Wilbur Daniel Steele

Biography

Wilbur Daniel Steele was born on 17 March, 1886, in Greensboro, North Carolina, the son of Wilbur Fletcher and Rose Wood Steele. He was raised in Denver, Colorado where his father, a Methodist Episcopal minister, was a professor at the University of Denver. After graduating from the University of Denver, Steele studied painting at the Museum of fine Arts (Boston), Academie Julien (Paris) and the Arts Students League (New York) before turning to writing. His first short story ("Storm") was published in 1913. Between 1919 and 1931 his short stories won three prizes and numerous awards from the O. Henry Memorial Committee. His list of O. Henry winners include (1919 Second Prize) "For They Know Not What They Do", (1920) "Footfalls", (1921) "The Marriage in Kairwan", (1922) "The Anglo-Saxon", (1924) "What Do You Mean-Americans?", (1925) "The Man Who Saw Through Heaven", (1926 First Prize) "Bubbles", (1928) "Lightning", (1929) "The Silver Sword", (1929) "Conjuh", (1931 First Prize) "Can't Cross Jordan by Myself". In 1934 he collaborated with his wife, Norma Mitchell, on the successful comedic play, "Post Road". One of last works, "That Girl from Memphis" (1945), won high praise from critics for its views on social history. On writing, Steele once said; "Words for me are very difficult. They're always fighting me. I'm in a pure funk, the whole time I'm writing". Wilbur Daniel Steele died on 26 May, 1970, at Essex, Connecticut after a long period of declining health. At the time of his death Steele was considered by his peers to be among the first rank of American short story-tellers.