washington irving

English - English

Definition of washington irving in English English dictionary: a US writer known especially for his stories set in New York at the time when it was ruled by the Dutch. His two most famous stories are Rip van Winkle, about a man who falls asleep for 20 years, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, about a teacher who meets a "Headless horseman" (1783-1859). born April 3, 1783, New York, N.Y., U.S. died Nov. 28, 1859, Tarrytown, N.Y. U.S. author, called the "first American man of letters. " He began his career as a lawyer but soon became a leader of the group that published Salmagundi (1807-08), a periodical containing whimsical essays and poems. After his comic A History of New York...by Diedrich Knickerbocker (1809), he wrote little until his very successful The Sketch Book (1819-20), containing his best-known stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." It was followed by a sequel, Bracebridge Hall (1822). He held diplomatic positions in Madrid, Spain, and writings such as The Alhambra (1832) reflect his interest in Spain's past

washington irving