Emory Holloway facts for kids

Rufus Emory Holloway (born March 16, 1885, in Marshall, Missouri – died July 30, 1977, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) was an American teacher and expert on literature. He is best known for his books and studies about the famous poet Walt Whitman. His book Whitman: An Interpretation in Narrative (published in 1926) was the first biography about a writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1927.

Who Was Rufus Emory Holloway?

Rufus Emory Holloway was an important literary scholar and educator. He spent much of his life studying and writing about the American poet Walt Whitman. His work helped many people understand Whitman's poems and life better.

Early Life and Education

Rufus Holloway started his education at Hendrix College, where he earned his first degree in 1906. Later, he received his master's degree from the University of Texas in 1912. He even taught there for a year.

While studying more at Columbia University in 1913-1914, a professor named John Erskine encouraged his interest in Walt Whitman. This led Holloway to write an essay about Whitman for a major literary history book.

A Passion for Walt Whitman

Holloway began teaching at Adelphi College in 1914. He became a full professor of English in 1919. During World War I, he served in France with the American Expeditionary Force. He also taught at a special university for soldiers.

His deep study of Walt Whitman began to show in his work. In 1921, he published a two-volume set called The Uncollected Poetry and Prose of Walt Whitman. This project took him seven years. It brought together many of Whitman's writings that had not been collected before. This work made Holloway famous and helped people understand Whitman's thoughts and creative process much more clearly.

Winning the Pulitzer Prize

In 1926, Holloway published Whitman: An Interpretation in Narrative. This book was special because it used a storytelling style, almost like a movie, to tell Whitman's life story. This made it very popular with readers.

Holloway explained that his goal was to "present an interpretation through a method primarily narrative." This means he wanted to explain Whitman's life by telling it like a story, using many of Whitman's own words and ideas. The book was so well-received that it won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1927. This was a huge honor!

Later Works and Legacy

Holloway left Adelphi College in 1937 to join the new Queens College. There, he became a professor of American literature and led the English department. He retired from teaching in 1954 but continued as a professor emeritus.

He wrote another book about Whitman in 1960 called Free and Lonesome Heart: The Secret of Walt Whitman. In this book, Holloway explored how Whitman, as a poet, often showed different sides of human nature. He believed that understanding Whitman meant seeing a "balance" in his work.

Holloway's last big work about Whitman was Portrait of a Poet: The Life of Walt Whitman. It was very long and was not published as a book. Instead, Holloway placed the manuscript in the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library in 1962. Rufus Emory Holloway passed away in 1977. His dedication to Walt Whitman helped future generations appreciate the poet's work.

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