Literary masters : Thomas Wolfe

Literary Masters is one series of the trio that makes up the Gale Study Guides to Great Literature (the others are Literary Masterpieces and Literary Topics). Each Literary Masters volume introduces a significant author and covers basic biographical information. Thomas Wolfe was born and raised in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He wanted to become a playwright but instead his writings became more autobiographical, with fictional characters, and he began to be known as someone who was defining the characteristics of the American writer. At the same time he also retained some ties to the "lost generation", that group of writers affected with disillusionment because of World War I and its aftermath.