The Great American Author

Determining the criteria of a great American author is a difficult and ambiguous process. There are many things that can be considered, argued and alluded to, but what it boils down to, in my opinion, is the story itself. An American writer can become great if he or she is a great writer, but just as easily can achieve this exalted status by sheer good fortune. Still, there are aspects of writing that set some authors apart from the rest, whether their work consists of fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose.

The most important characteristic of a great American author is the timelessness of his or her work – quality over quantity, if you will. William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain all wrote numerous novels during their well-documented careers, but had each only written The Sound and the Fury, A Farewell to Arms, and Huckleberry Fin, respectively, it is hard to imagine that they would not be recognized for the genius they possessed. A parallel illustration can be found in music. Some of the greatest songs ever recorded are what we call “one-hit wonders,” but that doesn't take away from that doesn't take away from the historical significance of that one hit. It is likely, though, that if someone does something great, he or she is doomed to repeat it – or at least try to – and that's why “great” authors are generally categorized by repeated success.

Like all others who make great achievements, the great American author is a forward thinker. A unique style can separate a story that is similar to others and give a story a unique value that is absent in others like it. Usually a story is great, and thus it's author, if it has a meaning that the majority can relate to. Great American authors have the ability to make the subject matter relevant to readers regardless of what the story is about. Most of the people that read the first chapter of Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man, likely had never stepped into a boxing ring, yet everyone understood what the narrator was going through. The best authors convey the message.

So what makes an American author great? It's an open ended question and one that really doesn't have a right or wrong answer. As is the case in any endeavor, a man or woman's greatness is determined by the impact that he or she has on society. And if an author makes an impact, a great impact, through his or her work, then I would argue that they fit the criteria.