 1881 References edit a b William Winter Noted Critic Dies Shakespearean Scholar and Poet Succumbs After Long Illness at Almost 81 Wrote Reviews 50 Years His Books Included Lives of Famous Players His Career Crowned with a Big Testimonial Began Writing Verse at Ten Friend of Distinguished Actors Testimonial in His Honor New York Times July 1 1917 Retrieved 2013 12 12 William Winter dramatic critic author and Shakespearean scholar died last night at his home in New Brighton S I as the result of repeated attacks of angina pectoris He would have been 81 years old on July 15 He was first stricken on Feb 9 1916 but he continued his literary work until June 4 of this year William Winter An Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Center norman hrc utexas edu Retrieved 2017 10 24 Frosty but kindly findingaids folger edu Retrieved 2017 10 24 Wilson J G Fiske J eds 1889 Winter William Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography New York D Appleton External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to William Winter nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about William Winter nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Winter author William Winter Papers at the Harry Ransom Center William Winter Library at the Harry Ransom Center Robert Young Collection on William Winter at the Folger Shakespeare Library Brief biography and two poems Works by William Winter at Project Gutenberg Works by or about William Winter at Internet Archive Works by William Winter at LibriVox public domain audiobooks nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Winter author amp oldid 1165648307, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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