As a twelve-year-old apprentice in his
brother's print shop, Benjamin Franklin taught himself to be a
writer by taking notes on the works of great essayists such as
Addison and Steele, jumbling them up, and then trying to
recreate them in his own words.
By that method, he recalled in his
Autobiography, he was encouraged to think he might become
a "tolerable" writer. In fact, he became the best, most
popular, and most influential writer in colonial America. His
direct and practical prose shaped America's democratic
character, and his homespun humor gave birth to the nation's
unique brand of crackerbarrel wisdom.
This book collects dozens of Franklin's
delight-ful essays and letters, along with a complete version
of his Autobiography. It includes an introductory essay
exploring Franklin's life and impact as a writer, and each
piece is accompanied by a preface and notes that provide
background, context, and analysis. Through the writings and
the introductory essays, the reader can trace the development
of Franklin's thinking, along with the birth of the nation he
and his pen helped to invent.
