The purpose of this selective timeline of Dreiser’s life is to highlight key dates and events including milestones in his life and also including turning points or incidents that shed light on his development, professionally and as a writer, and the development of his views.

Seemingly less important accounts or reports (some of which proved to be inaccurate), the occasional passing mention or fleeting glimpse gleaned from a newspaper account, have been included to give verisimilitude to the chronology, and to show the expectations held by the pubic at a given time about Dreiser's output and productions of his works, and false starts Dreiser made.

A key emphasis has been placed on the publication history of Desirer’s works, both in the U.S. and in other countries, to show how far and wide Dreiser’s influence and reputation have permeated.

Also included in the chronology are seminal works of scholarship that seem to represent key junctures in Dreiser studies. The list of publications is not exhaustive; many excellent studies have been left out. They are included in the bibliography.

It is hoped that the chronology, besides listing facts, will give a feeling for the zigs and zags of Dreiser’s life, its ups and downs, and how events shaped the once callow reporter into a literary lion given more and more at the end of his life to pronouncements and less to actual literary output.

Proceed to Chronology >