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BRIAN OSWALD DONN-BYRNE
(1889-1928)
A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR OF MESSER MARCO POLO
So Celtic in feeling and atmosphere are the stories of Donn Byrne
that many of his devotees have come to believe that he never lived
anywhere but in Ireland. Actually, Donn Byrne was born in New York City.
Shortly after his birth, however, his parents took him back to the
land of his forefathers. There he was educated and came to know
the people of whom he wrote so magically. At Dublin University his
love for the Irish language and for a good fight won him many prizes,
first as a writer in Gaelic and second as the University's lightweight
boxing champion. After continuing his studies at the Sorbonne and the
University of Leipzig, he returned to the United States, where, in 1911,
he married and established a home in Brooklyn Heights. He earned his
living, while trying to write short stories, as an editor of dictionaries.
Soon his tales began to attract attention and he added to his collection
of boxing prizes many others won in short-story contests. When MESSER
MARCO POLO appeared in 1921 his reputation in the literary world was
firmly established. Thereafter, whatever he wrote was hailed
enthusiastically by his ever-growing public, until 1928, when his
tragic death in an automobile accident cut short the career of one
of America's best-loved story-tellers.
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