Joel Chandler Harris

Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908), born near Eatonton, held editorial positions at newspapers in Forsyth and Savannah, and ultimately with the Atlanta Constitution from 1876 to 1900. Over the course of his long career he produced six novels, a biography, a history of Georgia, a translation of French folktales, six volumes of children’s stories, and seven volumes of short stories for adults. Except for a few months in New Orleans, Harris’ entire life was spent in his native state, from which flowed his novels of plantation life and Reconstruction, as well as his history of the state and a biography of Constitution editor and Georgia Writers Hall of Fame honoree Henry W. Grady. In 1905 Harris was named a charter member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters along with Mark Twain, Henry James, and Henry Adams. He died in 1908 in Atlanta. (Inducted as a charter member in 2000)