Novelist and Playwright. Born Newton Booth Tarkington in Indianapolis, Indiana, the second child of lawyer John S. Tarkington and Elizabeth Booth Tarkington. He attended Purdue University and then Princeton University but graduated from neither. Tarkington wrote about life in the American Midwest, beginning with ‘The Gentleman from Indiana' in 1899 and including two Pulitzer Prize winners, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons' in 1918 and ‘Alice Adams' in 1921. The latter was adapted as a play in 1945 while in 2001, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons' was named as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 1902, Tarkington ran for and won a seat as a Republican in the Indiana State House of Representatives; the position provided background for his book ‘In the Arena: Stories of Political Life'. His quintessential American boy was immortalized in the classic ‘Penrod' and its sequels. He dramatized several of his novels, and wrote ‘The World Does Move' a book of reminiscences in 1928. He illustrated his own works and other writers' books, including the 1933 reprint of ‘Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain. Two of his novels appeared on the annual best-seller lists nine times. He was one of the most popular American novelists of his era.

Novelist and Playwright. Born Newton Booth Tarkington in Indianapolis, Indiana, the second child of lawyer John S. Tarkington and Elizabeth Booth Tarkington. He attended Purdue University and then Princeton University but graduated from neither. Tarkington wrote about life in the American Midwest, beginning with ‘The Gentleman from Indiana' in 1899 and including two Pulitzer Prize winners, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons' in 1918 and ‘Alice Adams' in 1921. The latter was adapted as a play in 1945 while in 2001, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons' was named as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 1902, Tarkington ran for and won a seat as a Republican in the Indiana State House of Representatives; the position provided background for his book ‘In the Arena: Stories of Political Life'. His quintessential American boy was immortalized in the classic ‘Penrod' and its sequels. He dramatized several of his novels, and wrote ‘The World Does Move' a book of reminiscences in 1928. He illustrated his own works and other writers' books, including the 1933 reprint of ‘Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain. Two of his novels appeared on the annual best-seller lists nine times. He was one of the most popular American novelists of his era.

Bio by: Iola