Cantwell, Robert, 1908-1978

Robert Emmett Cantwell, novelist, biographer, essayist, and editor, was born January 31, 1908 in Little Falls, now Vader, Washington, and died December 8, 1978, in New York. Cantwell attended the University of Washington from 1924-25. In 1929, after selling a short story to The American caravan, he moved to New York where he began work on his first novel, Laugh and lie down (1931). After finishing the novel, he continued his freelance writing and published articles in The new republic, The nation, and others. He wrote a second novel, The land of plenty (1934). Cantwell worked on the editorial staffs of Time and Fortune, then became associate editor of Time. From 1949 to 1954 he worked as the literary editor of Newsweek, and then freelanced again until 1956, when he began an association with Sports illustrated.

From the description of Robert Cantwell papers, 1926-1978. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 52391247

Robert Emmett Cantwell, writer and editor, was born January 31, 1908 in Little Falls, now Vader, Washington, and died December 8, 1978, in New York. Cantwell attended the University of Washington from 1924-25. In 1929, he moved to New York where he began work on his first novel, Laugh and lie down (1931). After finishing, he continued his freelance writing and published in The new republic, The nation, and others. He wrote a second novel, The land of plenty (1934). Cantwell worked on the editorial.

Staffs of Time and Fortune, then became associate editor of Time. From 1949 to 1954 he worked as the literary editor of Newsweek, and then freelanced until 1956, when he began an association with Sports illustrated.

From the description of Robert Cantwell papers [microform], 1926-1978. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 55141109

Robert Emmett Cantwell, novelist, biographer, essayist, and editor, was born January 31, 1908 in Little Falls, (now Vader) Washington, and died December 8, 1978, in New York, NY; son of Charles James (an engineer) and Nina Adelia (Hanson) Cantwell; married Mary Elizabeth Chambers (a teacher), February 2, 1931; children: Jean McNiece (Mrs. George Stolz, Jr.), Betsy Ann (Mrs. Walter Pusey III), Mary Elizabeth Emmett (Mrs. Lars-Erik Nelson).

After attending the University of Washington (1924-1925), he spent the next four years working at Harbor Plywood Co., (1925-1929) Hoquiam, Washington as a veneer clipper man. In 1929, after selling a short story to The American Caravan, he moved to New York where he began work on his first novel, Laugh and Lie Down (1931). After finishing the novel, Cantwell continued his freelance writing and published articles in The New Republic and The Nation, among others. During the period between 1930 and 1935 he wrote a second proletarian novel, The Land of Plenty (1934) and began work on a biography of Boston merchant E.A. Filene in collaboration with Lincoln Steffens, which was never completed.

In the next ten years, Cantwell worked on the editorial staffs of Time (1935-1936) and Fortune (1937), then became associate editor of Time (1938-1945). During the 1930’s he came to know a number of literary personalities that included John Dos Passos, James T. Farrell, Ernest Hemingway, Edmund Wilson, Malcolm Cowley, and Whittaker Chambers (who Cantwell eventually helped get a job at Time ). During Cantwell’s employment at Time, he also became well acquainted with Henry Luce. Cantwell spent the next three years researching and writing the biography, Nathaniel Hawthorne: The American Years (1948). From 1949 to 1954 he worked as the literary editor of Newsweek and then took up freelancing again until 1956 when he began an association with Sports Illustrated that lasted the rest of his life. He worked on scores of articles, three of which became books: Alexander Wilson: Naturalist and Pioneer (1961), The Real McCoy (1971), and The Hidden Northwest (1972). Subjects of his articles include chess, ornithology, sports in the movies and literary figures in sports.

From the guide to the Robert Cantwell papers, 1926-1978, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)