Author · United States · 1783–1859
Washington Irving
Folklore, travel, and early American mood with gentle satire and shadow.
American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century.
His historical works include biographies of Oliver Goldsmith, Muhammad and George Washington, as well as several histories of 15th-century Spain that deal with subjects such as Alhambra, Christopher Columbus and the Moors.
American folklore, fresh in 2026
Irving catches the moment when local legend meets a new nation. Humor and shadow sit side by side, and travel sketches become a way to think about identity. In cycles of nostalgia and novelty he offers proportion and charm. Read him to hear early American mood and to enjoy folklore with craft.
