Maxwell Anderson

Maxwell Anderson (1888–1959) was an American playwright, poet, and journalist. Born in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, he grew up in the Midwest and studied at the University of North Dakota and Stanford University. After working as a teacher, he became a newspaper writer and editor, including at the New York World, before turning to the stage. Anderson gained prominence for verse dramas and politically charged plays, notably *Winterset* (1935), which won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. He also wrote *Key Largo* (1939) and collaborated on several Broadway productions. His work is marked by lyrical language, moral conflict, and a strong sense of public life and justice.