Lewis Gaylord Clark (October 5, 1808 – November 3, 1873) was an American magazine

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...

and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

Biography

Clark was born in

Otisco, New York Otisco is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,541 at the 2010 census. Otisco is in the southwestern part of the county, situated at the northern edge of the Appalachian Highlands, where an escarpment declines t ...

in 1808.Miller, Perry. ''The Raven and the Whale: The War of Words and Wits in the Era of Poe and Melville''. New York: Harvest Book, 1956: 12. He had a twin brother, poet

Willis Gaylord Clark Willis Gaylord Clark. Willis Gaylord Clark (October 5, 1808 – June 12, 1841) was an American poet. He was born in Otisco, New York and the twin-brother of Lewis Gaylord Clark. Clark wrote a series of amusing articles called ''Ollapodiana'' for ...

Career

He succeeded

Charles Fenno Hoffman Charles Fenno Hoffman (February 7, 1806 – June 7, 1884) was an American author, poet and editor associated with the Knickerbocker Group in New York. Biography Hoffman was born in New York City on February 7, 1806. He was the son of New York ...

as editor and publisher of ''

The Knickerbocker ''The Knickerbocker'', or ''New-York Monthly Magazine'', was a literary magazine of New York City, founded by Charles Fenno Hoffman in 1833, and published until 1865. Its long-term editor and publisher was Lewis Gaylord Clark, whose "Editor's ...

'' magazine, a role he held for over 25 years (1834–1861). By 1840, it had become the most influential literary publication of the time in the United States, especially through the contributions from such writers as

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the ''New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poetry ...

, Nathaniel Parker Willis, and

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely trans ...

, and by Clark's own departments, the "Editors Table" and "Gossip with Readers and Correspondents". Pecuniary distress caused its discontinuance, and Clark removed to

Piermont, New York Piermont is a village incorporated in 1847 in Rockland County, New York, United States. Piermont is in the town of Orangetown, located north of the hamlet of Palisades, east of Sparkill, and south of Grand View-on-Hudson, on the west bank of th ...

, where he lived in a residence presented by former contributors to his magazine, who raised the necessary funds in part by publishing a volume of their contributions, under the title ''The Knickerbocker Gallery''. He published the ''Knickerbocker Sketch-Book'' (1850), including some of his own essays, and ''Knick-Knacks from an Editor's Table'' (1852). In retirement, after the magazine folded, Clark regularly contributed articles to the ''

Evening Post ''Evening Post'' or ''The Evening Post'' may refer to the following newspapers: United Kingdom * ''Evening Post'' (London) (1710–1732), then ''Berington's Evening Post'' (1732–1740) * ''London Evening Post'' (1727–1797) * ''W ...

'' and the ''

Home Journal ''Town & Country'', formerly the ''Home Journal'' and ''The National Press'', is a monthly American lifestyle magazine. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States. History Early history The magazine ...

''. During his career, Clark made an enemy of fellow editor and author

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

. The two traded insults in their respective magazines.Moss, Sidney P. "Poe and his Nemesis--Lewis Gaylord Clark" in ''American Literature'', Vol. 28, No. 1 (Mar., 1956), pp. 30-49

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Lewis Gaylord American magazine editors Writers from New York (state) 1808 births 1873 deaths People from Otisco, New York People from Piermont, New York 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American male writers Journalists from New York City Knickerbocker Group