Edgar Lee Masters (August 23, 1868 – March 5, 1950) was an American attorney, poet, biographer, and dramatist. He is best known as the author of Spoon River Anthology, a collection that brought him significant acclaim. Throughout his prolific career, Masters authored numerous works, including The New Star Chamber and Other Essays, Songs and Satires, The Great Valley, The Serpent in the Wilderness, An Obscure Tale, The Spleen, Mark Twain: A Portrait, Lincoln: The Man, and Illinois Poems. In total, Masters published twelve plays, twenty-one books of poetry, six novels, and six biographies. His biographies cover notable figures like Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Vachel Lindsay, and Walt Whitman.