About Winesburg, Ohio
Sherwood Anderson wrote a timeless classic of loosely connected tales set in 1919 in the fictional town of Winesburg, Ohio. The stories could be more accurately described as character studies, each one focusing on the background, history, relationships and mannerisms of one of Winesburg’s inhabitants. As a picture of the townspeople is built up, so is an understanding of the town itself. Each character has a peculiar trait or story, which is important to Anderson’s vision of small town American life. The stories are told through the voice of George Willard, the town reporter who appears in the stories either in an active role or as a narrator. He talks of the townspeople with a loving perspective, and a sorrow that they can never quite achieve their hopes and dreams. Anderson paints a vivid picture of the early 20th century and the people of that time period who trap themselves in sad, lonely and unfulfilled lives.

About Author Sherwood Anderson Sherwood Anderson was born in Camden, Ohio to a poor family and grew up in Clyde, Ohio—the town that inspired the setting for many of his stories. He attended Wittenburg Academy in Springfield, Ohio. After serving briefly in the army during the Spanish-American War, he pursued a career in advertising and business, and started a family. On November 28, 1912, following a period of marital and business problems and a psychological crisis, he walked out of his office as president of the Anderson Manufacturing Co. in Elyria, and abandoned his job and family in order to pursue his life-long dream of writing. His simple writing style, with which he portrayed important moments in the lives of his characters, influenced both Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.