G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29 1874 - June 14 1936), English writer.
BornCampden Hill, Kensington, London, Chesterton was educated at St. Paul's,later wentArt Schoolbecome an illustrator. In 1900, Chesterton was askedwritefew magazine articles on art criticism, which sparked his interestwriting. He went onbecome one ofmost prolific writersall time. Chesterton's writings displayedwitsensehumor thatunusual even today, while often time making extremely serious comments onworld, government, politics, economics, philosophy, theology, orhundred other topics.
Chesterton wrote 100 books, several hundred poems, 200 short stories, 4000 essays andfew plays. He wascolumnist forDaily News, Illustrated London Newshis own paper, G.K's Weekly. InUnited States, his writings on distributism were popularized through The American Review, published by Seward CollinsNew York. He wasliterarysocial critic, historian, playwright, novelist, Catholic Christian theologian, debatermystery writer. His most well-known character ispriest-detective Father Brown, although The Man Who Was Thursday, arguably his most well-known novel, does not concern Father Brown at all.
Chesterton waslarge man, standing 6 feet 4 inchesweighingat around 300 pounds. Chesterton hadunique look, usually wearingcape andcrumpled hat, withswordstickhand,usuallycigar hanging outhis mouth. Chesterton rarely remembered where he was supposedbe goingwould even misstrain that was supposedtake him there. It was not uncommonChestertonphone his wife, Frances Blogg, whom he married1901, from some distant (and incorrect) locationask her where he was supposedbe going.
Chesterton loveddebate, often publicly debating friends like George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Bertrand Russell,Clarence Darrow. Chesterton was usually consideredwinner.
Chesterton's influence
- Chesterton's The Everlasting Man ledyoung atheist named C. S. LewisbecomeChristian.
- Chesterton's Orthodoxy has becomereligious classic.
- An essay that Chesterton wrote forIllustrated London News inspired Mohandas Gandhileadmovementend British colonial ruleIndia.
- Chesterton's novel The NapoleonNotting Hill inspired Michael CollinsleadmovementIrish Independence.
- Chesterton's writings have been praised by such authors as Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, Frederick Buechner, Evelyn Waugh, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Karel Capek, Marshall McLuhan, Paul Claudel, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Sigrid Undset, Ronald Knox, C. S. Lewis, Kingsley Amis, W. H. Auden, Anthony Burgess, E. F. Schumacher, Neil Gaiman, Orson Welles, Dorothy Dayothers.
- Chesterton's work has inspired lyricists like Daniel Amos's Terry Scott Taylor from1970s to2000s. Daniel Amos mentioned Chesterton by name intitle track from 2001's Mr. Buechner's Dream.
External links
- The American Chesterton Society
- An extensive collectione-text links
- G. K. Chesterton: notes on his novel The Man Who Was Thursday
- WikiQuotesG.K. Chesterton
