Henry James

Henry James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843. His father, Henry James Sr., was a wealthy intellectual who wrote about philosophy and theology. His elder brother William was a philosopher and became one of the founding fathers of American psychology. The James’ family traveled extensively throughout Europe, which exposed Henry to numerous cultural experiences and provided fodder for his future work. He attended Harvard for legal studies, but abandoned the law to pursue writing instead. James contributed stories to publications such as the still-thriving Atlantic Monthly in Boston, made a failed attempt as a playwright, wrote travel essays, literary criticisms, short stories, and a lengthy list of novels such as The Turn of the Screw, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Aspern Papers. James became an expatriate who lived in England and eventually became a British citizen near the end of his life. On February 28, 1916, James suffered a stroke and later died in Rye, England. He was 73.