thomas bailey aldrich

Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) was an American poet, novelist, short-story writer, critic, and editor, best known for his semi-autobiographical novel The Story of a Bad Boy (1870), which pioneered the 'bad boy's book' subgenre, and for his long editorship of The Atlantic Monthly from 1881 to 1890.[1][2] Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he moved to New York City at 16 to work as a clerk while pursuing writing, gaining early acclaim with poems like 'Ballad of Babie Bell' and later editing publications such as Every Saturday.[3][4] His works featured surprise endings in short stories and lyrical poetry capturing single moments.[1][2]