Stephen Crane

When Stephen Crane saw boundaries, he didn t dawdle and wait for someone to help him inside. He just jumped the fence. This spirit is evident in the Civil War novel that he s famous for, The Red Badge of Courage. He was only twenty-one when he wrote the book, and he dared to tell the story even though he d never so much as stepped onto a battlefield. His life was a series of wild dares. Every time he disobeyed his Methodist parents and snuck away to explore the neighborhood, he risked punishment. Every time he compromised his safety as a journalist by disguising himself and sneaking into dangerous places, he risked his life. What was his greatest feat? That s easy. Somehow, he wrote it all down.