William Aspenwall Bradley
William Aspenwall Bradley was an influential American writer, translator, and cultural ambassador, born on February 8, 1878, in Hartford, Connecticut. He grew up in New York City and attended Columbia University, where he earned both a B.A. and an M.A. After beginning his career as an art director and literary adviser at the McClure Company, Bradley transitioned into writing and editing, contributing to various publications and authoring several notable works, including a biography of William Cullen Bryant and books on etching. He married Jenny Serruys in 1921, though they did not have children.
Bradley was particularly active as a correspondent between America and France, where he promoted new literature and represented numerous prominent authors, establishing himself as a key figure in literary circles during the interwar period. Recognized for his contributions to cultural exchange, he was honored as a chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. His legacy includes his role as a distinguished scholar of American culture in France, and he passed away in 1939 in Paris, leaving behind a significant impact on literature and intercultural relations.
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Subject Terms
William Aspenwall Bradley
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: February 8, 1878
- Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut
- Died: January 9, 1939
- Place of death: Paris, France
Biography
William Aspenwall Bradley was born February 8, 1878, in Hartford, Connecticut, and grew up in New York City. He attended Columbia University, earning his B.A. in 1889 and his M.A. in 1900. After graduation he worked at the McClure Company as an art director and literary adviser until 1908. He then worked as a writer, contributing articles to American Magazine, the Boston Herald, and the Delineator, and as an editor for several books. He wrote a biography of William Cullen Bryant for the English Men of Letters series in 1905, French Etchers of the Second Empire in 1916, two volumes of poetry in 1917, and another book on etchers of seventeenth century Holland in 1918, all of which reveal a wide range of interests. In 1921, he married Jenny Serruys, but the couple did not have any children.
In additon to his writing, William Bradley made a living as a translator; one of his final works was a translation of Paul Valéry’s essays. Throughout his career, he commuted between America and France as a correspondent promoting new literature in both countries. Bradley also represented many of his contemporaries and associates, including famous authors such as Nathan Asch, Natalie Barney, Stephen Vincent Benét, Louis Bromfield, Caresse Crosby, John Dos Passos, James T. Farrell, Ramon Guthrie, Bravig Imbs, Eugene Jolas, Ludwig Lewisohn, Claude McKay, Peter Neagoe, Katherine Anne Porter, Ezra Pound, Samuel Putnam, Robert Sage, William Seabrook, George Seldes, William L. Shirer, Glenway Wescott, Edith Wharton, and Thornton Wilder in France as the main American agent there.
As Karen Rood wrote in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, he was “undoubtedly the most distinguished scholar of American culture in France during the period between the two World Wars.” For his efforts he was named a chevalier in the French Legion of Honor for promoting French literature in the United States, and he is remembered for his excellence as an unofficial ambassador. Bradley died in 1939, in Paris, France, but his wife continued his publishing business after him.