Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American writer, celebrated for his contributions to the Southern Renaissance within the American literary canon. His lasting legacy is built on the profound impact of his first novel, Look Homeward, Angel (1929), and the short fiction produced in the final years of his life. Wolfe's works, characterized by their autobiographical nature, distinguish him as one of modern American literature's first masters of autobiographical fiction, earning him the title of North Carolina's most famous writer.

Wolfe authored four extended novels and a multitude of short stories, dramas, and novellas. His narrative style blends poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical elements. His literature, spanning the 1920s to the 1940s, offers a reflective exploration of American culture and societal norms of that era, all through Wolfe's introspective and analytically rich lens.

Following his passing, William Faulkner remarked that Wolfe may have possessed the most significant talent of their generation for his ambitious literary pursuits. Despite initial skepticism from mid to late 20th-century critics, recent academic reassessment has rejuvenated appreciation for Wolfe's experimental approaches to literary forms. This shift has cemented Wolfe's status within the literary pantheon, acknowledging both his innovative narrative techniques and his short fiction's enduring relevance. His influence extends to notable figures such as Jack Kerouac, Ray Bradbury, and Philip Roth, among others.