Rex Ellingwood Beach (September 1, 1877 â€" December 7, 1949) was an
American novelist, playwright, and Olympic water polo player.Rex Beach
was born in Atwood, Michigan, but moved to Tampa, Florida, with his
family where his father was growing fruit trees. Beach was educated at
Rollins College, Florida (1891â€"1896), the Chicago College of Law
(1896â€"97), and Kent College of Law, Chicago (1899â€"1900). In 1900
he was drawn to Alaska at the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. After
five years of unsuccessful prospecting, he turned to writing.His
second novel The Spoilers (1906) was based on a true story of corrupt
government officials stealing gold mines from prospectors, which he
witnessed while he was prospecting in Nome, Alaska. The Spoilers
became one of the best selling novels of 1906.His adventure novels,
influenced by Jack London, were immensely popular throughout the early
1900s. Beach was lionized as the "Victor Hugo of the North," but
others found his novels formulaic and predictable. Critics described
them as cut from the "he-man school" of literature: stories of "strong
hairy men doing strong hairy deeds." Alaska historian Stephen Haycox
has said that many of Beach's works are "mercifully forgotten today."
American novelist, playwright, and Olympic water polo player.Rex Beach
was born in Atwood, Michigan, but moved to Tampa, Florida, with his
family where his father was growing fruit trees. Beach was educated at
Rollins College, Florida (1891â€"1896), the Chicago College of Law
(1896â€"97), and Kent College of Law, Chicago (1899â€"1900). In 1900
he was drawn to Alaska at the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. After
five years of unsuccessful prospecting, he turned to writing.His
second novel The Spoilers (1906) was based on a true story of corrupt
government officials stealing gold mines from prospectors, which he
witnessed while he was prospecting in Nome, Alaska. The Spoilers
became one of the best selling novels of 1906.His adventure novels,
influenced by Jack London, were immensely popular throughout the early
1900s. Beach was lionized as the "Victor Hugo of the North," but
others found his novels formulaic and predictable. Critics described
them as cut from the "he-man school" of literature: stories of "strong
hairy men doing strong hairy deeds." Alaska historian Stephen Haycox
has said that many of Beach's works are "mercifully forgotten today."
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