Booth Tarkington (1869–1946) was a prolific American novelist and dramatist, best known for his penetrating depictions of Midwestern American life. Born Newton Booth Tarkington in Indianapolis, Indiana, he attended Purdue University and later Princeton University, though he did not graduate from the latter. Tarkington's literary career spanned several decades during which he produced over 20 novels and numerous short stories and plays. He achieved significant acclaim, including two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction for his novels 'The Magnificent Ambersons' in 1919 and 'Alice Adams' in 1922. His writing is characterized by its humorous and satirical tone, as well as a deep empathy for his characters, often chronicling their aspirations and the social changes of the American Midwest. Other notable works include 'Penrod' and 'Seventeen', which captured the essence of teenage life. His lesser-known work, 'The Lorenzo Bunch', continues his exploration of character and place, a testament to Tarkington's enduring interest in the social fabrics of small-town America. Tarkington's literary style mixed realism with nostalgia, and he had a distinctive capacity for detailing the complexities of societal transition and personal transformation, making him one of the foremost chroniclers of the American heartland in the early 20th century.