Heywood Broun

Heywood Broun was an American journalist, sportswriter, and columnist who worked for various newspapers including the New York Tribune, New York World, and New York Herald-Tribune. He was known for his witty and insightful writing style, which often focused on sports, politics, and social issues. Broun's work was widely read and respected by his contemporaries, including Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and Alexander Woollcott. He was also a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of writers and intellectuals who regularly met at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City to discuss literature, theater, and current events.

● Early Life and Education

Heywood Broun was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a family of journalists and writers. His father, Matthew Broun, was a reporter for the New York Herald, and his mother, Elizabeth Heywood Broun, was a poet and essayist. Broun's early life was marked by a love of reading and writing, and he was particularly influenced by the works of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare. He attended Columbia University, where he studied literature and philosophy under the tutelage of John Erskine and Irving Babbitt. During his time at Columbia University, Broun was also a member of the Columbia Daily Spectator, the university's student newspaper, and developed his skills as a journalist and writer.

● Career

Broun's career as a journalist and sportswriter spanned several decades and included stints at various newspapers and magazines. He began his career as a reporter for the New York Tribune, where he covered sports and politics. He later worked as a columnist for the New York World and the New York Herald-Tribune, writing about a wide range of topics, including baseball, boxing, and theater. Broun's writing was known for its wit and insight, and he was particularly admired for his coverage of sports, which included the World Series and the Olympic Games. He was also a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and voted for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

● Personal Life

Broun's personal life was marked by a love of literature, theater, and sports. He was a close friend of many notable writers and intellectuals, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Theodore Dreiser. Broun was also a member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of writers and intellectuals who regularly met at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City to discuss literature, theater, and current events. He was married to Ruth Hale, a feminist and journalist, and the couple had one son, Heywood Hale Broun. Broun was also a strong supporter of labor unions and social justice, and he was a member of the American Newspaper Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

● Writing Style and Legacy

Broun's writing style was known for its wit, insight, and clarity. He was a master of the column, and his writing often focused on sports, politics, and social issues. Broun's legacy as a journalist and writer is still celebrated today, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest sportswriters of all time. He was a pioneer of the new journalism movement, which emphasized the importance of narrative and storytelling in journalism. Broun's work has been widely anthologized, and he is often cited as an influence by other writers, including Red Smith, Jimmy Breslin, and Gay Talese. He was also a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and the George Polk Award.

● Later Life and Death

Broun's later life was marked by a decline in his health and a decrease in his writing output. He suffered from arthritis and heart disease, and he was forced to curtail his writing activities. Despite his poor health, Broun continued to write and publish until his death in 1939. He died on December 18, 1939, at the age of 51, and was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York City. Broun's death was widely mourned by his friends and colleagues, including Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and Alexander Woollcott. He is still remembered today as a pioneering journalist and writer who made significant contributions to the field of sports journalism and literary criticism. Category:American journalists