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Booth Tarkington

BOOTH TARKINGTON was born at Indianapolis, July 29, 1869. Indiana had not then become so firmly convinced as she is now that the literary center of the United States lies within her borders, so that Booth sought his education at Exeter Academy and Princeton, with a dash of Purdue University in between, with a post-graduate course of a year in the Indiana Legislature. Showing the pride of all citizens of his state in their heritage, his first book was "The Gentleman from Indiana," in 1899, followed by "Monsieur Beaucaire," in 1900. The latter was dramatized in 1902, winning a high place on the stage under the skilful acting of Richard Mansfield, and setting the precedent for many of Tarkington's books, which have had the double audience of the printed page and the playhouse. Few writers have achieved greater success in the portrayal of boys than has Tarkington; a very large audience is ever on the alert for any and every appearance of Penrod and his friends. The novels of Booth Tarkington show an increasing power; they have been of frequent appearance; perhaps "The Turmoil," 1915, stands out as the one of the most perfect human understanding which he has yet written. He has humor, he has a light and winning touch, and he knows America and Americans as do few of the people who are writing about them. As a novel of American business life, "The Turmoil" holds first rank.