The Damned Thing

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (6/24/1842–1914?) was an American editorialist, journalist, short-story writer & satirist. Today, he is best known for his short stories, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Damned Thing & his satirical dictionary, The Devil's Dictionary. The sardonic view of human nature that informed his work along with his vehemence as a critic earned him the nickname, "Bitter Bierce." Despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, he was known to encourage younger writers, including the poet, George Sterling & the fiction writer, W.C. Morrow. In 1913, Bierce traveled to Mexico to gain a firsthand perspective on that country's ongoing revolution. While traveling with rebel troops, the elderly writer disappeared without a trace.