History Highlight: On this day (May 28) in 1902 Macmillan Press published The Virginian, the book many believe defined the genre of Western literature. Author Owen Wister, who once had aspirations of becoming a composer of classical music, was inspired to write the book after spending time on a ranch in Wyoming, during the late 1800s. The book became a best seller, with 1.5 million copies sold by 1938 (the same year Wister died of a cerebral hemorrhage). It went on to inspire the development of four movies and a Broadway play. Plus, as our Facebook friend Sara Dugan reminded us, it also inspired a U.S. television series which ran from 1962 to 1971. Thank you for the reminder, Sara! A first edition of The Virginian with a quotation from the novel, inscribed by Wister, sold for $4,000 through Christies in 2009. Learn more at HISTORY: bit.ly/AT_FBHH052814
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 16:20:00 +0000
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