William Chambers Morrow (July 7, 1854 – April 3, 1923) was an American writer, now noted mainly for his

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

of horror and suspense. He is probably best known for the much-anthologised story "His Unconquerable Enemy" (1889), about the implacable revenge of a servant whose limbs have been amputated on the orders of a cruel rajah.

Biography

W. C. Morrow was born in Selma, Alabama on July 7, 1854. His father was a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

minister and the owner of a farm and of a hotel in

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

. The

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

meant that the family lost its slaves and by 1876 the young Morrow was running the hotel, having graduated from Howard College (now Samford University) in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

at the age of fifteen. Morrow moved west to California in 1879 and began selling stories to ''

The Argonaut ''The Argonaut'' was a newspaper based in San Francisco, California from 1878 to 1956. It was founded by Frank Somers, and soon taken over by Frank M. Pixley, who built it into a highly regarded publication. Under Pixley's stewardship it was c ...

'', where

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book '' The Devil's Dictionary'' was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by ...

was just terminating a two-year period of employment. Bierce was an enthusiast of Morrow's stories (in one of his squibs, a nervous reader declares, "I have one of Will Morrow's tales in my pocket, but I don't dare to go where there is light enough to read it"), and in 1887 probably recommended

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...

to approach Morrow for material for the '' San Francisco Examiner''. Several of Morrow's most notable tales appeared in this newspaper. Morrow married Lydia E. Houghton in 1881. They had one child, which was either stillborn or died in infancy. His first novel, ''Blood-Money'' (1882), about the

Mussel Slough Tragedy The Mussel Slough Tragedy was a dispute over land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) that took place on May 11, 1880, on a farm located northwest of Hanford, California, in the central San Joaquin Valley, leaving seve ...

, was an indictment of the conduct of California railroad companies which were forcing settlers off their land. It gained little attention, and in fact Morrow took a position in the

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

department of the Southern Pacific Railroad some nine years later. A mystery/suspense novel, ''A Strange Confession'', was serialized in the ''Californian'' in 1880-81, but was never published in book form. His stories were collected in ''The Ape, the Idiot and Other People'' in 1897, but he published few stories thereafter. The book is now a much sought-after collectors' item. By 1899 Morrow had begun a school for writers, and in 1901 he produced a pamphlet, ''The Art of Writing for Publication''. Bierce commented that: Morrow published two romantic adventure novels, ''A Man; His Mark'' (1900) and ''Lentala of the South Seas'' (1908); an apparently journalistic work called ''Bohemian Paris of Today'', from "notes by Edouard Cucuel", and a short travel booklet, ''Roads Around Paso Robles'' (1904). He died in Ojai, California on April 3, 1923. A critical essay on Morrow's work can be found in S. T. Joshi's book ''The Evolution of the Weird Tale'' (2004), from which the above information is taken.

Bibliography

Short story collections

*''The Ape, the Idiot and Other People'' (1897) *''The Monster Maker and Other Stories'' (ed. S. T. Joshi and Stefan Dziemianowicz) (2000)

Novels

*''A Strange Confession'' (1880–81; newspaper serial) *''Blood-Money'' (1882) *''A Man; His Mark: A Romance'' (1900) *''Lentala of the South Seas'' (1908)

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morrow, W. C. 1854 births 1923 deaths People from Selma, Alabama 19th-century American novelists 20th-century American novelists American horror writers American male novelists American mystery writers American male short story writers 19th-century American short story writers 19th-century American male writers 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers