Maxwell Anderson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | James Maxwell Anderson December 15, 1888 Atlantic, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 1959 (aged 70) Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Pen name | John Nairne Michaelson |
| Occupation | Playwright |
| Education | University of North Dakota (BA) Stanford University (MA) |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1933) |
| Spouse | Margaret Haskett
(m. 1911; died 1931)Gilda Hazard (m. 1954) |
| Partner | Gertrude Higger (1933–1953) |
| Children | 6, including Quentin including 2 adopted children of his second marriage. |
| Relatives | Maxwell L. Anderson (grandson) |
James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist.
Anderson faced many challenges in his career, frequently losing jobs for expressing his opinions or supporting controversial figures. Despite this, he found success as a dramatist and wrote a number of hit plays, including What Price Glory, Both Your Houses, and The Bad Seed. Many of his works were adapted for the screen, and he wrote screenplays for other authors' works as well. Anderson was married three times and had a tumultuous personal life, dying in 1959 after suffering a stroke. His papers and personal effects can be found in various institutions, with the largest collection housed at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.