Frank Harris

Biography

Frank Harris was born in Galway, Ireland on February 14, 1855. His parents were Welsh, his father a naval officer. At a young age he attended the Ruabon Grammar School in Denbighshire and he hated it so much that after attending only a few months, he ran away. While still a young adolescent he ran away to the United states taking up odd jobs to support himself—he even took a job as a worker in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. His exploration of the United States carried him across the Midwest where he spent time in Chicago and as a cattle rancher. He grew bored of the life of a cowboy and he decided to study law at the University of Kansas.

Harris was not one for legislation and after a few years he left his legal career to return to Europe. He toured through many countries such as Germany, Austria, France and Greece before finally settling in London and deciding to become a journalist.

His literary career was much more successful. He participated in the editorial work of many successful magazines and periodicals such as the Evening News, the Fortnightly Review and the Saturday Review. He became close friends with many influential writers like H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw.  His many adventures and experiences in America as well as his tour of Europe fueled many of his literary works.  He decided to focus on becoming a novelist and many of his books were widely popular. His most memorable work, a multiple volume autobiographical memoir titled My Life and Loves was banned in multiple countries for its sexual explicitness. Reflecting on his autobiography, Time Magazine wrote “Had he not been a thundering liar, Frank Harris would have been a great autobiographer… he had the crippling disqualification that he told the truth… only when his invention flagged.”

In his writing, Harris was identified for his mixing of sensuality and sensibility. No account of warfare or correspondence on any political event was completely devoid of an allusion to scandal or personal commentary. His fictional pieces were often roguish and wild. He was an ambitious person, always seeking another adventure, another journal, another story.

When the First World War broke out Harris returned to the United States, continuing his career as an editor for literary publications. He eventually became a citizen of the United States and spent the rest of his life traveling and publishing between the United States and Europe. Harris died in Nice France on August 26, 1931 of a heart attack and was buried there.