Asa Greene
Asa Greene was an American journalist and author born into a farming family. He received early education in private schooling before attending Williams College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1813. Greene later earned a medical degree from Brown University in 1822, but he chose to pursue a career in journalism instead. He became the editor of The Berkshire American in 1825, and after its closure, he founded The Socialist, which lasted only a year due to financial issues. Greene then contributed to The Constellation before returning to medicine in 1833, during which he published three satirical works, including his most notable book, The Life and Adventures of Dr. Dodimus Duckworth, A. N. Q., a parody of a quack doctor. He resumed his journalism career in 1834 as editor of the New York Transcript, publishing his fourth book, The Perils of Pearl Street, and his final work, A Glance at New York, in 1837. Asa Greene passed away later that same year, leaving behind a legacy in both journalism and satire.
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Subject Terms
Asa Greene
Author
- Born: 1788
- Birthplace: Ashburnham, Massachusetts
- Died: 1837
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Asa Greene was the son of a farmer. After an early private education, Greene attended Williams College, where he earned his B.A. in 1813. Greene then earned his medical degree from Brown University in 1822. Instead of pursuing a career in medicine, however, Greene became a journalist, and in 1825 he became the editor of a weekly Massachusetts newspaper The Berkshire American. When the paper folded three years later, Greene started a new weekly paper called The Socialist. The Socialist only lasted a year due to financial difficulties. Greene then became an editor and contributor for The Constellation, a New York-based publication.
In 1833, Greene turned away from journalism and began practicing medicine. However, he did publish three satirical books that year: A Yankee Among the Nullifiers, The Life and Adventures of Dr. Dodimus Duckworth, A. N. Q., and Travels in America, by George Fibbleton, Esq. Greene is best known for The Life and Adventures of Dr. Dodimus Duckworth, A. N. Q., a mock biography of a quack New England doctor. In 1834 he returned to journalism, this time as editor for a daily paper called the New York Transcript. He also released his fourth book, The Perils of Pearl Street. Greene’s final work, A Glance at New York, appeared in 1837. Greene died later that year.