Ernest Vincent Wright

Ernest Vincent Wright (1872–1939) was an American writer best known for his 1939 novel Gadsby, which does not contain the letter E. Wright was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and worked as a newspaper reporter and editor before turning to fiction. He was a prolific writer, but his work was largely ignored by critics and publishers. Gadsby was his only novel to achieve commercial success.

Wright was a self-described "literary crank" who was determined to write a novel without the letter E. He believed that the letter E was overused in English and that its absence would make his novel more challenging and interesting to read. Gadsby was a critical and commercial success, and it has been translated into several languages.

Wright's philosophy of writing was based on the idea that the author should not interfere with the reader's imagination. He believed that the reader should be able to create their own interpretation of the text, without being led by the author. This philosophy is evident in Gadsby, which is a very sparse novel with very little plot or character development.

Wright died in 1939 at the age of 67. He is remembered as a unique and eccentric writer who challenged the conventions of literature. Gadsby is considered a cult classic, and it continues to be read and enjoyed by readers today.