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The Famous American Author Who Was Killed By a Toothpick
Sherwood Anderson found great writing success after a number of struggles, but was ultimately cut down in the most unusual way
During his distinguished career, American writer Sherwood Anderson emerged as a prominent novelist and writer of short stories. The success he enjoyed professionally made him quite comfortable in life, and able to travel. Unfortunately, it was during one of his trips while drinking a martini that he accidentally swallowed a toothpick that caused his death
Born in 1876 in Ohio, Anderson began as a successful copywriter and business owner in Cleveland. He had dabbled in writing but never felt the confidence to pursue it outright. However, he suffered a nervous breakdown in 1912 that led to him walking away from that success and starting over as a professional writer. He was particularly prolific during the 1920s, publishing a number of novels, a book of poetry and some short story collections that were well received. This included his only best seller, Dark Laughter, which was a novel based on time he had spent in New Orleans, and came out in 1925.
Anderson’s transition to a full-time professional writer was out of necessity for his well being. He had been balancing occasional writing with…
