Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce, known as the "Bitter Bierce" and the "Wickedest Man in San Francisco," was born in 1842 in Ohio. He attended the Kentucky Military Institute for a year and was among the first to enlist in Lincoln's army when the American Civil War broke out. He fought in all the major battles from Shiloh to Chickamauga with the Northern army. After the North's victory, he returned to San Francisco and engaged in journalism, criticizing the criminal behavior of his Christian fellow citizens, the clergy, and politicians. Simultaneously, he began writing short stories. He could be considered a precursor of the "magical realism" of the second half of the 20th century. His book "Chickamauga" is one of the most powerful contemporary anti-war narratives. Although journalism made him famous, it did not prevent him from abandoning it, having grown disgusted with its relationship with politics. At the height of his fame in 1913, he decided to go to Mexico, which at the time was being shaken by the Pancho Villa uprising, presumably to join his army. Since then, his fate has been unknown. His disappearance created an entire mythology in America. Numerous studies and literary books (such as "Gringo Viejo" - "The Old Gringo" by Carlos Fuentes) were written. Films were made (such as the one based on Fuentes' book, "The Old Gringo" by Luis Puenzo, starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda), plays were staged, and fan clubs of his work were created. Even today, new evidence is continually discovered that complicates the facts even further. Bierce could not tolerate fools, did not spare his enemies, and spat in the face of the gods created by humans and those who prayed to them. He is renowned for his supernatural stories, as well as for his legendary wit, best appreciated by reading "The Devil's Dictionary." Apart from H.L. Mencken, his intellectual heir, there has never been a literary figure quite like Ambrose Bierce. And while his fate remains a mystery, Bierce remains an enigma. Bibliography: "Nuggets and Dust," Chatto and Windus, London, 1872 "The Fiend's Delight," John Camden Hotten, London, 1873 "Cobwebs from an Empty Skull," Routledge, London, 1874 "The Dance of Death," Henry Keller and Company, San Francisco, 1877 "Black Beetles In Amber," Western Authors Publishing, San Francisco, 1892 "The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter," F.J. Schulte, Chicago, 1892 "Tales of Soldiers and Civilians," E.L.G. Steele, San Francisco, 1892 "Can Such Things Be?" Cassell Publishing Company, New York, 1893 "Fantastic Fables," G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1899 "Shapes of Clay," W.E. Wood, San Francisco, 1903 "The Cynic's Word Book," Doubleday, New York, 1906 "The Shadow on the Dial and Other Essays," A.M. Robertson, San Francisco, 1909 "Write It Right," Neale Publishing Company, New York, 1909 "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce 12 Volumes," Neale, New York, 1909-1912.