Bret Harte
Bret Harte was an American short story writer and poet known for his fiction set during the California Gold Rush.
Francis Brett Hart
Fiction Writer
August 25, 1836
Virgo
May 05, 1902
65
Albany, New York
Bret Harte, an American short story writer and poet, gained fame for his fiction centered around the California Gold Rush era. Renowned for works such as “The Luck of Roaring Camp” and “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” he also wrote poetry, plays, lectures, book reviews, editorials, and magazine sketches. Harte significantly influenced the popular American perception of the Chinese through his poem “Plain Language from Truthful James.” His literary prominence led him to become the founding editor of the Overland Monthly and secure the highest-paying publishing contract in American history at that time. Harte’s passion for the West and its people is evident throughout his works.