Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane (1871–1900) was an American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and war correspondent, best remembered for his 1895 Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage, an innovative work of American realism and impressionism. Considere the first modern psychological war novel, the book was written without any firsthand battle experience. Crane’s themes deal with ideals versus reality, spiritual and identity crises, and fear. His most famous short story, “The Open Boat,” is based on his own experience as a war correspondent and shipwreck survivor. Crane died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-eight.