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Classic Authors: Sinclair Lewis

© Susan Jensen

Tall and awkward, the red-headed Sinclair Lewis became one of the greatest satirists in American literature. Through his novels and short stories, he scoffed at small town values, religious hypocrisy and ignorance in general. Although his early and late works received little attention, the novels he produced in the middle of his literary life earned him high praise and distinguishment as a master writer. Since their publication in the 1920s, these books have become classics, ensuring Lewis a place among great American authors.

Harry Sinclair Lewis was born on February 7, 1885, in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. He became the third son of Dr. Edwin J. Lewis and Emma Kermott Lewis, both former schoolteachers. Emma passed away when Sinclair was only 6. Edwin married Isabel Warner in 1892, and Sinclair grew up knowing her as his mother. He spent more time with Isabel than he did with his father, but he did enjoy accompanying Edwin on house calls.

Although Sinclair loved to read, he did not prove to be a very apt pupil, at least not in his early school years. During his elementary and junior high school years, he consistently failed classes in music, drawing and penmanship. He created a discipline problem in the classroom, and got kicked out of school numerous times. He also had trouble making friends, probably due in part to his hot temper. When he was 11 or 12, he started the Robin Hood Club and appointed himself president. It didn’t take long for the other members to oust him because of his short fuse. His awkwardness continued into high school, but it was at this time that he discovered his skill for writing. Although he remained unruly, he was elected to be the president of Delphian, his school’s literary society. At this same time, Sinclair began keeping a journal and submitting his poetry to commercial publications like Harper’s, Outlook and Youth’s Companion. Not only did he continue to read voraciously, but he also worked at odd jobs to earn money to expand his personal library.

Even at an early age, Sinclair Lewis tired of life in a small town. He longed for adventure. In 1898, he ran away from home to enlist as a drummer boy in the Spanish-American War. His father caught him at the railway station and carried him home. The escapade earned him the nickname “Doodle” after Yankee Doodle. This desire to break free never left Sinclair; he would spend the rest of his life traveling and seeking new, exciting experiences.

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