Schorer Mark

Profile

Mark Schorer was an American literary critic, biographer, short‑story writer, and professor of English. He is widely known for his influential essay “Technique as Discovery” and for the major biography Sinclair Lewis: An American Life, a landmark study that helped revive critical interest in the first U.S. Nobel laureate in literature. Schorer taught at several institutions and spent the center of his career at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a prominent voice in mid‑century literary studies.

Career and Contributions

• Education and teaching: Studied at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard University; later a long‑serving faculty member (and department leader) at UC Berkeley, English.
• Critical writing: “Technique as Discovery” (1948) remains a touchstone in discussions of form and meaning in fiction.
• Biography: Sinclair Lewis: An American Life (1961) is still frequently cited in Lewis scholarship and U.S. literary history.
• Scholarship on Romanticism: William Blake: The Politics of Vision (1946) analyzed Blake’s art and ideas in their historical context.
• Early fiction: Co‑authored weird and Gothic tales with fellow Sauk City writer August Derleth; see Colonel Markesan and Other Grotesques.
• Public culture: Served as an expert witness in the 1957 “Howl” obscenity trial, arguing for the poem’s literary value.

Selected Works

• Sinclair Lewis: An American Life (biography)
• William Blake: The Politics of Vision (criticism)
• “Technique as Discovery” (essay)
• Short stories and collaborations with August Derleth in pulp and literary magazines

News and Recent Coverage

As a historical literary figure, Schorer does not generate contemporary personal news. However, his work resurfaces in:

• Retrospectives on Sinclair Lewis and U.S. literary realism
• Anniversaries and discussions of the “Howl” trial and censorship
• Academic citations and course syllabi

To check for new essays, reprints, or archival announcements, monitor: UC Berkeley News, Poetry Foundation, and scholarly databases.

Social Media

No verified official social media profiles are associated with Mark Schorer. References you see on platforms typically come from libraries, departments, or readers discussing his books. Exercise care to avoid confusing him with contemporary namesakes.

Recent Projects, Editions, and Access

• Reprints of Sinclair Lewis: An American Life remain in circulation through major booksellers and libraries.
• Collected or reissued essays periodically appear in academic readers on narrative theory.
• Early weird‑fiction collaborations are accessible via anthologies; see Arkham House–related collections and library holdings.
• Archival research: consult The Bancroft Library and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Research Links

• Overview: Mark Schorer (Wikipedia)
• Library search: WorldCat results
• Scholarly articles: JSTOR search and Project MUSE
• Context: People v. Ferlinghetti (Howl trial)