John William De Forest

Biography

John William De Forest served in the Civil War before returning to civilian life with a sharpened sense of narrative and a determination to reflect his nation's complexities in print. He wrote novels, essays, and criticism, including the novel 'Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty,' which blended personal drama with the harsh realities of conflict.

As an early advocate for American literary realism, he argued that writers should depict characters and situations with honesty rather than romantic idealization, and his work inspired colleagues and readers to take seriously the stories unfolding around them.