A 19th Century Writer

William Butler lived a storied life but he himself loved to tell stories. One of his most interesting but under-appreciated stories is the tale of a man who sails from England to America at the start of the Revolutionary War.

Authors like Butler struggled to find literary success at a time when books were still few in number. The frustrations of being a writer in the 19th century -- when one might be reduced to laboring as a clerk by day to support the writing habit -- are sometimes exposed in modern research.

A mythology has sprung up around the whimsical 19th century author who takes pen in hand and sets out a classic story that immediately becomes successful. What I find is that many of these writers had to wait years for success, and for too many success never came.

A few writers left behind manuscripts that were published after they died. If the books became successful the best we can say is that they were ahead of their times.

This Website is dedicated to William H. Butler and is intended solely for entertainment purposes. All of the information provided herein was found in the public domain and should not be subject to copyright.


MENU HOME ABOUT BOOK RESOURCES		A 19th Century Writer William Butler lived a storied life but he himself loved to tell stories. One of his most interesting but under-appreciated stories is the tale of a man who sails from England to America at the start of the Revolutionary War. Authors like Butler struggled to find literary success at a time when books were still few in number. The frustrations of being a writer in the 19th century -- when one might be reduced to laboring as a clerk by day to support the writing habit -- are sometimes exposed in modern research. A mythology has sprung up around the whimsical 19th century author who takes pen in hand and sets out a classic story that immediately becomes successful. What I find is that many of these writers had to wait years for success, and for too many success never came. A few writers left behind manuscripts that were published after they died. If the books became successful the best we can say is that they were ahead of their times. This Website is dedicated to William H. Butler and is intended solely for entertainment purposes. All of the information provided herein was found in the public domain and should not be subject to copyright.

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A 19th Century Writer