William Dean Howells was an American author and literary critic, born on March 1, 1837, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He is best known for his role in the literary realism movement, which focused on depicting everyday life and ordinary people. Howells served as the editor of the influential magazine The Atlantic Monthly and was a prominent advocate for American literature. Throughout his career, Howells wrote numerous novels, essays, and plays, with notable works including The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Hazard of New Fortunes. He emphasized the importance of social issues and the complexities of human relationships in his writing. Howells passed away on May 11, 1920.