Stephen Crane was one of the most influential American realist writers of the nineteenth century. He has been credited for being a novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. He was born November 1, 1871, in Newark, New Jersey, as Stephen Townley Crane. Stephen was the youngest brother of fourteen children ("Biography of Stephen Crane"). His inspiration for writing came from his family. His mother devoted her life to social concerns, while his father was a Methodist minister. Two of Crane's brothers were journalists, so Stephen Crane was destined to become a writer. His passion came from his parents and insights into his family life. He attended preparatory school at Claverack College, where he developed a better understanding of the Civil War. He attended Lafayette College and Syracuse University for less than two years. He dropped out of college to become a full-time writer. Her first work was Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. He used first-hand experiences of poverty in his novel. The realism of this novel shows its readers what a realistic writer he would later become ("Stephen Crane"). He wrote his most famous work, The Red Badge of Courage, in 1895, at the age of twenty-four. Much of his work was not recognized as acclaimed writing until The Red Badge of Courage. This novel earned him international fame. Thanks to realistic and vivid writing, he became famous for his emotional writings about fear, courage and pride. Even though he didn't use first-hand experiences like he did in his first novel, he used descriptive words to make it believable that he was there for first-hand experiences. Crane had never been to war, so he used combat on the football field for his descriptions. It was only later, after he published his novel that...... middle of paper ......ng, but if the reader can interpret what is said, he can create an image in his mind of what is said. it is portrayed through words. Works Cited "Biography of Stephen Crane." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television and Web. May 15, 2014. http://www.biography.com/people/stephen-crane-9260647#awesm=~oEm0FzRdGbps4s."Stephen Crane." Foundation for Poetry. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. May 15, 2014. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/stephen-crane.Crane, Stephen. The red badge of courage. New York, NY: Pocket of Books, 1895. Print.Crane, Stephen. A mystery of heroism. Elements of literature: 5th course - Pennsylvania Edition Essential elements of American literature. Holt Rinehart and Winston, 2004. 435-31. Print.Richardson, Mark Ed. Jay Parini. vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. p237-255. COPYRIGHT 2003 Charles Scribner's Children, COPYRIGHT 2009 Gale, Cengage Learning.